A knee injury may have cost LeBron James a chance to chase his fifth NBA championship. It certainly cost the Los Angeles Lakers superstar his first appearance at the Met Gala as honorary chair.
James sustained a knee injury in Game 5 of the Lakers’ first-round playoff series that would have kept him on the bench for three to five weeks, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. The Lakers were eliminated by the Timberwolves in a 4-1 series, wherein James averaged 25.4 points and 9.0 rebounds in 40.8 minutes per game.
LeBron James Won’t Appear At Met Gala Due To Injury
The Lakers’ elimination meant no missed games for James, who played 40 minutes in the 103-96 Game 5 loss. Adding insult to injury, the knee injury appears severe enough to cost James an appearance at the 2025 Met Gala, held on May 5.
James revealed his disappointment with a post on Twitter:
“Unfortunately because of my knee injury I sustained at the end of the season I won’t be able to attend the Met Gala in NY tonight as so many people have been asking and congratulating me on! Hate to miss an historical event! My beautiful powerful Queen will be there holding the castle down as she always has done!” James said.
His tweet indicated that his wife Savannah would nonetheless attend the event.
The Met Gala, officially known as the Costume Institute Benefit, is an annual fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York primarily known as one of the fashion events of the year. Guests are expected to tailor their fashion to meet the yearly theme of the Met’s Costume Institute exhibit, which opens following the event.
This year’s exhibit, entitled “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” will examine the historical and cultural emergence of the Black dandy, according to The Met.
“Inspired by curator Monica Miller’s 2009 book, ‘Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity,’ the exhibition will present a cultural and historical examination of the Black dandy, from the figure’s emergence in Enlightenment Europe during the 18th century to today’s incarnations in cities around the world,” the museum announced in the same post.
Athletes in Spotlight at Met Gala
James was slated to be an honorary chair for the event alongside co-chairs Lewis Hamilton, Coleman Domingo, Pharrell Williams, A$AP Rocky, and perennial chair Anna Wintour. The theme and James’ involvement were announced in October.
Had James and the Lakers been immersed in a second-round playoff series, scheduling could have decided his appearance at one of the world’s most glamorous events; instead, it’s a knee injury that will keep James on the sidelines of this year’s spectacle.
The Gala will be full of athletes. Beyond Hamilton and James, Angel Reese, Sha’Carri Richardson, and Simone Biles and her husband Jonathan Owens are on the host committee for the event. All have attended the Gala before, while this year would have been James’ first appearance, according to ESPN.
The Met exhibit opens to the public on May 10; James, if he returns for a record 23rd NBA season, will play basketball at a date to be announced after that.