NBA Unveils Starters for First-Ever U.S. vs. World All-Star Format, LeBron’s All-Star Streak Now in Question

The NBA’s first-ever “World” team for the All-Star Game is already stacked—and for the first time in more than two decades, LeBron James’ All-Star fate is no longer automatic.

The league announced its All-Star starters on Monday ahead of next month’s showcase at the Los Angeles Clippers’ new arena in Inglewood, California. Among those selected were Boston’s Jaylen Brown, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Denver’s Nikola Jokic, the Lakers’ Luka Dončić, and San Antonio phenom Victor Wembanyama. With the NBA debuting a U.S. vs. World format this season, those international stars are expected to anchor the World team.

The NBA named 10 starters total—five from each conference—though the term “starter” is more fluid than ever this year. Golden State’s Stephen Curry, New York’s Jalen Brunson, Detroit’s Cade Cunningham, Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey, and Boston’s Jaylen Brown are all presumed to land on the U.S. side for the three-team, round-robin tournament set for Feb. 15.

The new format features three teams playing 12-minute mini-games. Team A plays Team B, the winner advances to face Team C, and the loser of Game 1 also plays Team C. The two teams with the best records move on to a 12-minute championship game, with point differential serving as the tiebreaker if all three teams finish 1–1.

“It’s still as special as the first one was,” Gilgeous-Alexander said of his All-Star selection. “I grew up watching All-Star games, dreaming about playing in them. To be on that stage with the players I looked up to—it’s a blessing and an honor.”

Starters were chosen through the league’s weighted voting system: 50% fan vote, 25% from a panel of broadcasters and reporters, and 25% from NBA players. Dončić led all players with roughly 3.4 million fan votes, followed closely by Antetokounmpo at about 3.2 million. Wembanyama and Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards tied for the final Western Conference starter spot, with Wembanyama earning the nod due to stronger fan support.

The U.S. vs. World concept has been discussed for years before finally becoming reality this season, as the NBA continues searching for ways to reinvigorate All-Star Weekend. The timing is notable, coinciding with the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, with NBC set to broadcast both Olympic and NBA All-Star events.

While 10 starters have been announced, the math gets complicated. Each team will have at least eight players, meaning a minimum of 15 players will technically “start” a game during the tournament. As a result, several players not named starters on Monday are guaranteed to start on Feb. 15 once rosters are finalized.

That wrinkle looms large for LeBron James.

For the first time in 22 seasons, James was not selected as an All-Star starter. His streak of 20 consecutive All-Star Game appearances ended last year when he opted out of the mini-tournament format due to foot and ankle issues, though his streak of All-Star selections remains intact—for now.

James could still make the team as a reserve, with 14 spots to be filled by a vote of NBA head coaches. He could also be named as an injury replacement, a decision made by Commissioner Adam Silver if needed.

Now in his record-setting 23rd season, James has already seen another historic streak end. His run of 1,297 consecutive regular-season games with at least 10 points snapped in December. He has missed 17 games this season, putting his eligibility for postseason honors such as All-NBA in question unless he appears consistently the rest of the way.

Whether through a coaches’ vote or a commissioner’s call, James’ All-Star future is no longer guaranteed—adding another layer of intrigue to a radically reimagined NBA All-Star Game.