The NBA landscape officially looks different today. For the first time since 2004—the year his teammate and son, Bronny James, was born—LeBron James will not be an NBA All-Star starter. The league announced the 10 starters for the 2026 All-Star Game on Monday, revealing a roster that reflects a massive shift toward a new generation of talent.

James had started a record-shattering 21 consecutive All-Star games heading into this season. However, a right sciatica injury sidelined him for 14 games early in the year, hampering his voting numbers across all three categories. While he remains a force for the Los Angeles Lakers, averaging 22.6 points and 6.9 assists, the weighted voting system—50% fan vote, 25% player vote, and 25% media panel—favored younger stars who have dominated the 2025-26 narrative.

The Western Conference starters feature a blend of established icons and surging youth:

• Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets
• Luka Dončić, Los Angeles Lakers
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
• Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
• Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

The final spot in the West came down to a literal photo finish. Victor Wembanyama and Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards finished with identical weighted scores of 5.75. In the event of a tie, the league defaults to the fan vote, where Wembanyama’s 1,965,462 votes edged out Edwards by a mere 4,505-vote margin. While Edwards is averaging 29.6 points per game, the defensive impact and global popularity of the 22-year-old Wembanyama ultimately tipped the scales.

In the Eastern Conference, the starting five highlights the league's incredible depth at the guard position:

• Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
• Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
• Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
• Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
• Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics

Jaylen Brown enters the starting lineup for the first time in his career, thriving in a season where he has taken over the reins in Boston following Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury. Averaging a career-high 29.7 points, Brown has transformed from a secondary star into a legitimate MVP candidate. Meanwhile, Cade Cunningham has earned his first starting nod after leading a dramatic Detroit Pistons resurgence, and Tyrese Maxey continues his ascent as the new face of the Philadelphia 76ers.

The 2026 game, hosted at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, on Feb. 15, will feature a radical "USA vs. World" round-robin tournament. The 24 All-Stars will be divided into three teams of eight: two U.S. teams and one "World" team. They will play 12-minute mini-games, with the top two teams advancing to a championship round.

While James is expected to be selected as a reserve by NBA coaches later this week—which would extend his record to 22 consecutive All-Star selections—the end of his starting streak marks the closing of a chapter that defined the league for over two decades.