LeBron James Is Out, a New All-Star Era Begins

LOS ANGELES, TUESDAY - Los Angeles Lakers megastar LeBron James was not selected as a starter for the NBA All-Star for the first time since his rookie season. With the end of the 21-year streak of "King James," a new era has emerged marked by the presence of tall basketball player Victor Wembanyama.

James, 41 years old, has always been a starter in the All-Star game every season since 2005-2025. This impressive record finally came to an end in the 2026 edition following the announcement of the voting results on Tuesday (20/1/2026 WIB). His name was not included in the list of the top five players from the Western Conference.

The three-time NBA All-Star Most Valuable Player (MVP) only managed to rank ninth. James shares the same fate as other veteran players, such as Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard. Only Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, a player over 30, made the top five.

The rest are dominated by star players who just entered the NBA in the 2010s, namely Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Another is the youngest player on the starting list representing the 2020s, Wembanyama (22), the mainstay center for the San Antonio Spurs.

This year, voting was not divided into frontcourt (forward, center) and backcourt (guard) categories. All votes were combined, separated only by region. The total score was 50 percent fan vote, and 25 percent each from player and media votes.

James' scores were quite surprising, only ranking 8th in the fan and player votes, and 9th in the media votes. The forward even lost in the fan and media votes to the Portland Trail Blazers' Israeli player, Deni Avdija (25), who has never appeared in an All-Star game.

James did miss the first 14 games of the season due to injury. He also started the season slowly, until his 1,297-game streak of at least 10 points ended in Toronto in December 2025. Despite this, he still contributed significantly, averaging 22.6 points, 6.9 assists, and 5.9 rebounds.

In addition to his performance being below standard, James was also eliminated due to external factors. At the Lakers, he is no longer the team's center of gravity. That role has been taken over by Doncic, who successfully garnered the most votes from fans in the Western Conference. Doncic's voters, totaling 3.4 million, are nearly double that of James (1.8 million).

Do I receive more respect? I believe so, but that is also because our team is more respected. We are more formidable.

New names also emerged, such as Wembanyama, who was selected as a starter for the first time. Wemby, as he's known, has shone even brighter in his third season since joining the NBA. He has led the Spurs to second place in the Western Conference so far with averages of 24.5 points and 10.8 rebounds.

Wemby tied Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards for the top spot, but was selected due to a higher fan vote. "I'm proud. I wasn't sure I'd be up there. This is the next step for me," he said after scoring 33 points in the Spurs' 123-110 victory over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday.

The 224-centimeter-tall player said he gained more recognition in the league because he was able to lift the team's performance. In Wemby's first two seasons, Spurs failed to qualify for the playoffs. "Do I get more respect? I think so, but it's also because our team is more respected. We're more dangerous," Wemby explained.

Wemby, the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, has been improving every season. This season, he's looked even more mature and efficient. For the first time in his NBA career, the center has recorded a shooting accuracy above 50 percent this season (51.6 percent).

Spurs guard Dylan Harper said it's time for a rising star like Wemby to take over the league. "I'm not going to lie. You know he's going to be an All-Star starter. Just watch him play. He's that good. With veterans like LeBron, KD (Durant), and others not around, it shows his dedication," Harper said.

The transition of eras is also clearly visible in the Eastern Conference starter list. The five selected players are Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jaylen Brown, Jalen Brunson, Cade Cunningham, and Tyrese Maxey. Only Giannis is over 30 years old among all these players.

Cunningham (Detroit Pistons) and Maxey (Philadelphia 76ers) were both born in the 2000s. Cunningham is only 24 years old, while Maxey is 25. They defeated various veteran players, one of whom was New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns.

In this edition of the "star wars," a new format will be introduced. Ten selected starting players will be combined with 14 coach-selected reserve players. Three teams will be formed from all these players. Two teams will consist of players from the United States, while one team will comprise international players.

Each team will consist of eight players. However, if the quota of US or international players on a team is not met, the NBA will add more players. As a result, a team can have more than eight players. They will play a round-robin tournament to determine the top two teams, before they face off in the final.

Although not in the starting lineup, "King James" is still very likely to be involved in the All-Star game that will take place at the Intuit Dome, California, on February 15. However, all of this depends on the decisions of the coaches. (AP/REUTERS)