Lakers’ LeBron James sits out loss to Spurs, ending All-NBA run

LOS ANGELES — LeBron James’ All-NBA streak came to an end, and the Lakers were majorly undermanned in Tuesday night’s 136-108 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

James sat out because of left foot arthritis, and Luka Doncic (left hamstring strain), Austin Reaves (left calf injury management), Marcus Smart (right ankle soreness) and Deandre Ayton (right knee soreness) also did not participate.

But it was especially notable for James, who sat out his 18th game of the season, making it impossible for him to reach the 65-game threshold required to be eligible for the league’s annual awards.

James had been named to an All-NBA team for a record-setting 21 straight seasons.

Speaking before the Spurs matchup, Lakers coach JJ Redick said that a games-played threshold could be used as a suggestion to voters, rather than a hard-and-fast rule.

“I think it’s fine to have some sort of guidance for voters,” said Redick, who was among the voting pool for NBA awards when he worked in the media. “I know the first year that I voted, there were a bunch of guys that were in like that 54-to-56-game range.”

Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said he supported the spirit of the rule, which was first adopted for the 2023-24 season.

“I think the intention behind the rule makes sense,” Johnson said. “Try to incentivize and motivate players to play. Playing games in this league over 82 games of just regular-season games is a lot, and it’s tough and there’s a lot of bumps and bruises and four-letter-word things that people play through. And I think that’s a skill and that’s a demand that these guys push through mentally, physically and emotionally, and I understand the intention of it.

“The details if 65 games is the right number people should be ineligible for certain awards [if they do not reach it], I honestly haven’t given it much thought. I think it obviously stinks for guys who have really great years.”

Spurs center Victor Wembanyama played in only 46 games last season, for example, after suffering a season-ending injury in February, but he still led the league with 3.8 blocks per game and was considered by many voters to be a worthy candidate for Defensive Player of the Year, even after sitting out so much time.

Doncic is also at risk of missing the 65-game threshold as he was ruled out for the third straight game with what the Lakers have called a “mild” strain. It brings Doncic’s total missed games to 11; he can sit out only six more to be eligible for end-of-season awards.

Doncic was able to run Monday and planned to participate in a 5-on-5 session with contact Tuesday, sources told ESPN. He has not ruled out the possibility of playing against his former team, the Dallas Mavericks, on Thursday and hopes to play in Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game at the Intuit Dome in nearby Inglewood.

Doncic, 26, was the leading All-Star vote-getter for the first time in his eight-year career, amassing more than 3 million.

Rookie forward Adou Thiero, out since Dec. 30 because of a sprained MCL in his right knee, did play against San Antonio, scoring three points in 10 minutes.