LeBron James is in his 15th season in the NBA and has never participated in the 3-point shootout during All-Star Weekend. James said that he would have considered entering this season were All-Star Weekend not in Los Angeles. You see, James has better things to do in L.A. From The Athletic:
The All-Star game is in Los Angeles. Primarily for that reason, James told The Athletic he will not consider participating in the 3-point shootout.
“Not when I can spend a Saturday night at home with my family,” he said.
James does feel that he’d be able to hold his own against some of the NBA’s best shooters:
James always declined the slam dunk competition but seemed intrigued by the idea of the 3-point shootout.
“I’m competitive,” he said. “I wouldn’t call myself the favorite, but I wouldn’t bet against me.”
James’ 3-point percentage fluctuates season-to-season more than most players’. It’s actually pretty bizarre. Here’s a chart to show his 3-point percentage season to season:
As you can see in the chart above, James is at the highest 3-point-percentage average of his career this season: 42.5 percent. Whether or not that is sustainable is up for debate; James has only shot over 40 percent once – back in 2012-13 – and his career average is just 34.4 percent.
He’s been hot this season, though, and might just be able to hold his own in a 3-point shootout. He certainly wouldn’t be the favorite (he’d probably be the favorite for last place, honestly), however. It’s a moot point, anyway, since he isn’t competing. Maybe next year, when the All-Star Game is in Charlotte, where James presumably doesn’t have family.
