LeBron’s 21st: NBA Announces 2025 All-Star Starters as Voting Trends Shift
NEW YORK — The NBA has officially pulled the curtain back on the 2025 All-Star starters, and the data reveals a league caught between a legendary past and a statistical revolution. LeBron James has secured his record-breaking 21st All-Star selection, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most in league history. While the fan vote carried James to the captaincy in the West, the player and media ballots told a much more analytical story about who currently runs the hardwood.
NBA STANDINGS UPDATE ‼️
▪️ SAS (#2 in West) wins 3rd straight
▪️ TOR rises to #5 in East
▪️ ORL rises to #7 in East
▪️ CHA wins 8th straight, rises to #10 in EastDownload the NBA App for more: https://t.co/pBKIAWOrdI pic.twitter.com/WuXhGRU1gN
— NBA (@NBA) February 6, 2026
The Analytics of the West: Efficiency vs. Popularity
The Western Conference backcourt came down to a razor-thin margin. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic locked up the starting spots, driven by Player Efficiency Ratings (PER) that both sit above 28.5. Despite a late surge in fan voting for Stephen Curry, the media and player ballots prioritized SGA’s defensive win shares and Doncic’s league-leading usage rate.
In the frontcourt, Nikola Jokic led all players in the weighted score, nearly sweeping the first-place votes across all three categories. Joining Jokic and James is Kevin Durant, who edged out Anthony Davis. The math was simple: Durant’s 50/40/90 shooting splits through the first half of the season made him an undeniable tactical choice for voters who value offensive gravity over raw rebounding totals.
- West Starters: LeBron James (C), Nikola Jokic, Kevin Durant, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
- East Starters: Giannis Antetokounmpo (C), Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Haliburton, Donovan Mitchell.
- Key Snub: Jalen Brunson (Finished 3rd in Eastern guard voting despite leading in total points scored).
Inside the Huddle
“The numbers don’t lie, but they don’t tell the whole story either. Being a starter is about who the world wants to see play, but as players, we look at who is actually impossible to guard every single night. That’s why you see the media and player votes diverging more every year.” — Anonymous Western Conference Guard
The Bottom Line & What’s Next
Keep a close eye on the “Reserve” announcements coming next Thursday. With the league returning to the traditional East vs. West format, the competition for the final seven spots in each conference is a nightmare for coaches. In the East, the battle between Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Maxey for the final guard reserve spot will likely come down to “Clutch Time” scoring metrics. For the West, expect a heavy debate over Victor Wembanyama’s block rate versus the veteran consistency of Kawhi Leonard. The 2025 All-Star Game in San Francisco is shaping up to be a tactical showcase of high-volume perimeter shooting.
