<p><em>The NBA's 65-game eligibility rule has ended the most remarkable individual streak in league history. After 21 consecutive All-NBA selections, Father Time has finally caught up with the 41-year-old icon.</em></p> <p>The inevitable finally happened Tuesday night in Los Angeles. LeBron James sat out the Lakers' 136-108 drubbing against San Antonio with left foot arthritis, marking his 18th absence of the season and officially ending the most remarkable individual streak in NBA history.</p> <p>For 21 consecutive years, dating back to 2005, James had been named to an All-NBA team. Not anymore.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/basketball-us/nba">NBA betting</a> landscape has shifted dramatically as the league's 65-game threshold for awards eligibility did what Father Time hasn't managed: it caught up with the 41-year-old icon.</p> <p>James can now play a maximum of 64 games this season, one short of the requirement instituted in 2023-24. The streak that began when he was a fresh-faced Cleveland Cavalier is over, a victim of accumulated wear and chronic arthritis in his left foot.</p> <p>Lakers coach JJ Redick, who voted for NBA awards during his media career, suggested before the game that the 65-game rule should be guidance rather than gospel.</p> <p><strong>"I know the first year that I voted, there were a bunch of guys that were in like that 54-to-56-game range,"</strong> Redick said. But guidance or not, the rule is absolute: miss too many games, lose your eligibility, end your streak.</p> <h2>The Rule That Broke the Streak</h2> <p>The threshold was designed to incentivize availability, rewarding players who grind through 82-game seasons despite the inevitable bumps and bruises. Spurs coach Mitch Johnson defended the principle while acknowledging the complications. <strong>"I think that's a skill and that's a demand that these guys push through mentally, physically and emotionally," </strong>he said. <strong>"It obviously stinks for guys who have really great years."</strong></p> <p>Victor Wembanyama is a case study. Last season he played just 46 games after a February injury but still led the league with 3.8 blocks per game, making him a worthy Defensive Player of the Year candidate in many voters' eyes. The rule prevented recognition of what seemed like an obvious achievement.</p> <p>James' situation is different, though. He missed the Lakers' first 14 games of the season due to sciatica, putting him behind schedule from the start.</p> <p>The foot arthritis has been a recurring issue throughout his 23rd season, forcing rest on back-to-backs and after particularly gruelling stretches. At 41, even LeBron James cannot defy biology forever.</p> <h2>What the Streak Meant and What Comes Next</h2> <p>James had been named an All-NBA selection every year since his second season in the league, accumulating 21 straight honours.</p> <p>The streak survived championships, team changes, devastating injuries to teammates, and the physical toll of more NBA minutes than anyone in history. It could not survive arthritis and a hard eligibility cutoff.</p> <p>He was still named an All-Star for a record 22nd consecutive season when reserves were announced, so accolades haven't entirely dried up. But All-NBA teams carry weight: they determine supermax contract eligibility, define legacies, and separate the truly elite from the 'merely excellent' in any given year. Those following <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/basketball-us/nba-player-awards">NBA MVP odds</a> know how much these selections factor into the broader awards conversation.</p> <p>The Lakers, sitting well outside playoff position and getting pummeled by 28 points with their entire starting five unavailable, have bigger problems than individual honours. Their <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/events/nba-playoffs">NBA odds to make playoffs</a> have taken a significant hit as the season progresses.</p> <p>James will probably be back soon, arthritis permitting. His streak will not. After 21 years of unbroken excellence, the NBA's new rules finally closed the book on something like immortality. The King ages, after all.</p> <h2>Keep Reading</h2> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/punter-iq/guide/how-to-bet-on-the-nba">Everything you need to know before betting on the NBA</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/nba/nba-news/nba-news-2025-most-triple-doubles-in-nba">The players who've racked up the most triple-doubles in NBA history</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/nba/nba-news/nba-salary-cap-explained">How the salary cap shapes every NBA roster decision</a></li> </ul>