The sport of basketball has never seen anyone quite like LeBron James.
The list of records he's broken in his is 20-year NBA career is seemingly endless. Just this month, he became the league's all-time leading scorer, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. This weekend, he'll play in his 19th consecutive All-Star Game, tying him with Abdul-Jabbar for the most ever.
It's hard to remember a time when King Jameswasn't one of the NBA's best players, such is the length of his reign.
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So when was the last time LeBron didn't take the court in the All-Star Game? For that, you'll have to go all the way back to 2004.
When was the last time LeBron James wasn't an NBA All-Star?
The last time LeBron wasn't an All-Star was in his rookie season in 2003-2004. In each of the 19 years since, he's been named as one of the NBA's best.
For reference, the youngest player currently in the NBA is Detroit's Jalen Duren, who was born on November 18, 2003. That means LeBron has been playing in the NBA for longerthan Duren has been alive on this Earth. And he's been an All-Star for nearly Duren's entire life, too.
What's more, the last time LeBron missed the All-Star Game, the Nets were in New Jersey, the SuperSonics were in Seattle and the Hornets were in New Orleans. Charlotte and Oklahoma City didn't even have NBA franchises. Even the Bobcats were still another year away from entering the league. The Thunder wouldn't come into existence until LeBron's sixth (sixth!) professional season.
If those fun facts weren't enough to help you get a sense of just how long this streak has lasted, just take a look at the rosters from the 2004 All-Star Game.
Eastern Conference
| Player | Team |
| Allen Iverson | Philadelphia 76ers |
| Tracy McGrady | Orlando Magic |
| Vince Carter | Toronto Raptors |
| Jermaine O'Neal | Indiana Pacers |
| Ben Wallace | Detroit Pistons |
| Baron Davis | New Orleans Hornets |
| Jason Kidd | New Jersey Nets |
| Michael Redd | Milwaukee Bucks |
| Paul Pierce | Boston Celtics |
| Ron Artest | Indiana Pacers |
| Kenyon Martin | New Jersey Nets |
| Jamaal Magloire | New Orleans Hornets |
Western Conference
| Player | Team |
| Steve Francis | Houston Rockets |
| Kobe Bryant | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Kevin Garnett | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| Tim Duncan | San Antonio Spurs |
| Yao Ming | Houston Rockets |
| Ray Allen | Seattle SuperSonics |
| Sam Cassell | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| Andrei Kirilenko | Utah Jazz |
| Dirk Nowitzki | Dallas Mavericks |
| Peja Stojakovic | Sacramento Kings |
| Brad Miller | Sacramento Kings |
| Shaquille O'Neal | Los Angeles Lakers |
As you'd expect, all of those players are long gone from the NBA. The last to leave the league was Vince Carter, who stuck around until he finally retired in 2020 at the age of 43.
In case you were wondering, the Western Conference won the game, 136-132. Shaquille O'Neal won All-Star Game MVP thanks to his 24-point night. Jamaal Magloire led the way for the Eastern Conference with 19 points. Yes, we live in a world where Jamaal Magloire — who averaged 13.6 points and 10.3 rebounds for a 41-41 New Orleans Hornets squad — made the Eastern Conference All-Star team over LeBron James.
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) February 15, 2023Shaq needed a close-up after this strong and-1 in the 2004 NBA All-Star Game! 😂
2023 #NBAAllStar Game: Sunday, Feb. 19 on TNT pic.twitter.com/p8O49ddnhc
If LeBron makes it to his 20th All-Star Game next season, it will be the most appearances of any NBA player in history. And the thing is, there's no reason to think he won't.
He's still not slowing down. James is averaging 30.0 points per game this season. If he keeps that up, it will be right up there among the best statistical seasons of his entire legendary career.
So this Sunday, sit back, relax and make sure not to take for granted the fact that LeBron will probably be all over your TV screen once again. You might as well go ahead and get ready for All-Star appearance No. 20 while you're at it.
