With Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James’ win on Sunday night at the 2021 All-Star Game, he moved to 4-0 as a team captain. He has been one of the two captains each of the last four seasons since this format began and he has yet to lose, with his 2021 team being one of his best.
Since team captain Kevin Durant took his teammates Kyrie Irving and James Harden with his first pick in each round, James was free to select Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard, three players who simply dominated en route to the 170-150 victory.
After the game, Lillard, Curry, Antetokounmpo and James were all happy with how things turned out. Lillard had some specific praise for James after the move to 4-0. “Yeah, I think he’s got a future as a GM because he always gets it right.”
This is not the first time James has been likened to an NBA general manager and it probably won’t be the last. James could very easily transition to a front-office job when he eventually retires, as he has a knack for helping to put rosters together.
Lillard also gave praise to the league itself for putting together a relatively good event given the circumstances. “I think the actual basketball side of it was pretty smooth. Obviously, it wasn’t the typical All-Star Weekend, but it had to be done, and we got it done. We showed up and did what we needed to do. It was a good time.”
“Last year I didn’t get to play in the All-Star Game since they had the new format, and I was able to be out there for that last 24 for the fourth quarter, which is what I think everybody enjoyed the most last year in the game. I was just happy I could be a part of that, the ending of the game, and I could have an impact on the end of the game.
Despite some serious criticism from star players prior to the All-Star break, it appears that everyone involved at least enjoyed the game even if they disagreed with having it in the first place.
As for James, when his remarkable playing career is over, he can just stick around and get to work winning championships in another way.
James wants to retire as All-Star captain with perfect record
James does not want to take any risks with his 4-0 record, as he joked about retiring from the position after winning the All-Star Game yet again. “I hope that they allow me to retire from being an All-Star captain, so I can retire with a perfect 4-0 record,” James said. “I’ll keep that forever. But we’ll just see what happens.”
“I always try to pick the right team, and I’ve been lucky enough for four years to pick the right team,” James said. “Guys go out and compete and play to win. I’ve been on the winning side of all four.”
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