Is LeBron James Disappointed Not to Make the NBA All Star Starting Roster? 'Not at All'

NEED TO KNOW

• LeBron James told reporters he's "not at all" bothered by not being selected as a starter for the NBA All-Star Game next month
• LeBron, 41, has been a starter in the NBA All-Star Game for 21-straight years, since his 2005 rookie season
• The NBA will announce its reserve bench players for the All-Star Game on Feb. 1

LeBron James knows he has plenty to hang his hat on. 

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer and four-time league MVP is speaking out after some critics said he was snubbed by being left off the NBA All-Star Game’s starting roster for the first time in 21 years.

When reporters asked the 41-year-old Los Angeles Lakers star if he was bothered not to make the roster for 2026, he replied, "Nah, not at all."

Being left off the starting roster doesn’t rule James out from being selected to his 22nd consecutive All-Star Game (already a league record for most selections in a row by a single player), and he said he appreciates whatever opportunity he is given.

“I’m always grateful,” James told reporters about being considered for the annual exhibition game, which features the league’s best active players. According to Lakers Nation, the four-time NBA Champion said he’ll definitely play in the All-Star Game if he’s selected to a team reserve, and that not being selected as a starter won’t have an impact on his decision to attend.

“If I’m there, I’ll be there in attendance. If I’m not, I know I’ll be able to take full advantage of it, I know exactly what I’ll be doing," the father of three said. "So I’m good either way.”

The NBA All-Star rosters are decided largely in part by fan vote, as well as votes from players and members of the media. 

ESPN reported that James, who missed the first 14 games of the season with sciatica, was “never close” to getting enough votes to make the Western Conference team’s starting roster. Though the Akron, Ohio native and future NBA Hall of Famer is still averaging more than 22 points per game, it’s the lowest he’s averaged since his rookie season in 2005, according to ESPN statistics.

Notably, the NBA All-Star voting results featured James’ teammate Luka Dončić as the top vote-getter in the entire league, per ESPN. The Slovenian NBA superstar was joined James and the Lakers last February when he was traded by the Dallas Mavericks in a surprise move that breathed new life into James' hopes of claiming a fifth NBA Championship before he retires.

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry, Milwaukee Bucks franchise star Giannis Antetokounmpo, Oklahoma City Thunder fan-favorite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets and 7-foot-4 Frenchman Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs were also among the other star players who were voted into the NBA All-Star Game’s starting roster.

James now waits to see if his name is included in the list of reserve players for the game. Those players will be announced on Feb. 1, according to NBC.

The NBA All-Star Game will take place in Los Angeles at the Intuit Dome on Sunday, Feb. 15.

Read the original article on People