Lakers' LeBron James' Incredible Streak Officially Comes to an End

The Los Angeles Lakers will be incredibly shorthanded for the second game of a back-to-back against the visiting San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena, with four of the team's usual starters set to sit out.

Los Angeles will be without Luka Doncic (hamstring), LeBron James (foot), Austin Reaves (calf) and Marcus Smart (ankle) against Victor Wembanyama and company.

Four Lakers Starters Ruled Out vs. Spurs

OUT vs. Spurs: Luka, LeBron, Austin Reaves and Marcus Smart. QUESTIONABLE: Deandre Ayton pic.twitter.com/PkOubxPx7O
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) February 10, 2026

Clearly, the NBA All-Star Weekend is drawing near, with teams preparing for some much-needed time off. The Lakers will have only one more game before the annual festivities begin in Los Angeles, hosting the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday.

LeBron No Longer Eligible for NBA Awards

As a result of being set to miss his 18th game of the 2025-26 NBA season, James will no longer be eligible for any regular-season awards, as his streak of 21 straight All-NBA selections will officially come to an end.

With LeBron James missing tonight's game against the Spurs, he's officially ineligible for any regular-season awards, as he won't be able to play the mandatory 65 games to be eligible.
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) February 10, 2026

The Spurs will be at full strength on Tuesday in Los Angeles, with the exception of their two-way players and Lindy Waters III (knee), which likely means an easy win for San Antonio, as they won't face much resistance against the Lakers' second unit.

However, stranger things have happened in terms of the Lakers being shorthanded against one of the best teams in the league and coming out on top, but it would be safe to assume the team is already looking toward Thursday's game.

With the Lakers' stars out for this matchup against Wembanyama's squad, head coach JJ Redick will likely lean on Jake LaRavia, Rui Hachimura, Luke Kennard, Jared Vanderbilt, the recently signed Kobe Bufkin and Ayton if he's cleared to play.

San Antonio is heavily favored (-12.5) to come out on top Tuesday night. The Spurs have won four straight coming into this game and only sit behind the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder (41-13) in the Western Conference standings at 36-16. The Lakers (32-20), however, are in fifth place in the West, while being only a half-game ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves (33-22) and a half-game behind Kevin Durant's Houston Rockets (32-19).

Tough Final Stretch for Lakers

JJ Redick LeBron James Los Angeles Lakers — Jan 24, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) walks back on the court in front of head coach JJ Redick during the second quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Only 29 regular-season games will remain for the Lakers after Tuesday's game, with some tough matchups ahead after the All-Star break. The Lakers will host the Los Angeles Clippers (Feb. 20), Boston Celtics (Feb. 22) and Orlando Magic (Feb. 24) before hitting the road to take on Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns on Feb. 26.

The final stretch of the 2025-26 campaign will be anything but easy for the Lakers and will be a true test of whether this team can be a force to be reckoned with in the NBA playoffs.