NBA fans weren’t sold on the league’s revamped All-Star format—but they still showed up in force, turning the second round of voting into an unexpected nail-biter. As anticipated, international stars continue to dominate a race tilted heavily in their favor. Still, the USA side has its familiar headliners. Stephen Curry and LeBron James remain the clear frontrunners, and the latest ballot confirmed that “The King” hasn’t lost his ability to surge late and bend the vote in his direction.

The NBA released the second round of All-Star voting results this week, and while the International Team accounts for only a quarter of the new USA vs. World format, it has predictably produced many of the early leaders.

Luka Doncic holds the top spot with over 2.2 million votes in the West and overall. Giannis Antetokounmpo falls a little short with 2 million votes but holds the top spot in the East. They’re the only players to eclipse the 2 million threshold.

Nikola Jokic, with 1.9 million votes, is second in the West and third overall. And with the current timeline rehabbing the hyperextension of his knee, he might just be cleared to play in the ASG at Intuit Dome next month.

Amid the dominance of the Europeans, LeBron James continues to defy expectations. The 41-year-old who had a late start to his 23rd season is still an All-Star favorite, bringing in over 1.05 million votes.

He’s also the last player to rake in seven figures in votes. He currently ranks eighth in the West, right above Kevin Durant, who has 997,386 votes.

LeBron James leaps ahead in All-Star voting

At the last All-Star Game, LeBron James faced criticism for sitting out the main event due to an injury. It was a last-minute change that couldn’t be undone, and no reserve was chosen to take his spot.

Considering all the speculation on his retirement, fans still want to see him in an All-Star setting. Especially in the USA vs. World format, such as reliving the 2024 Olympics. It could explain why fans are determined to ensure he’s an All-Star in season 23.

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Before his 41st birthday, James was in the ninth spot. The second round has put him ahead in eighth, above Durant. Note that fans only vote for the All-Star starters. Considering the international squad is largely set, Bron is the likely starter alongside two of his Team USA teammates.

Stephen Curry is third in the West with 1.8 million votes, and Anthony Edwards is sixth with 1.2 million. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (1.55M) and  Victor Wembanyama (1.32M) also hold the top starting votes.

Portland’s Deni Avdija is the real plot twist. He’s the current free-throw leader in attempts and somehow hasn’t been labeled the ‘free-throw merchant.’ The Israel-born athlete has garnered 1.2 million votes, comfortably ranking in the middle of the Western Conference standings.

The East is more split, with fewer players crossing the 1 million vote threshold. However, the East also presents a clearer picture for the USA squad, with Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Maxey, Cade Cunningham, and Donovan Mitchell leading the way.

With fan voting accounting for 50% of the formula while the rest is decided by player and media panels, the final week of voting will determine who leads these three-team round-robin squads ahead of the February 15 festivities. 

With the final week of NBA All-Star 2026 fan voting kicking off, ending January 14 with that game-changing 3-for-1 vote multiplier, everything’s on the line to shake up the leaderboards and nail down starters for the new three-team round-robin setup: USA Team 1, USA Team 2, and the World Team, all before the February 15 showdown at LA’s Intuit Dome.

In the East, races like Jalen Brunson holding a razor-thin 7,519-vote edge over Tyrese Maxey (both around 1.9M) could flip in an instant, slotting players straight onto specific USA squads since fans drive 50% of the call, matched by 25% from players and media.

Coaches pick reserves later with no self-team votes allowed, but these starter spots set the round-robin brackets leading to a title game.