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At 39 years old, LeBron James managed to steal the NBA spotlight once again, though perhaps not in the way he intended. Fresh off the heels of the Lakers’ acquisition of Luka Doncic, James found himself at the center of controversy following his last-minute withdrawal from the NBA All-Star Game.

The timing of James’ departure, mere hours before the scheduled tip-off, left both fans and organizers scrambling. The NBA’s marquee event, already battling declining viewership, was dealt another blow during its annual All-Star weekend festivities.

This year’s All-Star Game underwent a significant format change, introducing a tournament-style competition between four mini-teams competing to reach 40 points. The transformation marked a stark departure from the traditional full-court matchups of years past, when legends like Michael Jordan brought their competitive spirit to the exhibition game.

The situation became more complicated given that one of the participating squads bore James’ name – “Team LeBron.” The NBA remained silent regarding James’ cited injury concerns, though league rules strictly prohibit false injury reporting.

Social media erupted with criticism, as many spectators believed James’ late withdrawal was calculated to maintain his All-Star selection streak while preventing a timely replacement. The timing left no opportunity for another player to step in, which would have affected James’ two-decade run of All-Star appearances.

“Selfish as always,” one X user said in response to a clip of the interview. “He just HAD to be there to stat pad another All-Star selection.”

Critics suggested that James likely knew about his condition well in advance, with one user noting, “He knew he wasn’t going to play. Could’ve stepped aside and let someone else get a shot but he’d never do that.”

James and his Lakers teammates, including recent addition Doncic, will return to regular season action on Wednesday when they face the Charlotte Hornets at home.