LeBron James, in his 21st season, was named to his 20th NBA All-Star Game on Thursday, surpassing the record held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. After dropping 25 points and 12 assists in the Los Angeles Lakers' blowout win over the Chicago Bulls on Thursday, LeBron expressed his gratitude for the record selection.

“I've exceeded the expectations of my career,” said the former No. 1 overall pick. “So, it's just humbling … I've exceeded anything further than I would have ever dreamed about being in the NBA. And I did that a long time ago. Everything else is extra credit.”

Before the Bulls matchup, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham marveled at the 39-year-old's longevity.

“Kudos to him, man. He's a victim of his own work and success. It's crazy, I was thinking to myself, like, ‘Damn, he'll never have an All-Star weekend to himself, just not to have any obligations.' And to do that for 21 years. It's like ‘holy … man.' But that's his work. He's put that work in. He's maintained that consistency, that durability. And I'm happy for him. Congratulations to Bron – another great feat. I'm sure the league and the world, as you saw the votes, they're extremely happy for him to be a part of it as well.”

LeBron is averaging 24.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 7.4 assists on 52% shooting in 41 games in 2023-24.

“I'm just very gifted. Very blessed. Very humbled. I just want to thank the fans again for voting me in as All-Star starter for the 20th consecutive time. And it means a lot to me. I just try to come out here and put in the work and then let the work pay off on a game-to-game basis. Hopefully, I can continue to make my fans proud.” (LeBron added he was “blessed” to have missed out on the All-Star game as a rookie, as it made him work harder.)

With the highest vote score in the Western Conference, the 39-year-old will captain his side, once again. James will start alongside Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Dallas Mavericks guard(?) Luka Doncic, Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (captain), Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, Bucks guard Damian Lillard, and Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton will start for the Eastern Conference.

The starters are voted on by a combination of fans (50%), players (25%) and media (25%).

The 2024 NBA All-Star Game will take place on Feb. 18 in Indianapolis.