LeBron James Can Tie Kobe Bryant With 4 All-Star Game MVPs

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers will make his 21st NBA All-Star Game appearance on Sunday, the most ever by a single player in his career. But heading into the 2025 version of the game, he is still behind a pair of legends from different eras when it comes to taking home the MVP award for the contest.

LeBron James Is One All-Star Game MVP Away From Kobe’s Record

For many years, it was Bob Pettit who owned the record. Beginning in 1956, the power forward from the St. Louis Hawks went on an All-Star game tear. In the span of just seven years, Pettit was named the MVP of the annual mid-season classic four times, setting the bar for anyone who came after him.

But forty years after Pettit took home the hardware for the last time in 1962, another player began his trek to become the most decorated All-Star in the history of the game. In a ten-year span from 2002 until 2011, Kobe Bryant was able to make his mark on the game by tying Pettit’s record that was set in a different era. The Lakers’ legend won the All-Star Game MVP in 2002, 2007, 2009, and 2011, giving him four for his storied career.

The All-Time All-Star: For the 21st year, LeBron James is an #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/mx5SpTQTK7

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) January 24, 2025

The clock is ticking on LeBron James and his attempt to tie (or even break?) the record. It has been nearly 20 years since James took home the hardware for the first time, earning the honors in 2006 in what was just his second All-Star appearance. The next time he did it was in 2008, followed by a ten-year gap before he took home his third and most recent trophy in 2018.

Can James tie the all-time record tonight in San Francisco? The oddsmakers are betting that it will be given to the hometown player, as Steph Curry has the shortest designation at the sportsbooks to win MVP, coming in at +500. LeBron isn’t far behind at +850, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victory Wembanyama sandwiched in between on the odds board.

LeBron James’ 21 All-Star appearances is the highest figure ever, and one that may never be broken. Second on the list is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with 19 selections, and Bryant is third with 18. The other active player with the most appearances is Kevin Durant, who will be playing in his 15th All-Star Game.