The 2023 All-Star game has officially kicked off much to NBA fans’ delight. Despite having faced a few obstacles due to several injury-related issues, both teams are finally ready for yet another blockbuster matchup. There is no doubt that fans were looking forward to witnessing a thrilling game between the two teams led by captains LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, an unfortunate incident during the game crushed all hopes leaving NBA world in shock.

James has been leading his All-Star team as a captain since 2018 and is yet to be defeated by his opponent. The 19x NBA All-Star has appeared in all five games since then winning over Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Giannis.

LeBron James will sit out the All-Star game

After tying at 46-46 in the first quarter of the game, Team Giannis took the lead by seven points in the second quarter. By the end of the third quarter, the Greek Freak’s team was up by 158 against Team LeBron’s 141. During the third quarter, a disappointing LeBron James news emerged that only left fans infuriated. As per reports by NBA Central, the 4x NBA champion will miss the rest of the game due to a right-hand injury.

LeBron’s pinky finger got caught on the rim while trying to block a layup following which he remained on for no more than six minutes on the court. King James scored 13 points, one rebound, and four assists before sustaining the injury.

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Twitterati was rather frustrated due to the Los Angeles Lakers superstar’s repeated absence from several games. James had missed three games before finally joining his team for the game against the New Orleans Pelicans on February 15. One fan accused James of ‘running from the grind’. Whereas, another commented, “This man doing everything to not play with his new teammates.” Take a look at a few of the tweets.

The 2023 All-Star Draft

For the first time in the history of All-Star games, captains of both teams, LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, built their respective rosters just minutes before the game began. LeBron selected Joel Embiid, Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic, and Nikola Jokic. Whereas, Giannis chose Jayson Tatum, Donovan Mitchell, Ja Morant, and Lauri Markkanen.

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Both teams went through changes this year due to unavoidable circumstances. Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, who was voted as All-Star players, had to miss the game due to a leg injury and an MCL sprain respectively. Consequently, this led to the inclusion of Morant and Markkanen.