LeBron James was officially named an NBA All-Star for the 22ndtime, extending his own league record and once again cementing his place among the game’s elite.
James has now been selected as an All-Star in every season since his rookie year, though this marks the first time he was voted in as a reserve rather than a starter.
The circumstances made the recognition feel even more meaningful. James missed 14 games earlier this season and entered the year without a traditional training camp, factors that contributed to slightly lower numbers than his usual standards.
Even so, his recent play was enough to earn the respect of opposing coaches, who selected him for the roster.
And he was grateful.
“Obviously super humbling. The coaches voted, right? So mad respect to the coaches and them seeing that I’m still playing well at this latter stage of my career,” James said speaking with Spectrum SportsNet. “To be able to an All-Star, that means a lot to my family, the people that’s been following my career, my LeBron faithful who have been following my journey. I don’t know, man. It’s always rewarding just from a humble standpoint to be able to be rewarded for what you put your work into. So it’s pretty cool.”
The 2026 NBA All-Star Game will be held on Sunday, February 15 at Intuit Dome, meaning James will remain close to home. He will be joined by teammate Luka Doncic, who led all players in fan voting and earned a starting spot.
This year’s event will feature a new three-team USA versus World format, placing James and Doncic on opposing squads, a wrinkle that adds intrigue to the exhibition.
Despite his historic starting streak coming to an end, James made it clear weeks ago that the change never bothered him.
“Nah. None at all,” James said when asked about not being named a starter.
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