The All-Star Game is off to an exciting start, and so far, the new format seems to be delivering. Team Chuck pulled off a solid 41-32 win over Team Kenny in the first round. But while fans enjoyed the action, one glaring absence didn’t go unnoticed—Anthony Edwards. Many were hoping to see the Timberwolves star suit up for Team Kenny, but he never took the floor. So what exactly kept Edwards out?

Well, leading up to the game, there was complete silence about Edwards’ status. No injury reports, no pre-game hints—nothing. But once the game wrapped up, the reason finally surfaced. According to national reporter Tim Reynolds, Edwards was dealing with a groin issue, and things weren’t looking great.

“Anthony Edwards said with a longer warm-up he might have tried to play, but there wasn’t enough time to test his groin. So he didn’t play,” Reynolds shared on X.

But that’s not all. Another report from Marc J. Spears suggested a different reason for his absence—Edwards was battling a cold. Meanwhile, the TNT broadcast stuck with the groin injury as the official explanation for his DNP. With conflicting reports, fans were left frustrated, unsure of what exactly kept the Minnesota star off the court.

One thing is clear, though—Edwards earned his spot on the All-Star roster. The 23-year-old is putting up stellar numbers this season, averaging 27.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 4.2 three-pointers per game on impressive .440/.414/.843 shooting splits.

Unfortunately, Edwards wasn’t the only big name missing from the action because of injuries and last-minute scratches.

Anthony Edwards joins LeBron James and others

With this injury Anthony Edwards became the fourth player to bow out, following Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis, and LeBron James. Antetokounmpo was the first to be ruled out before the break because of a calf injury, with Trae Young stepping in as his replacement.

The Bucks’ star has been out since February 2, when Milwaukee fell to Memphis 132-119. He also missed the next game against Oklahoma City and has been nursing a left calf strain since. By February 9, the Bucks confirmed Giannis wouldn’t return for at least a week, sealing his fate for the All-Star Game.

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Meanwhile, Davis suffered an adductor injury in his debut for the Mavericks, which led to Kyrie Irving taking his place. But the biggest shocker came just hours before tip-off—LeBron James was ruled out.

Despite being selected for his 21st straight All-Star appearance, the Lakers legend had to sit this one out. The only other time in his 22-year career that he wasn’t named to the All-Star team? His rookie season in 2003-04.

What makes James’ absence even more notable is that this is the first time he has missed an All-Star Game after being voted in as a starter. With 20 straight starts under his belt, his last-minute withdrawal left no room for a replacement. He was supposed to team up with Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant on Shaq’s OG squad. Maybe next year?