LeBron James returns for his record 21st All-Star Game, still in the NBA's midseason spotlight at 41

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — For two solid decades, LeBron James was a main attraction at every NBA All-Star weekend.

He was a 20-year-old starter in his All-Star debut back in 2005, and he became the youngest MVP of the game one year later. Never begging off due to injury or exhaustion while his less-accomplished teammates luxuriated in their breaks from the regular-season grind, James dutifully appeared in every midseason showcase until 2025, when his 40-year-old body simply wouldn't allow him to play.

As it turns out, that weekend in San Francisco wasn't the end of an era after all.

Now 41, James will be back this weekend for the All-Star Game at Intuit Dome south of central Los Angeles, spending another Sunday in February under the spotlight while extending his records for the most All-Star selections (22) and All-Star appearances (21) in NBA history.

James, the leading scorer in NBA history and in the All-Star Game's history, clearly doesn't consider the All-Star Game to be an onerous obligation, even when he's had to fly all around the country to make his appearances. Yet the Los Angeles Lakers star is also thrilled he'll be spending this All-Star weekend in his own home, where he can concentrate his spare hours on making the most of the time he has left, both in this season and in his matchless career.

''Trying to figure out how to get some rest,'' James said Thursday night when asked about his plans for the weekend. ''Obviously, Sunday will be Sunday. Super grateful for that, to be a part of All-Star weekend and to be a part of the big game. And then (I'll) try to find some rest.''

James went into the break with a performance that exemplified why his latest All-Star selection wasn't obeisance to a basketball legend — even one who has missed 18 games due to injury already this season, disqualifying him from consideration for a 22nd straight All-NBA selection.

''He's fighting Father Time as good as anybody ever has,'' Lakers teammate Austin Reaves said. "Just the pace he's playing with still, the athleticism, obviously the IQ. Yeah, he is still one of the best players in the NBA. (He's an) All-Star for a reason.''

Lakers coach JJ Redick put it even more succinctly: ''He's got a 23-year prime, basically.''

And as James reiterated after his triple-double, he still firmly believes he could maintain something close to this level of play indefinitely.

His defiance of time and aging has reached unprecedented levels as the only NBA player to suit up for a 23rd season, and he is excelling at a level never reached by a player in his 40s. James has repeatedly said he doesn't know how much longer he'll play — but he doesn't even qualify it by saying he wants to leave before his skills erode, because he doesn't think they will.

''Could I? Yeah, I could. But I don't know,'' James said when asked if he could continue to play at a high level for years to come.

In his first All-Star Game, James suited up for the Eastern Conference alongside fellow starters Shaquille O'Neal and Allen Iverson to face Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan.

When he plays in his 21st All-Star Game at the Los Angeles Clippers' futuristic arena, he'll be playing against many young stars who have never really known the NBA without James in it.

But the generation gap seems meaningless lately, at least when James is healthy. After winning four championships and accomplishing almost everything possible in basketball, James is still playing at an All-Star level because he gets satisfaction from the process — and gleeful joy from its results.

''That's always me,'' James said. ''I'm a goofy, 41-year-old kid. I mean, I think people should know that by now, right? That's just me. I'm just goofy. I get to play basketball. Like, they pay me to play basketball. Why wouldn't I be happy about that? I get to be with my son and my teammates and all these unbelievable fans. They've watched me throughout my career and given me all the support and love, and it's like, I enjoy my … is it even work? I enjoy what I do.''

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