LeBron James' last-minute scratch shows why All-Star Game keeps losing its relevancy

The NBA All-Star Game seems like an afterthought, especially with stars pulling out at the last minute.

Just before the start of the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Los Angeles Lakers small forward LeBron James announced he would skip the event because of left ankle and foot soreness. According to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, it's the first time he has sat out the annual game after being named a starter for a 21st straight season.

"I was hoping it would feel a lot better this morning, but it is not where I wanted it to be," James said, via McMenamin. 

"With 30 games and left and us trying to make a playoff push in the wild, wild West, I felt like it was important for me to kind of take care of myself and understand what's coming on [down the stretch]," he added.

James, 40, sat out a win against the Indiana Pacers on Feb. 8 with the same injury. Despite that, his absence may upset fans and convince them to watch something else. 

While James could probably play through a minor injury, it's not surprising he opted to sit out of the game. All-Star Games don't draw the audiences they used to, so players have little incentive to play or give their best effort. 

According to Eve Peyser of New York Magazine's Intelligencer, the 2023 NBA All-Star Game was watched by 4.6 million viewers, its lowest number in 20 years. Per Front Office Sports' David Rumsey, 4.7 million viewers tuned into the NFL's 2025 Pro Bowl Games, approximately an 18% decrease from 2024.

Changes in television have contributed to the decline in viewership. 

Syracuse sport media professor Dennis Deninger — a former production executive at ESPN — told Peyser, "Now, you can watch so many games and see these stars all the time. Nobody is starved for sports." 

The saturated sports market has made All-Star Games feel less special. If leagues don't find a way to make them feel relevant again, they could become a thing of the past.