On Monday, January 19, the NBA announced its 2026 NBA All-Star starters. As you know, this time, the format is World vs USA. There were some obvious picks, a surprise or two, and some shocking snubs. The biggest heartbreak came through LeBron James.

For the first time in 21 All-Star seasons, LeBron James did not make it to the list. Even after missing out on the starting spot, the King still holds a clear path to keep his remarkable run of consecutive All-Star appearances alive. LeBron has been in the showbiz since 2005. Last year, despite being a starter, James missed the weekend in San Francisco due to injury.

Bron has averaged 21.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.7 assists in 20 games in All-Star Games in his career. However, this year, he won’t walk on the floor ahead of everyone. He secured 1.8 million votes while his Los Angeles Lakers teammate, Luka Doncic, stole all the spotlight with 3.4 million votes. Thus making him the clear winner in the West.

Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers star, Donovan Mitchell, who is averaging 29.2/4.8/5.7 this season, has also missed a spot in the All-Star starters list. At the same time, the Brooklyn Nets star, Michael Porter Jr., and the Toronto Raptors guard Scottie Barnes are also out of the opening lineup. Now, the biggest snub arrived for Anthony Edwards. The Minnesota Timberwolves star lost the fan vote tiebreaker to Victor Wembanyama for the final starting spot.

The starting lineups came together through a three-pronged voting process, led by fans who carried 50 percent of the influence. NBA players and a media panel each contributed 25 percent of the vote, and the league selected players without any positional restrictions.

And while the series of All-Star heartbreaks continues, Stephen Curry added his name to the club of the elites with his selection as a starter.

Stephen Curry makes history on LeBron James’ end-of-streak night

Stephen Curry earned his twelfth All-Star appearance this season, and the context matters. His eleventh start has just placed him among only 17 players to log multiple selections with one franchise. The group features Michael Jordan with twelve, Larry Bird with twelve, Kobe Bryant with eighteen, and Dirk Nowitzki with fourteen. Moreover, Curry now stands as the oldest point guard ever chosen as a starter.

Meanwhile, Curry collected 2,817,562 fan votes, trailing only Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic in the West, despite leading the age curve. He ranked third with fans, second with players, and sixth with media, producing a 3.5 weighted score.

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Both Team USA and Team World look packed with star power. We have Stephen Curry, Jaylen Brown, Jalen Brunson, Cade Cunningham, and Tyrese Maxey starting for Team USA. On the other hand, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nikola Jokic will open for Team World.

Thus, for once, LeBron James will not feature in the front line on an All-Star night. Fans following the King since his debut or even before it will find it odd. Well, James and All-Star weekends seem ritualistic in the NBA world. But as the saying goes, “there’s always an exception or two.” And this year is one such ‘exception’.