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NBA All-Star takeaways: LeBron James adds to record
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) on the court against the Washington Wizards during the second half at Capital One Arena. Brad Mills-Imagn Images

NBA All-Star takeaways: LeBron James adds to record run of appearances

By Adam Gretz  |  Last updated Feb 1, 2026 7:38 PM ET

The 2026 NBA All-Stars were announced on Sunday, and despite some concern that he might not get selected as a reserve, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James will be taking part in the game. Here are some key takeaways from this year's selections.

LeBron James makes his 22nd consecutive All-Star Game

While James has been an All-Star lock for almost all of his career, there was some serious debate as to whether or not he would get a call this season, mostly because he has played in only 30 of the Lakers' first 47 games.

But his play when healthy, which is still strong, and his big-name appeal were too much to overlook.

He is averaging 21.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game. 

James has now appeared in 22 All-Star games in his career, which is three more than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. James was not an All-Star in his rookie season, but he has made it every year since. 

Here is the complete list of All-Stars for this year's game, which will be a USA vs. The World format.

There will be one team made up of international players and two teams made up of players from the United States. The actual rosters will be announced on Tuesday. 

The game will take place on Feb. 15 at the Intuit Dome, the home of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Jamal Murray, Norman Powell headline first-time All-Stars

While James is making his yearly appearance, five players are making their first appearance in the game.

That list includes Jamal Murray (Denver Nuggets), Norman Powell (Miami Heat), Deni Avdija (Portland Trail Blazers), Chet Holmgren (Oklahoma City Thunder) and Jalen Duren (Detroit Pistons).

Murray is in his ninth season and was the subject of trade rumors going back to the offseason, but has put together the best season of his career. Now he is getting the recognition for it.

Powell, 32, is in his 11th season and is also having a career year offensively for the Heat. 

Joel Embiid among the biggest snubs

All-Star games produce two things: Honors for players who make the game, and outrage on behalf of the players who were snubbed. 

There are several prominent snubs this year, with arguably the biggest being Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid.

Embiid has only played in 26 games this season, but has been outstanding when healthy. The argument on his behalf would be that if James makes it, having played in only 30 games, Embiid could realistically be there with 26 games. But LeBron is a legend of the game and is potentially playing in his final season. Embiid is neither. That is the difference.

Other notable snubs like Brandon Ingram (Toronto Raptors), Dillon Brooks (Phoenix Suns), Kawhi Leonard (Los Angeles Clippers) and James Harden (Los Angeles Clippers). The fact that the game is being played at the Clippers home arena makes the Leonard and Harden omissions even more notable.  

Adam Gretz

Adam Gretz is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. He covers the NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA. Baseball is his favorite sport -- he is nearly halfway through his goal of seeing a game in every MLB ballpark. Catch him on Twitter @AGretz

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