Many fans were disappointed this weekend when Los Angeles Lakers star forward LeBron James announced at the last minute that he would not be participating in the All-Star game due to soreness. Many criticized James for not announcing the news earlier, which would have given time for the NBA to find a replacement player, but the Lakers star did take in the proceedings from the sideline and support his team, Team Shaq, which ended up winning the event.

One person who believes that James' decision not to play in the All-Star game may have been influenced by the fact that Team Shaq's first game was against a team full of Rising Stars players is former NBA forward Chandler Parsons, who recently took to the Run It Back Show, presented by FanDuel TV, to relay his concerns.

“Here's the problem I have with LeBron James not wanting to play against Rising Stars: All these other NBA players have to play against his son [Bronny], because LeBron has kind of put him in that situation,” said Parsons. “So what's the difference now when he doesn't want to play against the young guys.”

Indeed, Bronny James has seen some playing time for the Lakers this season, usually in blowouts but in a couple of instances when the game was still in doubt.

A tough look for the NBA

Shaqís OGs forward LeBron James (23) of the Los Angeles Lakers during player introductions before the 2025 NBA All Star Game at Chase Center.
Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
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The NBA was already facing mounting pressure from fans coming into this All-Star weekend to fix what had become an increasingly watered-down event over the past few seasons.

While the play on the court did appear to be slightly more competitive than in previous years, the problem was that there wasn't much play on the court at all, as the amount of TNT tributes, musical performances, and awkward Kevin Hart jokes significantly outweighed the airtime of the basketball games themselves.

LeBron James' last minute decision to sit out certainly didn't help matters in that department, although it will probably be OK with Lakers fans who want to see their star as healthy as possible for the home stretch of the season.

The Lakers' season is set to resume on Wednesday vs the Charlotte Hornets.