All-Star Starters Revealed: Did the Fans Get It Right This Time
NEW YORK — It’s officially time to start the group chat arguments. The NBA just dropped the 2025 All-Star starters, and while some names were absolute locks, the “snub” list is already growing longer than a CVS receipt. We’re heading to the Bay Area this February, and the starting lineups for the East and West are packed with the usual legends and a few young guns who finally kicked the door down.
Yuki Kawamura forces the jumpball.
Yuki Kawamura wins the jumpball!“HE WON THE TIP, HE WON THE TIP!”
Hilarious moment in South Beach 🤣 pic.twitter.com/dE4MzAeRWx
— NBA (@NBA) February 1, 2026
LeBron’s 21st and the Western Guard Bloodbath
Let’s talk about LeBron James. At age 40, the guy is heading to his 21st All-Star game. It’s reached a point where we shouldn’t even be surprised, but seeing him still top the fan voting charts is wild. Joining him in the Western Conference frontcourt are Nikola Jokic and Kevin Durant. No real shockers there. If you’re building a team to win a game for your life, that’s the trio you pick.
The real drama, as always, was in the backcourt. Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander grabbed the starting spots, which means Stephen Curry will have to wait for the reserve announcement to officially join the party in his own building at the Chase Center. It feels weird not seeing Steph in the starting five for a home-hosted game, but SGA’s numbers—averaging nearly 31 points and 6 assists on a top-seeded Thunder team—made him impossible to ignore.
- Western Starters: LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
- Eastern Starters: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Haliburton, Donovan Mitchell.
- Total Fan Votes for LeBron: Over 6.5 Million.
- Biggest Leap: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2nd consecutive starting nod).
Inside the Huddle
“I don’t take any of these for granted. Being a starter in this league, especially with how much young talent is coming in, it’s a huge honor. We’re going to put on a show for the Bay.” — Stephen Curry (on the All-Star festivities in San Francisco)
The Bottom Line & What’s Next
Now the focus shifts to the coaches. They have the impossible task of filling out the benches. In the West, guys like Anthony Edwards and Devin Booker are locks, but who takes that final spot? If you ask me, Victor Wembanyama has done enough to earn a reserve role in his sophomore year, even if the Spurs’ record isn’t pretty. His defensive impact is simply too big to leave out of a game meant to showcase the best in the world.
Over in the East, keep an eye on Jalen Brunson. Missing out on a starting spot to Donovan Mitchell was a coin flip, and New York fans are already making their voices heard on social media. The reserves will be announced next Thursday, and that’s when the real “disrespect” narratives begin. For now, we get to imagine a world where Jokic and LeBron are running fast breaks together again. Grab your popcorn.
