LeBron James, who turned 41 years old last December, was selected for his 22nd All-Star appearance this season. Before the main event began in the new round-Robin format, James spoke to the media and addressed what he felt about the new USA vs. the World foundation of the games.
“East-West is the tradition. It’s been really good. I like the East and West format,” James said while speaking to reporters on Sunday. “They’re trying something, we’ll see what happens. But it’s U.S. vs. World. The world is gigantic over the U.S., so I’m trying to figure out how that makes sense.”
The Lakers’ veteran superstar remained puzzled with the new format and could not comprehend how it was meant to encourage competition outside of the traditional East vs. West format.
Team USA stars ended up winning the event, destroying Team USA stripes 47-21 in the final game. But several stars gave credit to Victor Wembanyama and the new format for making the All-Star game more competitive.
James, who was on Team USA stripes, played for a combined 15 minutes in both games. He averaged 5.0 points, 2.5 assists, and 1.5 rebounds while shooting 42.9% from the field and 50.0% from the three-point range.
The 41-year-old star remained unsure if he’ll play next year, contingent upon whether he is still in the league and if he gets selected at age 42.
LeBron James Reacts To Anthony Edwards Winning All-Star MVP
Following the game, James spoke to the media and credited Anthony Edwards for winning his first Kobe Bryant NBA All-Star Game MVP award.
“Love Ant-Man. Everything about him. On the court, off the court. Happy for him, first of many All-Star MVPs for him. I love Ant, he’s got a fan in me and a friend in me for life,” said James.
Amid the rampant criticism of the All-Star weekend, Edwards’ performance brought a unique edge to the competition that elevated the level of the game overall tonight.
After the game, Edwards admitted that beating Team World was more special than beating Team USA stripes because they claimed to be the best in the world, beating them was “the best feeling in the world” for the Timberwolves star. Beating Team World became fuel for Edwards to perform better during the game.
Edwards finished the games averaging 12.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 0.5 assists in the two games he played tonight. He shot 58.8% from the floor and 36.4% from beyond the three-point line.
The Lakers’ superstar seemingly agrees with the public perception that it is upon the new generation to bring energy into the coveted weekend and doesn’t really understand how the format contributed to making the All-Star game much more competitive. But Edwards’ performance should have made things to him by now.
