LeBron James has been selected for a record-extending 22nd consecutive NBA All-Star game by being named in the reserves for the Western Conference.
The 41-year-old Los Angeles Lakers star was not selected as a starter in January but was among the seven reserves chosen from each of the Eastern and Western Conferences by NBA coaches.
James, who missed his side’s first 14 matches of the 2025-26 campaign because of sciatica, has played 31 times this season and is averaging 21.9 points per game.
“It wasn’t a goal of mine to come into the season, miss the first 14 games and say, ‘OK, I can be an All-Star’,” James told reporters after playing in the Lakers’ 112-100 defeat by the New York Knicks.
“I just wanted to get back to playing the game at a high level I knew I was capable of once I kind of worked the rust off of missing pre-season, training camp and my summer workouts, which I’ve never done in my whole career.
“So I didn’t think about the All-Star Game, to be honest.”
James was selected for the NBA All-Star game in 2025 but did not play because he picked up an injury.
Kevin Durant, who plays for the Houston Rockets, Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns and Anthony Edwards from the Minnesota Timberwolves were also selected as a Western Conference reserves.
The All-Star game has been revamped this season and will feature two teams of players from the United States and one team of international players.
They will compete in a round-robin tournament of four 12-minute games. The top two teams will then face each other in a championship game.
Starters selected from Eastern Conference:
Giannis Antetokounmpo* – Milwaukee Bucks
Jaylen Brown – Boston Celtics
Jalen Brunson – New York Knicks
Cade Cunningham – Detroit Pistons
Tyrese Maxey – Philadelphia 76ers
Reserves selected from Eastern Conference:
Scottie Barnes – Toronto Raptors
Jalen Duren – Detroit Pistons
Jalen Johnson – Atlanta Hawks
Donovan Mitchell – Cleveland Cavaliers
Norman Powell – Miami Heat
Pascal Siakam* – Indiana Pacers
Karl-Anthony Towns – New York Knicks
Starters selected from Western Conference:
Stephen Curry – Golden State Warriors
Luka Doncic* – Los Angeles Lakers
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander* – Oklahoma City Thunder
Nikola Jokic* – Denver Nuggets
Victor Wembanyama* – San Antonio Spurs
Reserves selected from Western Conference:
Deni Avdija* – Portland Trail Blazers
Devin Booker – Phoenix Suns
Kevin Durant – Houston Rockets
Anthony Edwards – Minnesota Timberwolves
Chet Holmgren – Oklahoma City Thunder
LeBron James – LA Lakers
Jamal Murray* – Denver Nuggets
* denotes international player
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