This marks the 21st time James has been named an All-Star, and in his 22nd season, he has now tied Vince Carter for the longest active career. The only season he didn’t make the All-Star Game was his rookie year with the Cleveland Cavaliers after being drafted No. 1 overall out of high school.

With this selection, James has made NBA history as the only player at age 40 or older to be named an All-Star starter.

With the reserves being announced next week, James is expected to be joined by his fellow Lakers teammate Anthony Davis, who certainly had a case to be a starter. However, the other four starting spots went to Stephen Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kevin Durant, and Nikola Jokic.

This season, James is averaging 23.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 7.5 assists. He has appeared in 38 of the Lakers’ 41 games and is set to play against the Celtics on Thursday night as well.

Los Angeles Lakers stars LeBron James (23) and forward Anthony Davis (3).

© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Currently, James has the Lakers sitting as the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference. While he’s made it clear he doesn’t plan on playing much longer, he still has the drive to compete for NBA championships, having won four titles with three different teams over the course of his career.

“”If I really wanted to, I could probably play at a high level for another five or seven years, though it feels strange to say it. But I’m not going to do that.” James said on Dec. 31 after turning 40.