has done a lot of things no player has ever done. But on , he did something entirely new-.

For , the superstar has been , setting a record for . But that streak came to an end in San Francisco, as that he wouldn't be suiting up due to ongoing

"I was hoping it would feel a lot better this morning, but it's not where I want it to be," in a press conference before the

. James, now , has spent much of the season managing his body while trying to in a stacked . With just and the hovering around the , he made it clear his priority was staying healthy for the stretch run.

"I have to look out for myself when it comes to this injury that I've been dealing with for years,"

He played in the -a -but quickly shifted his focus to. Rather than taking the typical , he's , hoping to be ready for the

This year's already had a different feel, with the moving away from the traditional in favor of a . James was supposed to play for a squad featuring stars like and , but his absence left his team with just seven available players.

The change comes at a time when fan interest in the has been declining. While the new format was designed to bring to the event, missing a marquee player like only adds to questions about whether its midseason showcase.

wasn't the only big name missing from the festivities. , who was recently traded to the , also skipped the due to a lingering . Injuries have been a growing issue for , with several players choosing to rest rather than risk further damage in a game with no stakes.

Despite that, the rest of the weekend went on as planned. won the , while Mac McClung claimed his third straight Slam Dunk Contest title, solidifying his status as the event's latest showman.

With All-Star Weekend behind him, James' focus is now fully on the Lakers' playoff push. His availability for Wednesday's game against the Hornets is still up in the air, but he's doing everything he can to be on the floor.

"We have a big stretch ahead of us,"James said."I'll be back in rehab tomorrow and hopefully ready to go."

For the first time in two decades, the All-Star Game moved on without LeBron James. But if all goes according to plan, he'll be back on the court soon-this time, with much bigger goals in mind.