22nd Year in a Row: LeBron Resets the Bar, Earns Another All Star

Summary:

• LeBron James was named an NBA All-Star for the 22nd straight year, setting another longevity record.
• He was selected as a reserve by coaches after missing last season’s game because of injury.
• Jamal Murray and several others earned long-awaited or first-time All Star selections.

LeBron James doesn’t show signs of stopping anytime soon, despite his impressively lengthy career. On the contrary, the iconic Los Angeles Lakers player seems to keep finding new ways to hit the refresh button.

On Sunday, the player was named an NBA All Star for the 22nd straight season, extending a record that already seemed untouchable. The 41-year-old was one of 14 reserves announced for the February 15 showcase, which will be played at the Los Angeles Clippers’ arena in Inglewood.

James now owns a long list of All Star records, as he has appeared in the game 20 times and scored more points than anyone else, with 434 across those appearances. This season, however, his spot came via the coaches’ vote rather than the fan, media, and player process that selects starters.

James said in a video shared by the NBA before the Lakers faced the New York Knicks on Sunday night,

I didn’t make it my rookie year. Twenty-two straight. Nah, it ain’t bad. Blessed. Honoured. Truly.

James missed last season’s All Star Game because of injury, but his longevity continues to draw admiration around the league. Lakers coach JJ Redick put it simply when asked about James’ sustained excellence.

You think about a star player, their prime is their All-NBA, all-star years. And you know, he’s basically had a 20-plus-year prime. It’s kind of unheard of. It is unheard of, uncharted, whatever you want to call it. I mean, it’s incredible. It’s a testament to the work that he puts in.

The Eastern Conference reserves include Donovan Mitchell of Cleveland, Karl-Anthony Towns of New York, Pascal Siakam of Indiana, Scottie Barnes of Toronto, Jalen Duren of Detroit, Norman Powell of Miami and Jalen Johnson of Atlanta.

Powell, one of several first-time selections, drew praise from Heat coach Erik Spoelstra.

I believe that he deserves it and I think probably one of the best compliments you can give him is the fact that he starred in all of his roles that he’s had in his career, and he just continues to get better. He’s having his best years now after the age of 30.

From the West, James was joined by Anthony Edwards, Jamal Murray, Chet Holmgren, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Deni Avdija. Murray’s selection stood out after several seasons of being left out.

This year’s All Star Game will use a tournament format featuring US teams and a World team, with short games and a final to decide the winner. The league plans to reveal the full team breakdown on Tuesday night.

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