Historic LeBron James Streak Could Come to an End with Lakers This Season

An historic streak for 21-time All-NBA Los Angeles Lakers superstar power forward LeBron James is already in jeopardy, even ahead of the 2025-26 season.

The 40-year-old may struggle to make his record-extending 22nd All-NBA squad this year, thanks to a supposed new emphasis from James and his handlers on long-term care, plus the sciatic nerve injury that's already going to keep him out from at least the start of the year through probably early November.

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Dan Woike of The Athletic writes that "it seems more than safe to assume the Lakers will be conservative with James’ recovery; that could mean more time for recovery or ramp-up (or both) following that three-to-four-week timeframe."

As Woike goes on to observe, James should be out through at least the start of November. Although the Lakers have at least tried to reduce the four-time league MVP's minutes in seasons past, it has never take for long.

Coaches have talked about minutes restrictions and lessened workloads in training camp for years, only for James to have a 40-minute night by the seventh game," Woike acknowledges. "The injury could keep James from his 22nd straight All-NBA appearance by cutting into the chunk of games he’s allowed to miss under the league’s 65-games-played rule for awards.

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The Lakers' first game in November is scheduled for a November 2 against the Miami Heat, the first night in back-to-back set that wraps up with a November 3 tilt with the Portland Trail Blazers. Assuming he returns for one of those two, James will already be out for the first seven games of the season.

Los Angeles has 14 back-to-back games scheduled this season, per Mike Trudell of Lakers.com. It's possible that the Lakers will restrict James from playing in both contests during such sets; if so, one would have to knock out another five games. The Lakers will first play back-to-back games on October 26 against the Sacramento Kings and October 27 against the Portland Trail Blazers, two contests James is almost certain to miss already. Their second back-to-back set includes the aforementioned November 2 and November 3 matchups.

So already, before any other health issues pop up, James could miss 12 games. There's no guarantee that LA's revised health plan for James will include sitting out one game in the team's back-to-back sets, per se, but that is the kind of body-preserving move it would behoove Los Angeles to make for the oldest player in the NBA.

Lakers guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves will need to pick up the scoring and passing slack in James' absence — which, honestly, shouldn't be too tall a task for two such excellent offensive talents.

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