Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic headline 2026 NBA All-Star starters

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Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic headline 2026 NBA All-Star starters

Brett Siegel, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Mon, Jan 19, 2026 ·

3 min read

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The 2026 NBA All-Star Game is right around the corner, and the 10 starters from the Eastern and Western Conferences have been announced.

After leading their respective conferences in the fan voting over the last several weeks , Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic are once again at the forefront of this year's All-Star festivities as starters. Doncic finished with the most fan votes out of any player in the league.

Unlike previous seasons, which featured three frontcourt players and two guards for each conference's starters, this year's selection pool was positionless. Once again, the All-Star format will be played in a mini-tournament style, where the pool of All-Stars is divided into two Team USA squads and one Team World squad. The fourth team will be made up of those who win the 2026 Castrol Rising Stars.

In the Western Conference , Doncic is joined by Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry , Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander , San Antonio Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama , and Denver Nuggets three-time MVP Nikola Jokic .

Antetokounmpo will be joined by Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey , New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson , Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham , and Boston Celtics wing Jaylen Brown as starters representing the Eastern Conference.

Notably missing from the All-Star starters list is LeBron James , who has been named an All-Star for 21 straight seasons. Will that historic streak end this year?

The only time the 41-year-old didn't make the All-Star cut was during the 2003-04 season, his rookie season in the NBA. It is likely that LeBron will either be an injury replacement or be selected by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver as a special All-Star selection.

While all 10 All-Star starters have participated in All-Star Weekend previously, this is the first time that Wembanyama, Maxey, Brown, and Cunningham will actually be actual starters instead of coming off the bench for the NBA All-Star Game.

As for the veterans who are used to being in the spotlight during All-Star Weekend, Curry leads the way for this year's group of starters with his 12th All-Star selection and 11th start overall. He is now just one of 17 players in league history to make at least 12 All-Star appearances with a single franchise.

Antetokounmpo and Jokic are also two All-Star veterans at this point in their careers, making their 10th and eighth All-Star appearances, respectively.

Since the NBA is adopting a Team USA vs. Team World format for this year's All-Star festivities, five of the eight spots for the Team World squad have already been filled by Doncic, Antetokounmpo, Jokic, Wembanyama, and Gilgeous-Alexander.

Only three other international players will join these starters as All-Star reserves for Team World this year.

A total of 16 players will make up the two Team USA squads, leaving a total of 11 spots open for All-Star reserves in this category. Curry, Brunson, Cunningham, Brown, and Maxey will be the featured starters among these two Team USA rosters.

The 2026 NBA All-Star Game will take place in Los Angeles , hosted by the LA Clippers , on February 15 on NBC.

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