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“LeBron James deserved the All-Star selection”: Ron Artest believes the Lakers star got snubbed for an All-Star spot in his rookie year

Raahib Singh
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"I got the man that bet $50, not who threw the drink": Ron Artest, who lost $5M to suspension for 'Malice at the Palace', claims he got the right man

Former NBA champion Ron Artest, a.k.a Metta World Peace, claims LeBron James did not deserve the All-Star snub in his rookie season.

As the All-Star Game approaches, we look back at some of the biggest names in the league. LeBron James is set to make his 17th straight start in the All-Star Game, in his 18-year long career.

The only year he did not make the All-Star team was his rookie season. In a recent chat with The Athletic, LBJ admitted the snub still irks him.

Also Read: “We will not change the NBA logo to Kobe Bryant”: Adam Silver says there are no ongoing discussions about altering the NBA logo to Lakers legend

If James gets selected as a starter next season as well, he would tie Kobe for the most starts in a row at 18. Kareem Abdul Jabbar holds the record for the most All-Star games played at 19, and even that record does not seem too far-fetched for LBJ.

“A rookie really dropped 25 points on the league’s best wing defender”: Ron Artest

Back in ’03, when James was still a rookie, Ron Artest was known around the league as a premier wing defender. The very first time the Cavs matched up against the Pacers that year, even though the Pacers edged a 91-90 win, LBJ impressed everyone with a game-high 23 points. In the subsequent matchups that season, James scored 27, 22, and 26 over the Pacers.

In response to The Athletic’s article, Ron Artest believed James deserved an All-Star spot. He said, “I’m not going to say he didn’t deserve it because his first game against me he had 25 points.

That was a lot of points against me. When he did that to me, I’m like, this is insane. You literally gave 25 points to the best wing defender in the league.”

Also Read: “I respect LeBron James for his professionalism”: Adam Silver breaks silence about Lakers star’s criticism of the 2021 NBA All-Star Game

Back then the coaches had to select the reserves according to positions, unlike today. A rookie James got snubbed for the All-Star game, but dominated the rising stars game.

About the author

Raahib Singh

Raahib Singh

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Raahib Singh is an NBA Journalist and Content Strategist at The SportsRush. A Computer Science Engineer by qualification, Raahib's passion for sports drew him towards TSR. He started playing basketball at 14 and has been following the NBA since 2013. His entry into the basketball world perfectly coincided with Stephen Curry putting the league on notice. Having followed the league for a long time, he decided to use his knowledge to become a sportswriter with The SportsRush in 2020. Raahib loves to put up some shots in his spare time, watch Cricket, Formula 1, and/or read a nice thriller.

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