Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James saw one incredible streak of his end on Monday, as he wasn’t named a starter for the 2026 All-Star Game. James had been voted a starter a record 21 years in a row, and in his media session after Tuesday’s 115-107 win over the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena, he was asked if he had any reaction to missing out on a spot.
“No, not at all,” James said.
James can still make it in as a reserve, of course. The coaches will be voting for that, and the results will be announced on Feb. 1. James was asked if he’d like to be part of the game at the Intuit Dome via that route, and had a bit of an interesting response.
“I’m always grateful, for sure,” James stated. “If I’m there, I’ll be there in attendance. If I’m not, I know I’ll be able to take full advantage of it. I know exactly what I’ll be doing. So, I’m good either way.”
James’ being fine with potentially not being an All-Star in 2026 is surprising. Now, you wouldn’t expect the 41-year-old to lose much sleep over something like this. He is a 21-time All-Star, and whether he adds to that tally or not isn’t going to mean much in the grand scheme of things. We’re not going to look at James any differently if he isn’t named an All-Star.
That said, every star-level player tends to express disappointment when they get snubbed from the All-Star team. James won’t be doing that, though, by the looks of it. He already knows what he is going to do if he misses out. As for what that would be, there are a few things that come to mind.
James has fallen in love with golf and might head to the course again. He would also get to spend more time with his family, which is something he wants to do. Previously, James had admitted he’d rather be at home than play on Christmas Day. So, being snubbed might not be all that bad.
Does James have a case to make it, though? Well, he does. James is averaging 22.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game in 2025-26 for a Lakers team that is fifth in the West with a 26-16 record. He has been playing much better over the past month or so, putting up 25.2 points on 53.4% shooting from the field over his last 19 games.
We have also seen icons be named All-Stars even when they were well past their best. It’s a way to honor them, and the coaches might vote James in for that reason.
Even if James doesn’t make it in via that route, there is actually another pathway. Should one of the All-Stars get ruled out for the game with an injury, commissioner Adam Silver will get to pick a replacement. An All-Star Game with James would certainly be better for the NBA than one without him.
Of course, James did not play in the 2025 All-Star Game despite being selected. He announced hours before the game that he was pulling out due to lingering discomfort in his left foot and ankle. It was the first time in James’ career that he hadn’t played in the All-Star Game after being selected.
