20-time All-Star Los Angeles Lakers combo forward LeBron James took to X on Wednesday to question the wisdom of his team traveling to Milwaukee for a single preseason matchup against the Bucks, slated for Thursday night at 4:30 p.m. PT.

Typically, if preseason games are away from a team’s home market, multiple contests will at least be played. The fact that this is a one-and-done scenario is surprising.

The real question, of course, is why the preseason still exists at all, especially when many pundits around the game believe the bloated 82-game regular season is already far too lengthy as currently comprised. Many aging NBA stars are strategically rested these days in an effort to keep them healthy and available for the postseason. James, uniquely, shirks rest or minutes restrictions, despite being the oldest active NBA player and having more mileage than almost any otherplayer in league history.

James’ 1,779 combined career regular season and playoff games are less than just two Hall of Fame players: former Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who suited up for 1,797 bouts in a 20-year career, and former Boston Celtics nemesis Robert Parish, who played 1,795 games across 21 seasons. James will surpass both those sums sooner rather than later.

As Khobi Price of The Orange County Register notes, all six of the Lakers’ preseason bouts this year will be played away from the team’s home floor, Crypto.com Arena, which is getting a major facelift ahead of the start of the 2024-25 regular season.

Just which All-Stars will even be available for a totally meaningless exhibition contest Thursday remains to be seen. James and fellow Los Angeles All-Star frontcourt staple Anthony Davis were rested for L.A.’s first preseason contest, a 124-107 blowout loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves last Friday, but played (sparingly) during the club’s 118-114 Sunday loss to Kevin Durant and Devin Booker’s Phoenix Suns. Those two matchups were held in Palm Desert’s Acrisure Arena, and technically qualify as “home” games even though L.A. was hours away from Crypto.com Arena for both.

The Bucks will be without former All-Star small forward Khris Middleton once again, though the team appears hopeful he will suit up in time for the end of Milwaukee’s postseason, per Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Per Owczarski Doc Rivers revealed earlier this week that the Bucks’ best player, All-NBA power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, is expected to suit up for his preseason debut against longtime rival James.

Los Angeles has yet to record a win this preseason, despite some encouraging early performances from wings Dalton Knecht and Max Christie.

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