Kendrick Perkins doesn't mince his words as he critiques LeBron James for withdrawing from All-Star Game at the eleventh hour

Former NBA player turned analyst Kendrick Perkins expressed his disappointment towards LeBron James on Sunday. James shocked the basketball world as he announced that he wasn't participating in the 2025 NBA All-Star Game due to an ankle injury.

While it's normal for players to miss an All-Star game due to injuries, Kendrick Perkins didn't appreciate how LeBron James made the announcement last minute.

Perkins believes that James should've said something sooner so that the association could find a suitable replacement to take his spot. Big Perk gave the LA Clippers' Norman Powell a nod as someone who could've replaced the King.

"Could have said this earlier," Perkins posted on X, formerly Twitter. "Norman Powell could have made his first All-Star appearance. SMH"

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LeBron James reveals reason behind sitting out All-Star Game

LeBron James was supposed to enter his 21st consecutive All-Star game on Sunday. However, due to an ankle injury, he decided to sit out of the game last minute. This marked the end of a two-decade streak of James being a starter for an All-Star team.

While James could've technically still played through his injury for a few minutes, the way Giannis Antetokounmpo did a few years back, the LA Lakers star decided to sit out the game. LeBron explained that he wants to be available in the Lakers' first game in the second half of the season. LA is set to face the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday.

LeBron also acknowledged that there aren't too many games left in the season. With the Lakers sitting in 5th place in the stacked Western Conference, there's still a possibility they could lose their spot in the playoff picture if they aren't careful.

"With 30 games left and us trying to make a playoff push in the wild, wild West, I felt like it was very important for me to kind of take care of myself and understand what's coming on [down the stretch]," James said.

Looking at the NBA standings, the seventh-placed Minnesota Timberwolves (31-25) aren't too far behind the LA Lakers (32-20). The moment the Lakers slip up and catch a losing streak, they could easily fall back down to the Play-In Tournament picture.