BREAKING: LeBron James' Injury Status In All-Star Game
On Sunday night, the 2023 NBA All-Star Game is taking place in Salt Lake City, Utah.
During the game, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James injured his hand, and he has been ruled out for the remainder of the contest (via Adam Lefkoe on the TNT broadcast).
Lefkoe: "That is it for LeBron James, 13 points in the first half, he hit his hand on the rim. He is done playing."
The four-time NBA Champion finishes his night with 13 points, one rebound and four assists in 14 minutes of playing time.
He had been playing in his 19th straight All-Star Game, which set a new record, passing Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most appearances in league history (they had both been tied at 18).
Via NBA Communications: "With his appearance tonight, LeBron James has set the record for most NBA All-Star Games played with 19."
The only time James didn't make the All-Star Game was his rookie season (2003-04).
While it's disappointing that he won't play the rest of the game, it's the wise thing to do, considering he has already missed 14 games this season.
The Lakers are the 13th seed in the Western Conference with a 27-32 record in 59 games, so they will need a healthy James for the remainder of the season.
He is currently averaging an outstanding 30.0 points, 8.4 rebounds and 7.0 assists per contest in 45 games (while shooting 50.8% from the field).
This is his fifth season playing for the Lakers (and 20th in the NBA).