Nearly half of the 14 reserves selected by league coaches will make their All-Star debuts in Los Angeles at the Intuit Dome on Monday, Feb. 16 (PH Time).
Six players — some long grinding for recognition, others finally breaking out — heard their names called as All-Stars for the first time.
Here’s a closer look at those six players as they prepare to take the court in the spotlight.
Jamal Murray | Denver Nuggets
- 2025-26 NBA season stats: 25.5 PPG | 7.5 APG | 4.4 RPG
For years, Murray lived in limbo.
He was a champion at 26 — too accomplished to ignore, yet, to some, too inconsistent to be rewarded.
A playoff killer without the regular-season crown and a star who torched defenses when it mattered most, but somehow remained on the outside of the All-Star circle looking in.
Until now.
In his ninth season, Murray finally broke through — and he did it by becoming Denver’s backbone when everything threatened to wobble.
With three-time MVP Nikola Jokic sidelined for a month due to a hyperextended knee, Murray didn’t merely keep the Nuggets afloat.
He carried them, steering Denver to a 10–6 stretch that reaffirmed what many had long believed.
Now 29, the Canadian guard is putting together the best season of his career, averaging career highs in points, rebounds, and assists while posting elite efficiency — shooting 49.2 percent from the field and connecting at a career-best rate (43.9 3P%) from beyond the arc.
Deni Avdija | Portland Trail Blazers
- 2025-26 NBA season stats: 25.5 PPG | 7.2 RPG | 6.7 APG
Deni Avdija didn’t just arrive — he announced himself.
In just his second season with the Portland Trail Blazers, Avdija has emerged as one of the league's most complete wings, making history as the first Israeli player named an NBA All-Star.
The 25-year-old’s scoring and playmaking have skyrocketed to career highs, establishing him as a frontrunner for the league’s Most Improved Player award.
This season, Avdija joins an elite club of just three players averaging at least 25 points, seven rebounds, and six assists per game — alongside fellow All-Stars and Team World teammates, three-time MVP Nikola Jokic and Lakers superstar Luka Doncic.
Jalen Duren | Detroit Pistons
- 2025-26 NBA season stats: 18.0 PPG | 10.7 RPG | 63.5 FG%
Detroit’s resurgence has many architects, but Jalen Duren is no doubt one of its foundations.
At just 22, Duren has turned the paint into his personal domain this season— cleaning the glass, finishing everything in sight, and anchoring one of the league’s stingiest defenses.
His rebounding ranks among the league’s elite, and his presence alongside fellow All-Star Cade Cunningham has been pivotal to Detroit’s rise atop the Eastern Conference.
Adding a special touch to the milestone, Pistons head coach JB Bickerstaff will serve as one of the head coaches for the three All-Star teams.
Chet Holmgren | Oklahoma City Thunder
- 2025-26 NBA season stats: 17.7 PPG | 8.5 RPG | 2.1 BPG
The defending champion OKC Thunder’s rise has been fast, fearless — and firmly protected by Chet Holmgren.
The third-year champion big man has become the backbone of the league's top-ranked defense, erasing shots at the rim and suffocating opponents in the paint.
Holmgren isn’t just a defensive force as he added polish offensively this season, posting career-best scoring and rebounding numbers to become a primary scoring threat alongside reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams.
Now an All-Star, Holmgren joins Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis and Hall of Famer John Stockton as the only players from Gonzaga University to earn the honor.
Jalen Johnson | Atlanta Hawks
- 2025-26 NBA season stats: 23.1 PPG | 10.5 RPG | 8.0 APG
As the Hawks turned a new page by trading Trae Young this season, Jalen Johnson has emerged as the team’s clear centerpiece.
With Young now in Washington, Johnson has become Atlanta’s top option, posting career highs in points, rebounds, and assists.
He also leads the league with 32 double-doubles and ranks second with eight triple-doubles, behind only Nikola Jokic’s 16.
After battling injuries over the past two seasons, Johnson has appeared in 46 of 51 games this year, marking a breakout season for the fifth-year forward.
Norman Powell | Miami Heat
2025-26 NBA season stats: 23.0 PPG | 3.7 RPG | 2.6 APG
Norman Powell waited longer than most — and earned every second of it.
It took 11 years, but the 32-year-old is finally an NBA All-Star after a standout debut season with the Miami Heat.
The 2019 champion with the Toronto Raptors has become Miami’s offensive engine, leading the team in scoring and powering one of the league’s most potent attacks.
Powell has been head coach Erik Spoelstra’s most reliable offensive player this season, stepping up while Tyler Herro has missed multiple games due to injury and Bam Adebayo continues to regain form after foot and back issues.
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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.