Golden State Warriors power forward Draymond Green had already expected that Lebron James would eventually call in sick and sit out the NBA All-Star games, as he claimed to have noticed the pattern emerging early on. However, the Dubs veteran still remained critical of LeBron as he highlighted how the Lakers vet could have handled the situation better.
In a segment prior to the All-Star game, Draymond Green claimed to have already expected LeBron James to eventually sit out the games, with how he has missed a few games in the past weeks.
“I just know he’s been dealing with that [ankle soreness],” Green said. “He took a couple of games off last week. It’s kinda expected.”
Draymond Green: “I think [LeBron James] coulda helped somebody else out and said this earlier…”
Vince Carter: “There are a lot of guys who are worthy.”
Jalen Rose: “He took a roster spot from somebody.” #NBA https://t.co/O7qOijgsZN pic.twitter.com/hupGx4NZlT
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 17, 2025
LeBron James missed the 2025 NBA All-Star Game due to lingering discomfort in his left foot and ankle. This was the first time in his career that he didn’t play in an All-Star Game after being selected, ending his streak of 20 consecutive All-Star starts. Reports claimed that LeBron made the decision to prioritize his health and focus on the remainder of the Lakers’ season, as he and the franchise aim for a strong playoff push.
Despite showing understanding of the situation, Draymond Green and his co-hosts for the segment criticized James for not letting the league know of his decision early on, so a replacement could be found.
Prior to the All-Star weekend, Anthony Davis got injured which led to Kyrie Irving getting selected. Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo also got injured and Trae Young had to play in his place.
With that, Jalen Rose chimed in his thoughts, saying: “He stole a roster spot from somebody.”
Draymond Green Criticizes This Year’s NBA All-Star
Draymond Green did not hold back on expressing his feelings towards the changes made to the NBA All-Star game, particularly the departure from the East vs West format.
“You work all year to be an All-Star and you get to play up to 40, and then you’re done,” Green said. “This is so unfair to Victor Wembanyama, who just took this game very seriously; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who just took this game really seriously.
I think we can all agree with Draymond here pic.twitter.com/3HqxuFV5dr
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) February 17, 2025
“When you’re talking about chasing after the points record — ‘Melo and Kobe, all of these guys who have had great scoring nights. They don’t get the opportunity to do that with this game.
“All so we can watch some Rising Stars. Now we get the treat of watching the Olympic team play against a U-19 team. Come on, what are we doing?”
So far this season, Draymond Green averages 8.4 points per game, 6 rebounds, and 5.5 assists.
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
