A Historic Streak In LeBron James' Career Comes To A Halt

A historic run for LeBron James has come to an end.

On Monday, January 19, the NBA announced its All-Star Game starters, and for the first time in 21 years, LeBron James was conspicuously absent from the list.

LeBron James' Historic Career Streak Comes To An End

James, who entered the league in 2003, had been named an All-Star starter for 21 consecutive years since 2005.

This year, however, marked a shift, as James didn't come close to earning a starting spot, per the official release.

According to ESPN, James' Los Angeles Lakers teammate Luka Dončić received the most votes in the Western Conference, followed by Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama, and Stephen Curry.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led voting in the East and will start alongside Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Maxey, Cade Cunningham, and Jaylen Brown.

LeBron James Had A Slow Start To His Season

James' participation in the upcoming All-Star Game is still possible; however, it would be via injury replacement or as a reserve.

Although James is typically one of the highest-voted players, the snub might not come as a surprise to some, TMZ reports, given that the Ohio native missed significant playing time at the start of the season due to sciatica.

At the time of this publication, James is averaging 22.6 PPG, 6.9 APG, and 5.9 RPG.

Fans React To LeBron James' Starter Streak Coming To An End

 

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Online, fans have been reacting to the conclusion of James' streak, with one Reddit user calling it "crazy." "I mean, 21 years as an All Star is crazy in itself," another user replied.

"21 consecutive seasons is longer than the careers of 99% of players," a third Redditor commented. "Being an All-Star starter every single time is even crazier."

"This is probably LeBron's most unbreakable record, especially since they changed the voting. Being elite for 21 consecutive years without even 1 injury or down year is crazy," another posted.

Weeks before the news about the All-Star Game hit the internet, another of James' streaks came to an end, per ESPN.

His run of 1,297 consecutive double-digit regular-season scoring efforts ended in early December 2025 after he was held to 8 points against the Toronto Raptors.

James was unfazed by the streak's end, telling reporters he had no thoughts on the matter because his team won.

"Just playing the game the right way. You always make the right play," he said. "That's just been my M.O. That's how I was taught the game. I've done that my whole career."

James Gets Real About The Message He Sent To His Financial Advisor

According to a report from The Blast, James garnered significant attention in 2025 when he appeared on his wife's "Everybody's Crazy" podcast and spoke candidly about an explicit conversation he had with his financial advisor.

"It's hard for me sometimes to take risks," he said before getting into the specifics of his business dealings. "But for me, like, when I'm talking to my business partners and sh-t like that, financial advisors, you know, accountants, all that type of sh-t," he said. "My financial advisor, the first thing I told him when he wanted to manage my money was, 'If you steal my money, bro, or if I'm broke, bro, I'm letting you know, bro, it ain't going to be good for you.'"

Speaking with Complex's Speedy Mormon, James said part of his passion comes from not being able to "start over."

"There's no way. None of us sitting here can start over. I'm not Monopoly-ing this. I'm not starting back at, 'Pass go, and you collect $200 to start back at go,' No, too far gone at this point," he said.

Throughout his career, James has earned over $500 million playing for various NBA teams, a fact some fans said renders James' claims unbelievable.

"No way will LeBron ever have to start over. Even if he loses everything, he can go buy a LeBron game-used jersey, then sign it and sell it for 50x," someone said.

James Has Admitted To Being One Of The 'Cheapest' Guys In The NBA

James' stance on money doesn't come as a surprise, as the Cleveland Cavaliers alum previously joked with NBA peer Dwyane Wade about being the "cheapest" guy in the league.

James, proudly wearing the title, confirmed the assertion might be true, admitting he doesn't pay for data on his phone or for app subscriptions. At the time, James even noted that he was using free music apps, including Pandora.

"I'm not buying no apps," he said. "I'm not paying for it. I'm not paying."