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LeBron James appears to dunk in the 2023 NBA All Star Game
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Key Takeaways:
- LeBron James will not start in the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, which ends a 21-year streak.
- He finished eighth in Western Conference voting, behind Anthony Edwards and ahead of Kevin Durant.
- Coaches will announce reserve picks on Feb. 1, and James could still make the roster.
LeBron James’ long reign as an NBA All-Star starter has finally ended. On Monday (Jan. 19), the league unveiled the 2026 All-Star starters list, but the four-time champion notably did not crack the Western Conference’s top five. The omission snapped James’ record 21-year run that dates to his rookie season in 2004. The All-Star stage served as an annual checkpoint for his longevity, and the starter introductions have rarely moved without him.
The fan vote totals showed how much the landscape has changed. As confirmed by Yahoo! Sports, James finished eighth with a little more than 1.8 million votes, one spot behind Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards and one ahead of Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant. Luka Dončić led the Western Conference with more than 3.4 million votes.
The NBA’s starting lineup vote blends three constituencies: Fans account for 50 percent of the final tally while current players and a media panel fill in the other half. This year’s West starters are Stephen Curry, Dončić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić and Victor Wembanyama.
That formula still leaves room for James to extend his All-Star streak in another way, since coaches pick the reserves. Those selections are set for Feb. 1, with All-Star weekend landing in Los Angeles on Feb. 15 with a U.S. vs. World format.
James gave voters fewer games to anchor their support. According to Yahoo! Sports, in his 23rd season, the 41-year-old missed the first 14 contests while managing sciatica. To date, he has appeared in 24 of the Lakers’ 41 games. James, however, continues to play at a high level when available, averaging 22.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 6.9 assists.
A separate historic streak for James also fell earlier this winter. He opened 2025-26 with a double-digit scoring run that stretched back to 2007, then saw it end in early December after 1,297 straight games with at least 10 points.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ record is currently 25-16. The team is fighting for a position near the conference’s middle tier.
