What you need to know
LeBron James knows he has a lot to hang his hat on.
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer and four-time league MVP spoke out after some critics said he felt slighted by not being in the starting lineup for the NBA All-Star Game for the first time in 21 years.
When reporters asked the 41-year-old Los Angeles Lakers star if he was concerned about not being on the 2026 roster, he said, “No, not at all.”
Being removed from the starting roster does not eliminate James’ chances of being selected to his 22nd consecutive All-Star Game (already a league record for most consecutive selections by a player), and he said he appreciates any opportunity presented to him.
“I’m always grateful,” James told reporters about being considered for the annual exhibition game featuring the league’s best active players. According to Lakers Nation, the four-time NBA champion said he will definitely play in the All-Star Game if he is selected as a reserve, and that not being selected as a starter will not affect his decision to play.
“If I’m there, I’m going to be there. If I’m not there, I know I’m going to make the most of it and I know exactly what I’m going to do,” the father of three said. “So, I don’t care either way.”
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The NBA All-Star roster is determined primarily by fan voting, as well as votes from players and members of the media.
ESPN reported that James, who missed the first 14 games of the season with sciatica, was “never close” to receiving enough votes to be on a Western Conference team’s starting roster. The future NBA Hall of Famer from Akron, Ohio, is still averaging more than 22 points per game, but this is his lowest scoring average since his rookie season in 2005, according to ESPN statistics.
What’s notable about the NBA All-Star voting results is that James’ teammate Luka Doncic was the top vote-getter in the entire league, according to ESPN. The Slovenian NBA superstar joined James and the Lakers in a trade from the Dallas Mavericks last February, a surprise that breathed new life into James’ hopes of winning a fifth NBA championship before retiring.
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Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry, Milwaukee Bucks franchise star Giannis Antetokounmpo, Oklahoma City Thunder fan favorite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic and San Antonio Spurs’ 7-foot-4 Frenchman Victor Wembaneyama were among other stars voted into the starting lineup for the NBA All-Star Game.
James is currently waiting to see if his name will be included on the reserve list for the game. According to NBC, these players will be announced on February 1st.
The NBA All-Star Game will be held on Sunday, February 15th at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.
