Meanwhile, LeBron James, widely considered the greatest player in NBA history, is experiencing a down season. Now he’s preparing for the 2022 edition of the annual All-Star Game. Given that James has had an amazing career as All-Star starter in 21 seasons. He is struggling on and off the court.
This week, James is in deep trouble. He’s still averaging career lows of only 20.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 6.7 assists through 14 games so far this year. He missed training camp and the first part of his season with sciatica, which threw him into a tailspin of deteriorating play. This reality leaves open the question of his long-term fitness. Western Conference coaches would be crazy not to slot him onto one of the two USA teams in the All-Star Game. Looking at where he stands in the initial rounds of fan voting — well, that’s a different story.
James sits in ninth place in this week’s Western Conference voting, with 536,555 votes. He’s third among all players, but trails behind younger stars like Luka Doncic, Victor Wembanyama and Stephen Curry. That would be a shocking fall from grace considering he was actually the most-seen NBA player on social media a year ago. For the first time in his extremely colorful career, James has lost appeal. Only 14 players have ever gotten more total votes than that.
Those changes in voting patterns come at an interesting time with a significant change in the makeup of the team. Current US teammates Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are both ahead of James in average points per game. This gap is a testament to how much the Lakers roster has turned over. Rather, it suggests that we’re entering a new era in which James is no longer his team’s primary focal point.
The fact that he will turn 41 on December 30 only deepens the quagmire surrounding his status. As James ages, he becomes more concerned about retirement. Indeed, this is a subject that sets such a heavy burden on his conscience during this stage of life. Retirement speculation aside, rumors are already circulating that he’ll announce a retirement tour, similar to Michael Jordan’s remarkable jaunt in 2003. Though exciting, these plans are still just that—plans—for now.
Whatever the challenges may be, James meets them head on. He put the basketball world on notice with a season-high 36 points against the Los Angeles Clippers on December 20. His performances serve as a wake-up call that he is very much still a talented and able boxer. Even considering the difficulties of aging in a league that’s getting younger, he’s still killing it.
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