LeBron James has been featured on an All-NBA team every single year since his rookie season. That streak has now ended. James is ineligible to make any All-NBA team or win any accolade this season, thanks to the NBA’s new games-played minimum.
LeBron James won’t make All-NBA
It’s a true testament to LeBron James’ unrivaled longevity that he’s still playing. But all this time, he’s actually been playing well. There are three five-man All-NBA teams every single season, which means that the top 15 players get honored.
After his rookie season, in which he probably could’ve made a team as well, he has been one of those top 15 seasons every year. That’s 21 straight years of being a top-15 player in the sport. No one has ever reached that level of dominance for so long in any sport.
Sadly, the streak is over. James missed some time to start the season with sciatica, and he’s had some off nights to manage things since then. After missing the contest on Tuesday night, he will not be able to make the All-NBA minimum of 65 games played.
It would’ve been hard for James to make it anyway. His averages are down across the board, although 21.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 6.9 assists is really good. It’s just not quite All-NBA level, and his efficiency has gone down a bit, too.
Nevertheless, it wouldn’t matter if James went on a tear to close the season. He’s ineligible, which may or may not be a flaw in the rule. The NBA wanted to prevent load management and get stars to play games, and this is the result.
Lakers coach JJ Redick believes the NBA ought to use the games played metric as a suggestion rather than a requirement to make a team or win an award. If someone is that good in 64 games, why shouldn’t they make it?
“I think it’s fine to have some sort of guidance for voters,” said Redick via ESPN. He spent some time in the media before coaching. “I know the first year that I voted, there were a bunch of guys that were in like that 54-to-56-game range.”
Is the rule too strict?
LeBron James sat out against the San Antonio Spurs, and head coach Mitch Johnson is well aware of the rules. Victor Wembanyama played just 46 games due to a blood clot, so he was ineligible for anything last year.
“I think the intention behind the rule makes sense,” the coach said. “Try to incentivize and motivate players to play. Playing games in this league over 82 games of just regular-season games is a lot, and it’s tough and there’s a lot of bumps and bruises and four-letter-word things that people play through. And I think that’s a skill and that’s a demand that these guys push through mentally, physically and emotionally, and I understand the intention of it.”
He continued, “The details if 65 games is the right number people should be ineligible for certain awards , I honestly haven’t given it much thought. I think it obviously stinks for guys who have really great years.”
There has long been debate over this rule. Many believe it’s too restrictive, especially for players who suffer injuries. The team will want them to play, but they have to keep them healthy, and that might mean missing the second night of a back-to-back or something like that.
Should James go off in the second half and have an award-worthy season that doesn’t meet the 65-game requirement, it may prompt new questions about the rule’s legitimacy. His teammate, Luka Doncic, is an MVP candidate and is at risk of missing out himself.
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