The starters for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game were announced on Monday, and Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic made the cut, along with Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Stephen Curry and Victor Wembanyama in the West and Jalen Brunson, Jaylen Brown, Cade Cunningham, Tyrese Maxey and Giannis Antetokounmpo in the East.
One name notably absent from that list is another Lakers star in LeBron James, who did not make the cut after missing the first 14 games of the season. James has been named a starter in the last 21 NBA All-Star Games, so his illustrious streak will seemingly be coming to an end, even if he still makes the team as a reserve.
The starters are selected by a combination of fan, player and media voting. The league released those votes after announcing the starters, so here is how Doncic, James and Austin Reaves fared:
The top finishers by conference in the final fan returns for NBA All-Star Voting ⬇️ https://t.co/PhMfdofA5s pic.twitter.com/KgGSislFOl
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) January 19, 2026
Three voting groups determined the starters for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game:
▪️ Fans (50%)
▪️ NBA players (25%)
▪️ Media panel (25%)Complete voting results are available here: https://t.co/0YQtBsIaGp
Below are the overall rankings for the top finishers in each conference. pic.twitter.com/W21e8EOvpH
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) January 19, 2026
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the voting was Doncic leading the entire league in fan votes. On the other hand, he ranked sixth in the Western Conference alone in player votes.
Meanwhile, James is typically at the top of the list when it comes to fan votes but saw a significant drop-off to eighth in the Western Conference this season. The 41-year-old getting a late start to the season was likely a big factor in that, as he has been putting up his typical All-Star numbers for weeks now, which is extremely impressive in his 23rd season.
Luka Doncic appreciative of being lead vote-getter for NBA All-Star Game
Doncic was the leading vote-getter for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game in his first season with the Lakers, and he expressed his appreciation to the fans for the honor.
“Honestly it does, it’s the first time that’s happened to me. Honestly, it’s pretty amazing. A kid from Slovenia just only can dream about that, dream about being in the NBA, it’s pretty amazing. I really appreciate all the votes and I saw it yesterday or two days ago, it definitely hit me and it’s amazing.”
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