All-Star Game Basketball

Eastern Conference's LeBron James, of the Cleveland Cavaliers, (23) slams dunks the ball past Western Conference's Stephen Curry, of the Golden State Warriors (30) during the first half of the NBA all-star basketball game, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2016 in Toronto.

(Mark Blinch)

TORONTO - LeBron James is now the NBA's all-time leading scorer in the All-Star Game, but don't let that little nugget fool you.

James was mostly a bystander in the NBA's 65th All-Star Game, won by the West 196-173 scoring just 13 points in 20 minutes.

Russell Westbrook from Oklahoma City was named MVP for the second consecutive year, scoring 31 points with eight rebounds and five assists.

The night was supposed to belong to Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, who was playing in his final All-Star Game with retirement looming at season's end. Bryant entered play leading James by two points on the all-time, All-Star scoring list, but he mustered just 10 points in his finale.

Bryant returned for the last time with 5:29 to go, but failed to score by the time he was removed with 1:06 left and the Air Canada Centre crowd chanting "KO-BE, KO-BE." James was on the sideline the entire time.

As it stands, James now has 291 points in 12 All-Star games. Bryant has 290 in 15 games.

"Oh, it absolutely means nothing. It means absolutely nothing," James said, smiling. "I'm just blessed to be a part of All-Star Weekend. This being my 12th consecutive appearance, being able to start for the East, it means a lot to my family and my fans. But the scoring, that's never meant nothing to me."

James' 13 points tied career low in 12 All-Star games, equaling the 13 points in his first game in 2005. His 20 minutes were easily the lowest of his career.

Say this for Cavs coach Tyronn Lue's first appearance as All-Star coach: he protected his prized player. Otherwise, it didn't go particularly well for Lue, whose East squad coughed up a record 196 points.

James was removed from the game with 5:36 left in the third quarter and never came back. He sat in a chair adjacent to the bench for most of the second half, so the children of some of his East teammates could sit on the bench.

Bryant and James opened the game by jumping against one another at the opening tip. In the first half, James slapped the floor while defending Bryant, as if to say "come on, guy, one more time." Bryant misfired on a jumper.

James, 31, remains the All-Star leader with 28 3-pointers, counting the one he made Sunday night. He said this weekend that the end of Bryant's illustrious, surefire hall-of-fame career has him thinking about his own ending.

"Of course, I'd be lying to you if I didn't think about it," James said.

Bryant was honored with two videoboard tributes for the game even started. It's been a season of such tributes as he plays in road cities for the final time, like he did Wednesday in Cleveland.

"I don't know if I would want that," James said.

"I've got so many great years left to play the game, but I definitely know that at some point we all have to come to an end."