LeBron James earns record 22nd straight NBA All-Star nod

The 41-year-old Los Angeles Lakers star was not voted in as a starter when lineups were announced in January, but was included among the seven reserve players from each conference chosen by NBA coaches.

James, who missed the first 14 games of the 2025–26 season due to sciatica, has featured in 31 games so far and is averaging 21.9 points per contest.

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“It wasn’t a goal of mine to come into the season, miss the first 14 games and say, ‘OK, I can be an All-Star,’” James said after the Lakers’ 112–100 loss to the New York Knicks.
“I just wanted to get back to playing the game at a high level I knew I was capable of once I worked the rust off from missing pre-season, training camp and my summer workouts, which I’ve never done in my whole career. So I didn’t think about the All-Star Game, to be honest.”

James was also selected for the NBA All-Star Game in 2025 but did not take part after sustaining an injury.

Joining him as Western Conference reserves are Kevin Durant of the Houston Rockets, Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns, and Anthony Edwards from the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The NBA All-Star Game has been revamped this season, featuring two teams made up of U.S. players and one team of international players. The sides will compete in a round-robin format across four 12-minute games, with the top two teams advancing to a championship matchup.

Starters selected from Eastern Conference:

Giannis Antetokounmpo - Milwaukee Bucks

Jaylen Brown - Boston Celtics

Jalen Brunson - New York Knicks

Cade Cunningham - Detroit Pistons

Tyrese Maxey - Philadelphia 76ers

Reserves selected from Eastern Conference:

Scottie Barnes - Toronto Raptors

Jalen Duren - Detroit Pistons

Jalen Johnson - Atlanta Hawks

Donovan Mitchell - Cleveland Cavaliers

Norman Powell - Miami Heat