The date was February 15, 2004, the last time LeBron James didn't play in the NBA's All-Star game, which was ironically being played at the Staples Center in Los Angeles that year. The world was a very different place back then. Shaquille O'Neal won the All-Star game's MVP award and Kevin Garnett was on the way to being named NBA MVP.

He’s been a lock for the game since his second season back in 2005, which means an entire generation of fans has grown up knowing LeBron as a mainstay at the league’s biggest midseason showcase. He’s not just there to pile on records,

James — a pick for 21 straight years — now has two more All-Star selections than anyone else in NBA history (Abdul-Jabbar was a 19-time pick) and is three years clear of anyone else for the longest streak of consecutive selections. Kobe Bryant was picked for 18 consecutive All-Star Games, the second-longest such streak.