LeBron James says 22nd straight All-Star honor is ‘super humbling’

NEW YORK – LeBron James may not have given it much thought, but there were questions around the league about whether his All-Star streak would continue.

And just before the Lakers lost to the Knicks in Madison Square Garden, James and the rest of the world learned that the streak lives on.

He was named to his 22nd consecutive NBA All-Star team, extending a record he already held before the honor was unveiled.

James, 41, was selected as a reserve by the league’s head coaches, with the coaches not allowed to vote on the players on their roster.

James is averaging 21.9 points, 6.6 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 31 games.

“Super humiliating,” James said after Sunday’s loss. “Insane respect for the coaches and those who see me still playing in this final phase of my career and to be able to be an All-Star, that means a lot to my family, my people who have followed my career, my LeBron faithful, who have followed my journey.

“It’s always rewarding, just from a humble standpoint, to be rewarded for what you put your work into,” he added.

James’ All-Star candidacy was in doubt after he missed the first 14 games due to sciatica and his slow start to the season, including his double-digit regular season scoring streak that ended at 1,297 games in the Lakers’ December 4 win over the Toronto Raptors, which was his sixth game of the season.

But it hasn’t been a problem for James, who has averaged 23.8 points, 6.3 assists and 6.1 rebounds since the scoring streak ended.

“I didn’t really think about it,” he said. “Honestly, it wasn’t my goal to go into the season, miss the first 14 games and say, ‘Okay, I’ve got to be an All-Star.’ I just wanted to play at a high level again. I knew I was capable of doing that once I got rid of the rust from missing preseason, training camp and my summer workouts – which I’ve never done in my entire career. To be honest, I haven’t thought about the All-Star Game.”

James’ All-Star honors further widened the gap between him and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, whose 19 All-Star honors are the second-most in league history.

“When you think about a star player, his best years are his All-NBA, All-Star years — and he’s basically had a 20-plus year heyday,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “It’s unheard of, uncharted, whatever you want to call it. But it’s incredible. It’s a testament to the work he puts into it.”

James and fellow star Luka Dončić will represent the Lakers at the All-Star Game on Feb. 15 at Intuit Dome.

“He deserved it,” Dončić said of James’ All-Star honor. “He is still playing at the highest level at that age, which is incredible to share the podium with. Congratulations to him, he has clearly earned it.”

The All-Star Game will look different from previous years, with the league embracing a US vs World format, splitting players into three eight-man rosters. The teams compete in a round-robin tournament with four 12-minute matches.

Download the California Post app, follow us on social media and subscribe to our newsletters