At 41 years old and with just 65 games to prove he belongs, the Lakers star faces his most challenging test yet to keep the 21-year streak alive
Halfway through the third quarter on November 18, LeBron James did something unremarkable that represented something profoundly remarkable. Standing by the Crypto.com Arena logo, he received a pass, freed himself by a screen, posted up against a much smaller defender, caught a return pass, and scored a layup. It was his sixth shot of the game, his third make, and most importantly, it gave him his 11th point of the evening.
That single layup meant everything. Not because of the basket itself, but because of what it represented: the continuation of a double-digit scoring streak spanning 1,294 games and nearly 18 years. That's the kind of longevity that defines a career. That's the kind of consistency that separates immortals from merely elite players.
But there's another streak happening in parallel one far more precarious, far more prestigious, and far more likely to end before the season concludes. James has been named to an All-NBA team 21 straight times, receiving his first selection after his second season in the league. In that time, four U.S. presidents have taken office. He's accumulated 13 First Team selections nearly matching the combined total of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tim Duncan, and Kobe Bryant, who are tied at 15 combined selections.
And now, at 41 years old, with a delayed season debut and an injury-filled recent history, that streak is genuinely vulnerable for the first time in two decades.
Here's what makes James' All-NBA history genuinely staggering: he's done this consistently through different eras of basketball. The award itself has evolved alongside him. The physical trophy transformed from a plaque to a crystal basketball to a bigger crystal token. The ballot structure changed from positional voting to total vote-based selection. The league even modified eligibility requirements, mandating 65 games played to be All-NBA eligible a rule essentially designed to combat load management tanking regular season integrity.
Yet through all these changes, James kept showing up. He kept competing. He kept being voted as one of the 15 best players in the world. Year after year. Decade after decade. It's not just an achievement. It's a defining characteristic of his entire career.
But this season presents a different kind of challenge. James missed the first 14 games recovering from sciatica a nerve issue that affected his lower back and right side. He made his season debut against Utah, which means he's already started behind schedule. The NBA's 65-game eligibility requirement now looms as a concrete ceiling he cannot breach.
Here's the math that should terrify Lakers fans and excite everyone else: The Lakers are 17 games into their season heading into Tuesday's matchup against the LA Clippers. That means exactly 65 games remain on the schedule. James can miss only three games for the rest of the season and still be eligible for All-NBA consideration.
Three games. In 65 games remaining. That's a 4.6% absence threshold.
The Lakers still have 11 back-to-backs remaining on their schedule. That's 11 opportunities where James might need rest. That's 11 situations where conventional load management wisdom suggests sitting out one of the two games. That's 11 times where the question of availability will arise.
Rich Paul, James' longtime agent and founder of Klutch Sports, articulated the fundamental tension perfectly: "Look, at 41 years of age, I hope he is not playing back-to-backs. But at the same time, in order for him to make the All-NBA team and things like that, he can't miss that many more games."
It's the contradiction at the heart of this entire situation. The most responsible thing for a 41-year-old to do rest during back-to-backs directly conflicts with the requirement to maintain eligibility for the All-NBA team. You can't have both. Something has to give.
There are precedents for teams taking back-to-backs off the table for aging stars. The Golden State Warriors pulled Steve Kerr's 39-year-old center Al Horford from both games of every back-to-back during the preseason. The Philadelphia 76ers have managed Joel Embiid similarly. The LA Clippers have done the same with Kawhi Leonard. But these are exceptions, not the norm.
And it's nearly impossible to imagine James accepting that arrangement. Last season, after playing 74 minutes across back-to-back games against Minnesota and LA in his 22nd year, James spoke about his philosophy: "I've always thought in order to be a leader of a team and someone that is relied on, your availability is very key. To be available to your teammates. And I know it's a tough season. There's tough seasons every single year. And a lot of games hit us. You never know how the schedule is going to fall out. But I try to be available as much as I can."
That's not just words. That's his identity. That's how he views his role as a leader. That's a 41-year-old refusing to let age become an excuse for unavailability.
Coach JJ Redick understands what an All-NBA selection actually means. He put James on his ballot. He comprehends the historical weight of these awards in a way most casual observers don't.
"Historically at least, it's probably a higher designation than being an All-Star," Redick said. "I think if you look at Hall of Fame tracking, typically, obviously it's changing, more and more guys are getting in now, but typically it's the more All-NBA awards you have, the greater your chances, versus having eight All-Star appearances, for example."
That's the real story here. This isn't about winning games. This isn't about playoff seeding. This is about James' historical legacy. This is about whether he finishes his career with 21 All-NBA selections or 22. This is about how Hall of Fame voters might interpret his resume depending on whether he can extend this streak.
Interestingly, when Redick spoke with James in the offseason, the All-NBA pursuit "never came up." Redick doesn't think missing one All-NBA selection will significantly impact James' legacy: "I don't think an All-NBA appearance this year is going to make or break his résumé."
But Redick also acknowledged that what really matters is winning a fifth championship. That's what would genuinely enhance James' career at this point. That's what would make all the availability discussions moot.
Here's where the story gets genuinely complicated: James has to decide what matters more. Is it extending an individual statistical streak? Or is it arriving at the playoffs with fresh legs and genuine championship aspirations?
Last season, James came into the year with a stated goal of playing all 82 games something he'd only accomplished once in his entire 22-year career in 2017-18. That goal lasted 23 games. By mid-December, with the schedule softening, he took an excused absence for "personal reasons" and secured eight days to recover from foot soreness. He's already prioritizing rest over games played.
So the question becomes: will he do it again this season? Will he sit out games even knowing it jeopardizes the All-NBA streak? Or will he show up for every game, preserve the streak, and potentially compromise his legs heading into the playoffs?
Coach Redick has assembled a team including James, himself, longtime athletic trainer Mike Mancias, and Dr. Leroy Sims, the Lakers' director of player performance and health to make these night-to-night decisions. It's a group that will need to balance short-term eligibility requirements against long-term championship aspirations.
For James to play in 65 of the Lakers' final 68 games would be remarkable. But that's only half the challenge. To also play well enough in those 65 games to still be considered one of the 15 best players in the NBA to still warrant All-NBA selection despite being 41 years old would be genuinely extraordinary.
This isn't like extending the double-digit scoring streak, which is largely a volume exercise. This is about sustained excellence. This is about competing against players in their primes, against athletes a decade younger, against the most talented basketball league in human history. And doing it at 41.
The invisible pressure here is immense. Every poor shooting night matters more. Every inefficient game is scrutinized more closely. Every decision to rest becomes a potential millstone around his All-NBA candidacy. Because voters won't just look at whether James appeared in enough games. They'll look at whether he appeared in enough games and still deserved the honor.
Complicating everything further: James remains genuinely undecided about whether this will be his final season. If he believes 2024-25 might be his last dance, his perspective on availability might shift completely. If this is potentially a retirement tour, the impulse to play every game intensifies. The sense of responsibility to teammates transforms. The urgency becomes different.
That's not a conversation Redick has had with him, but it's a conversation everyone around the NBA is having about him. Because if this is it if 2024-25 is the final act then James sitting out games takes on different significance. It becomes not just about health. It becomes about making the most of what might be his last opportunity.
The Lakers' regular-season finale comes April 12. From now until then, James needs to navigate 65 remaining games, 11 back-to-backs, the recovery demands of a 41-year-old body, and the pressure of maintaining a 21-year streak that few ever believed could be extended this long in the first place.
Will he make it? Will the Lakers figure out a way to keep him available without compromising his health? Will voters still consider him one of the 15 best players in basketball even if he plays a condensed season?
These are the questions that will define James' 2024-25 campaign as much as wins and losses. Because this isn't just about another All-NBA selection for LeBron James. It's about whether greatness can sustain itself indefinitely, or whether even the greatest athletes eventually have to acknowledge their limits.
The double-digit scoring streak will likely continue. But that All-NBA streak? For the first time in 21 years, it genuinely looks breakable.