LeBron James made history yet again on Thursday night when he was named among the 2024 All-Star Game starters. James has now set the new record for most All-Star selections with 20 by breaking a tie with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. After the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Chicago Bulls 141-132, LeBron was asked about his latest historic feat.
“I’m just very gifted, very blessed, very humbled,” LeBron said. “And I want to thank obviously the fans for voting me in as NBA All-Star starter for the 20th time and 20th consecutive time and it means a lot to me. I just try to come out here, put in the work, and then let the work pay off on a game-to-game basis. And hopefully, I can continue to make my fans proud that allows me to be on such a stage, so it’s always an honor.”
When asked if he was still a bit upset about not being an All-Star as a rookie, James said it motivated him.
“It made me stronger going into year two,” James stated. “And it let me know that even though as good as the first half I had my rookie year, I needed to put in some more work. So, I was blessed to not make it my first year because it definitely put me in a position where I needed to know I need to go harder.”
(starts at 1:29 mark):
LeBron James praises his teammates for their high play tonight and what it means to be named an All-Star for the 20th time. pic.twitter.com/eh9swqqEIh
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) January 26, 2024
LeBron’s rookie season in 2003-04 remains the only one where he didn’t make the All-Star team. He finished fourth in fan voting among Eastern Conference guards that year and the head coaches in the East then opted to not include him among the reserves either.
It certainly would have given LeBron a lot of motivation, and he has responded by being a starter for 20 consecutive seasons. We talk about the crazy records the 39-year-old holds and this might end up being the one most difficult to break.
For all we know, he’s probably going to be a starter for the next couple of years too, as he isn’t slowing down. Here on his return from injury against the Bulls, James had 25 points, 4 rebounds, 12 assists, and 2 steals while shooting 10-19 from the field.
Gilbert Arenas On What Makes LeBron James Different From Other Stars
Gilbert Arenas had some great battles with LeBron on the court and he has always spoken glowingly of the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. On his recent appearance on Podcast P, Arenas explained what makes James different from other NBA stars.
“LeBron James was one of those players [who was] smart, so smart that he plays to his strengths and never his weaknesses,” said Arenas. “When you’re trying to say ‘he’s not a one-on-one guy, he’s not this… he knows that his skill, he’s not gonna try to do it. He’s gonna play to his perfection, and that’s hard to do. That’s what LeBron mastered: I’m just gonna stick with what I’m great at, I’m gonna perfect it, I’m gonna get smarter, wiser… If y’all think he’s fast now, what you think was coming down the lane then?”
LeBron did focus on his strengths and perfected them to get to where he is today. I do believe he did work on some of his weaknesses too though, like the outside shot, which has enabled him to continue dominating as he gets up there in age.
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