LeBron James All-Star Interview Transcript: I Prefer East vs. West Matchups; Lakers' Title Hopes Depend on Health

On February 16th Beijing time, before the All-Star Game began, Lakers star LeBron James gave an interview to the media. The discussion lasted more than 12 minutes, touching on various subjects such as his future with the Lakers and the All-Star format. He also extended New Year greetings to Chinese basketball fans. Below is the full transcript of the interview—

Reporter: Considering the Lakers' current situation and the uncertainties you mentioned about the future after this season, how do you view the remainder of the regular season schedule?

LeBron James: The most important thing for our team right now is health. I can't emphasize that enough. I honestly can't remember how many games we've played with everyone healthy. We're past the halfway point of the season, and there have been very few games like that. Clearly, for more than half the season, we haven't had a fully healthy roster, maybe even more than that. So whether we succeed depends largely on health. The coaching staff has positioned us well, giving us game plans every night. But what truly determines our performance is who is actually able to play. This year, we've rarely had the chance to gel with a full lineup.

Reporter: Does the uncertainty about your summer and future career affect your sense of urgency right now?

LeBron James: No, right now I'm focused solely on making the playoffs. That stuff doesn’t affect me. My motivation and mindset haven’t changed. We've already run the long marathon of the regular season; now the sprint begins, and I think everyone understands that.

Reporter: Throughout your career, you've often talked about plans after retirement, including owning an NBA team. How interested are you in that now? Adam Silver mentioned that league expansion talks will happen soon. Looking ahead, how important is owning an NBA team to you? If it’s a goal, why does it matter so much?

LeBron James: There are many things I could try if I choose to. Owning a team is one of them. I’m also exploring other areas to see what might attract and inspire me after retirement. But right now, all my energy is focused on this season. My mind is fully on that.

Reporter: LeBron, you, Giannis, and Durant continue to perform at a high level in the All-Star Game. What does that mean to you all?

LeBron James: Giannis is a bit different; he’s much younger than us, so I wouldn’t put him in our group just yet. It’s more like me, Curry, and Durant, maybe adding Kawhi Leonard, but he’s a bit younger too. I’ve always been happy and honored to compete alongside these guys.

Each of us has had an incredible career journey, crossing paths at various points—regular season matchups, Finals, playoffs, and even the Olympics two years ago. For me, Curry, and Durant, our careers are destined to be intertwined. Facing them and playing side by side, creating these moments, is truly special.

Reporter: LeBron, you play in Los Angeles and now have the chance to play the All-Star Game there. At this stage of your career, what does playing the All-Star Game at home mean to you?

LeBron James: Not much, because this isn’t our home arena. It makes no difference; for me, it’s just an away game.

Reporter: How much have you planned for life after retirement? Are you in a mindset of “I won’t think about it until I retire,” or have you already mapped out what you want to do at 45, 50, or 55?

LeBron James: I haven’t. I imagine at 45, 50, or 55, I’ll be doing many things that create a great atmosphere, spending happy times with family and friends. One of my biggest passions is creating lifelong memories. That will definitely be the most important thing for me—building things we’ll never forget. I look forward to that with my family and friends.

Reporter: You mentioned the importance of health. If you and the team can stay healthy in the second half of the season, how far do you think this team can go?

LeBron James: Honestly, it’s hard to say because we’re a brand-new team. We brought in Ayton, Smart, LaRavia, and some new players just recently. So it’s really difficult to predict what we can achieve. We’ve had times this season when we played very well, and others when we played poorly and looked bad.

I think the key is how healthy we can stay, how much time we can spend on the floor together, and how much chemistry we can build during the stretch run. You always want to use the regular season to develop cohesion and unity. I just hope that if we come back healthy, we can gradually build that up.

Reporter: LeBron, congratulations on being selected as an All-Star again, and today happens to be the Chinese New Year. Could you send some wishes to all your Chinese fans?

LeBron James: I visited China just last summer, and every time I go, I have a great time and work hard to promote basketball. Chinese fans really love basketball. Happy Chinese New Year to everyone. To all my Chinese fans and friends who have always welcomed me and my family with open arms, I’m very grateful. I believe there will be chances to return in the future, and I’m looking forward to that.

Reporter: You recently collaborated with USC’s JuJu Watkins to launch a NextG sneaker series. How important is promoting women’s basketball in regions like the Philippines, which are still catching up to the world level?

LeBron James: First of all, JuJu is an outstanding basketball player, but more importantly, she’s a great person. Collaborating with her and drawing inspiration from her to design the sneaker you saw a few days ago has been an honor and a joy for me.

Our design inspiration came entirely from her, both on and off the court. We want to do our part to inspire basketball, whether it’s men’s or women’s basketball—not just in Los Angeles or our hometown, but in Akron, Los Angeles, the Philippines, and worldwide. We hope to keep inspiring this sport we love through our actions.

Reporter: LeBron, I still want to ask: do you still feel uncertainty about next season? Do you have any idea what you want to do?

LeBron James: Yes, I do. I want to take it as it comes. You know, I’m not sure right now either. I have no clue; I’m just taking it one step at a time, that’s all.

Reporter: Yesterday, I spoke with Castle about the night you gave him a signed jersey, probably during the NBA Cup game. He said it was a huge honor. I know you’ve always admired and respected this young player. What do you see in him? How do you think his development is going? What do you like about his game?

LeBron James: I admire that he chose to go to UConn. Even though he’s the most talented on the team, he was content playing his role. He’s an excellent defender and showed athleticism, but never overstepped; he just fit in, and they won the national championship.

That’s the kind of player who wins. We all know how strong this kid is, which is why he became a lottery pick and why he performs well now. He didn’t go to a team where he could hold the ball endlessly and shoot wildly, which I really like. Also, he’s with the Spurs, which helps—a place where he can learn and play the right way.

His talent is undeniable, and he seems like a good kid. I’m not very close with him personally, but I have a good eye for people.

Reporter: LeBron, you’ve played many East vs. West All-Star games and seen different formats. Have you ever thought about the All-Star Game becoming Team USA vs. the World?

LeBron James: No. East vs. West is definitely the tradition and has always been great. I obviously prefer the East-West format, but the league is trying new things, so let’s see how it goes. Team USA vs. the World? The world is much bigger than the USA—I just don’t get the logic, but I won’t say more. Anyway, East vs. West is great; let’s see how the new format works out.

Reporter: Has any Australian player surprised you or caught your attention this year? If yes, why?

LeBron James: An Australian player who surprised me? I think Giddey has been steadily improving. Since joining the Bulls, his growth has been obvious. When he left the Thunder, his weakness was shooting.

Now his shooting is reliable; you can’t leave him open or give him space anymore. His accuracy is really high. He’s a tall guard who pushes the pace with great impact. He keeps getting better; the Bulls now have a very good player.

Reporter: What would you like to say to all Israeli fans? Also, what’s your opinion on Deni Avdija?

LeBron James: I’ve said before about Deni—people asked me about his performance this season, and I said I think he’s All-Star caliber. He’s indeed played at an All-Star level and performed very well.

If I have fans over there—I’ve never been to Israel—I hope you keep following my career. I hope I can inspire people there not only to excel in sports but to improve their lives. I hope one day I can visit. Like I said, I haven’t been yet, but all the feedback I’ve heard is positive.