The NBA has announced its All-Star starters for the 2026 contest.
And for the first time in 21 seasons, LeBron James was not selected as one of the first five, though he still has the chance to extend his record streak of consecutive All-Star selections.
The NBA made the announcement Monday, Jan. 19, during the pre-game show leading into the Oklahoma City-Cleveland Cavaliers game that’s part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day showcase.
Starters were selected through a fan vote (50% weight), and a survey of NBA players (25%) and a media panel (25%). Players were selected without regard for position. Accounting and services giant Ernst & Young managed and certified the surveys.
The format for this year’s game, however, will be different this season. The league is going to a USA versus the world format in which three, eight-player teams will compete in a round-robin tournament. The East and West starters, therefore, will be slotted into those eight-player teams. NBA coaches will select All-Star reserves, but if there are not enough domestic or international player, NBA commissioner Adam Silver will intervene to fill out the teams.
Here are the 10 starters for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, which will be held Feb. 15 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California:
NBA All-Star Game starters
Eastern Conference
Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons (second All-Star selection)
Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks (third)
Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers (second)
Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics (fifth)
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks (10th)
Western Conference
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors (12th All-Star selection)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder (fourth)
Luka Dončić, Los Angeles Lakers (sixth)
Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs (second)
Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets (eighth)