NBA fans were stunned and disappointed when LeBron James confirmed to reporters on Sunday that he would not play in the NBA’s All-Star Game. James, a 21-time All-Star selection who remains one of the top basketball players on the planet, told the media that he needed to rest and recover from multiple nagging injuries after playing in 48 of the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 52 games to this point — but theories abound as to the real reason why James sat out in San Francisco.
James is not expected to speak further about his All-Star absence prior to the Lakers‘ next game, home to the struggling Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday. That leaves it to fans and the basketball media ecosystem to parse the true meaning behind the 40-year-old’s refusal to play at the Chase Center.
Is LeBron’s focus on a fifth title?
Analyst Nick Wright believes he has the answer to the questions James provoked by not playing in the All-Star Game. Speaking on the FOX Sports 1 program “First Things First“, Wright revealed his conviction that James is strategically using the All-Star Game absence as fuel to pursue his fifth NBA championship alongside new running mate Luka Doncic.
“I think it is a great sign for the Lakers’ chances that LeBron sat the All-Star Game out,” Wright said. “And by that, I mean he only does that if he actually believes, ‘We might win it. We could maybe win a championship.'”
The Lakers, with a 32-20 record, have been surging of late and sit only two games in the loss column behind the Memphis Grizzlies for second in the Western Conference. Though there are questions about LA‘s depth, especially at center, Wright thinks the core for a playoff-ready rotation is there for head coach J.J. Redick following the shocking Doncic acquisition.
“I think he didn’t play because he’s like, ‘Man, we got 30 games and then potentially four playoff rounds,'” Wright said. “And the fact that he believes it means his basketball brain has done the math on what they’re good at, what they’re not going to be good at, and is like, ‘Ah, I think we got a shot.'”
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