LeBron James continued his iconic streak of being an NBA All-Star for the 22nd consecutive year, but not without controversy. Averaging close to 22 points per game is not bad for a 41-year-old veteran. However, in context, this is his worst season statistically, aside from his rookie year. That is one of the main reasons why his selection on merit is under heavy scrutiny from fans and analysts.

Sam Quinn of CBS Sports was among the most popular names questioning the decision to select James.

“I’m a well-known LeBron stan, but LeBron over Kawhi for an All-Star slot is a flat out farce. If you want to get LeBron into the game through injury replacement or special commissioner selection, fine, but Kawhi has been significantly better than him this year.”

Quinn is not wrong about the special commissioner selection, since Adam Silver has done so before.

For the 2019 NBA All-Star Game, Commissioner Adam Silver had Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade as special additions. So, it has been done before, and they could have gone with that route again. Quinn followed his initial tweet and endorsed Kawhi Leonard as a better pick than a few of the All-Stars.

“Kawhi, imo, should’ve been the eighth or ninth player picked,” the CBS reporter tweeted. “He’s been better than LeBron. Better than Booker too, and the availability gap hasn’t been huge. Kawhi vs. Deni is a fun conversation, but they both should’ve been locks.”

The league named Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards, Denver Nuggets’ Jamal Murray, Oklahoma City Thunder’s Chet Holmgren, Houston Rockets’ Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns’ Devin Booker, Portland Trail Blazers’ Deni Avdija, and Los Angeles Lakers’ James as West Conference reserves, as the coaches’ voting concluded over the past week.

Soon after the official list dropped, many have already made their All-Star snub roster, which primarily includes Leonard and Alperen Sengun.

Leonard’s average of 27.7 points per game is better than the current All-Star reserves: Booker’s 25.4, Avdija’s 25.5, and Holmgren’s 17.8.

For context, James is averaging 21.9 points on 50.2% shooting, 5.8 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.5 triples per game. Those are still pretty impressive numbers, especially given James’ age. However, the four-time NBA champion forward has also seen a considerable dip in his production this season.

Leonard, on the other hand, has been nothing short of incredible for the Clippers this year. This season, his 27.7 points per game are also the Clippers’ best and a career high, ranking seventh in the league. He is leading the league in steals per game as well (2.1) on a 50/40/90 shooting split.

When he was not named a starter or reserve, Clippers coach Ty Lue simply dropped a brief review of his player.

“Kawhi, to me, the last 6 weeks, has been the best player in the NBA,” Lue declared.

While the Clippers’ team record didn’t help his cause, the coaches certainly snubbed his stellar play, as was the case with Sengun.

LeBron James’ All-Star selection termed “crazy” by the NBA fanbase

Sengun has definitely taken the next step since his first-time All-Star selection last season. He has even improved as a defender and has better stats across the board. The 23-year-old Turkish center is averaging 21/9/6 on 50% shooting and leads the NBA among centers in steals and blocks per game. That’s why fans remain upset over his snub.

“Lebron and chet over alpi and kawhi 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 f— out of here with that bullshit,” a frustrated observer wrote.

The fans’ frustration runs deeper because James is not even the second-best player on his team in LA. Austin Reaves has truly taken over that mantle. The four-time champion was not voted a starter for the first time since his rookie season, but somehow made the reserves.

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A netizen bluntly stated, “Imma be real Lebron didn’t deserve it this season.”

Soon, conspiracy theories emerged about whether Adam Silver and the management knew this was LeBron James’ final campaign.

A fan said, “Unless they know LeBron retiring after this szn “king James” being an all star is crazy bruh.”

Entering the iconic 23rd year, everyone has been wondering if this season is the end. James also becomes a free agent in the summer, which only adds to the chaos. Plus, sciatica caused him to miss the preseason and the first 14 regular-season games. Recently, the veteran also confessed to his body breaking down.

“I don’t have the energy,” James said. “I’m tired. I don’t know how I’m going to be able to work up just what you need to get through a 48-minute game, or however long you’re on the floor.”

So, once again, was this a legacy pick to do justice to his resume and his contributions to the league? Not just Leonard and Sengun fans, even Dillon Brooks fans questioned the move to select LeBron James.

“Dillon Brooks would’ve saved the All-Star game, sad they gave LeBron the pity spot,” a fan wrote.

After 50 games, the Phoenix Suns are an impressive 30-20 and a top-six seed, despite the departure of Durant and Bradley Beal. Brooks has been the mainstay in that team, someone who has steadied the ship alongside Booker.

It’s clear that numerous people think LeBron James shouldn’t have made this team. The amount of snubs that feel unfair this time around is shocking. Apart from the widespread Leonard and Clippers chatter, a case can be made for his teammate James Harden, too, as well as for the Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid.