LeBron James continued his iconic streak of being an All-Star for the 22nd consecutive year, but not without some controversy. Averaging close to 22 points per game is not bad for a 41-year-old. In context, this is his worst production except for his rookie year. That’s why his selection on ‘merit’ is under scrutiny from fans and analysts.

The league named Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards, Nuggets’ Jamal Murray, OKC’s Chet Holmgren, Rockets’ Kevin Durant, Suns’ Devin Booker, and Bron as West reserves as the league’s coaches’ voting concluded over the past week. While the official selected list is out, many unofficial sources have already made their All-Star snub roster, which primarily includes Kawhi Leonard and Alperen Sengun.

It was CBS Sports NBA reporter Sam Quinn who questioned the decision to select LeBron James. “I’m a well-known LeBron stan, but LeBron over Kawhi for an All-Star slot is a flat out farce. If you want to get LeBron into the game through injury replacement or special commissioner selection, fine, but Kawhi has been significantly better than him this year.” He is not wrong about the special commissioner selection, since Adam Silver has done so before.

For the 2019 NBA All-Star, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made retiring legends Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki and Heat’s Dwyane Wade special team roster additions. It has been done, and they could have gone that route again. Quinn followed his initial tweet and endorsed Leonard as a better pick than a few of the All-Stars.

“Kawhi, imo, should’ve been the eighth or ninth player picked. He’s been better than LeBron. Better than Booker too, and the availability gap hasn’t been huge. Kawhi vs. Deni is a fun conversation, but they both should’ve been locks.” Kawhi’s points per game average of 27.7 is better than the current All-Star reserves, Brooks 25.4, Avdija’s 25.5, and Holmgren’s 17.8.

For context, James is averaging 21.9 points on 50.2% shooting, 5.8 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.5 triples per game. Those are still pretty impressive numbers, especially given that James is now 41. However, the four-time NBA champion forward has also seen a considerable dip in his production this season. Leonard, on the other hand, has been nothing short of incredible for the Clippers this year.

This season, Kawhi’s 27.7 points per game is also Clippers-best and a career high, which ranked seventh in the NBA. He is leading the league in steals per game as well (2.1) on a 50/40/90 shooting split. When he was named as a starter, Clippers coach Ty Lue simply stated, “Kawhi, to me, the last 6 weeks, has been the best player in the NBA.”

While the Clippers’ record didn’t help his cause, the coaches certainly snubbed his stellar play, a similar case for the Rockets’ Sengun.

LeBron James’ selection was termed “crazy”

Sengun has definitely taken a next step since his first-time All-Star selection last season. He has even improved as a defender and has better stats across the board. The 23-year-old Turkish center is averaging 21/9/6 on 50%, and he leads the NBA in steals for centers to go along with a block per game. That’s why fans remain upset over his snub. A frustrated netizen wrote, “Lebron and chet over alpi and kawhi 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 f— out of here with that bullshit.”

The fans’ frustration seeps in because the 4x NBA champion is not even the second-best player on his team. Austin Reaves has truly taken over the mantle. It’s certainly a boost for LeBron James, who two weeks ago was not voted a starter for the first time since his rookie season. A netizen bluntly stated, “Imma be real Lebron didn’t deserve it this season.”

Soon, conspiracy theories also came to light as if the league knew that this was LeBron James’ final All-Star appearance. A fan said, “Unless they know LeBron retiring after this szn “king James” being an all star is crazy bruh.” Entering the iconic 23rd year, everyone is wondering if this season is the final year. After this year, James becomes a free agent, which only adds to the chaos.

Top Stories

Chicago Sky Owner Faces Lawsuit From Minority Partner Over Alleged Self-Dealing

WNBA Analyst’s Caitlin Clark Suggestion Is Fueling Community Tension During CBA Uncertainty

Sophie Cunningham Mourns the Death of ‘Home Alone’ Star

“Cops Pulled Me Over”: Ex-Chicago Coach Reveals Awkward Encounter Linked to Angel Reese

Ja Morant Health Update: Is Grizzlies Star Suffering From Lung Cancer?

Plus, Sciatica caused him to miss the preseason and the first 14 regular-season games. Recently, he confessed to his body breaking down. “I don’t have the energy. I’m tired. I don’t know how I’m going to be able to work up just what you need to get through a 48-minute game, or however long you’re on the floor.” So, once again, a legacy pick would have done justice to his resume and to other players.

Not just Leonard and Sengun fans, even Brooks fans questioned the move to select LeBron James. “Dillon Brooks would’ve saved the All-Star game, sad they gave LeBron the pity spot.” After 49 games, the Phoenix Suns are an impressive 30-19 and a top-six seed, despite the departure of Durant and Beal. Brooks has been the main reason for supporting the ship alongside Booker.

Are there any other players that should have made the cut over LeBron James? Fans and analysts clearly think so.