For the first time since 2004, LeBron James won’t start in the All-Star Game—but he could still appear if chosen as a reserve.
Some familiar faces returned to center stage, while one era quietly came to an end.
On Tuesday, January 20 (PH time), the league revealed the 10 starters for the 2026 All-Star Game, and as expected, two superstars topped the fan vote for the Western and Eastern Conferences, respectively.
Lakers star Luka Doncic led the West with a staggering 3,402,967 votes, joining a starting five stacked with elite talent: reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Oklahoma City, Nikola Jokic of Denver, Stephen Curry of Golden State, and French phenom Victor Wembanyama.
Wembanyama edged out Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards for the final West spot via tiebreaker, thanks to a narrow fan-vote advantage.
In the East, Milwaukee Bucks ace Giannis Antetokounmpo tallied 3,218,398 votes, lining up alongside New York’s Jalen Brunson, Detroit’s Cade Cunningham, Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey, and Boston’s Jaylen Brown.
As expected, fan voting—accounting for 50 percent of the total—played a decisive role, with NBA players and media members contributing 25 percent each in finalizing the starting lineups.
All "Kingly" things come to an end
Yet amid all the star power, one absence stood out.
For the first time in more than two decades, Lakers star LeBron James was not named an All-Star starter.
James, who had been selected and named a starter in every All-Star Game since 2005—a record 21 consecutive starts—will see that streak come to a close.
The end of the streak was fueled by a challenging start to the season for the 41-year-old.
James missed the first 14 games with sciatica and has struggled to find his rhythm since, even seeing his remarkable run of 1,297 consecutive games scoring in double digits come to a halt last month in Toronto.
[RELATED: Royal Rewind: The world and PH sports the last time LeBron scored single digits in a NBA regular season game]
While his streak of starts may be over, James’ All-Star story is not finished.
The league’s coaches will select seven reserves per conference on February 1, giving the four-time champion a chance to still participate in this year’s showcase at the Intuit Dome.
This year’s All-Star Game will also introduce a new format, featuring three teams—two composed of U.S.-based players and one representing the rest of the world.
[RELATED: Brand-new USA vs World format all set for 2026 NBA All-Star weekend]
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Pao Ambat earned his journalism degree from Cavite State University in 2022.
Passionate about sports from a young age, he primarily covers the NBA for One Sports, while also assisting in reporting on the PVL, PBA, UAAP, and other leagues.