LeBron James just made NBA history again with his record-extending 22nd straight All-Star selection in the NBA, a milestone that crowns his longevity and elite play at age 41, even after an injury caused doubts about his status this season. According to the New York Post, James was named to the 2026 NBA All-Star Game as a reserve by the league’s head coaches, keeping alive a streak that has spanned more than 20 years.
The Los Angeles Lakers superstar has averaged 21.9 points, 6.6 assists, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.1 steals through the current season, demonstrating he still contributes at a high level. That production helped him secure his place on the All-Star roster despite missing the first 14 games because of sciatica.
This selection not only extends James’ own record but also increases the gap between him and NBA legends like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, whose 19 All-Star appearances remain second all-time. For a player already regarded among the greatest in league history, the 22nd nod adds another chapter to an unparalleled career. LeBron also broke another big record involving Abdul-Jabbar.
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Coaches Keep James In The All-Star Fold
James’ All-Star resume was never in serious jeopardy once NBA head coaches cast their ballots. Since coaches are prohibited from voting for players on their own teams, they ended up selecting eight reserves from each conference, including James for the West. LeBron also sounded off recently on how NBA games have changed.
The 75th NBA All-Star Game, scheduled for February 15 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, will feature a brand-new three-team format: two U.S. squads and one World team, each with eight players, according to a report by PhilStar. This novel setup replaces the traditional East vs. West matchup and introduces a round-robin tournament of short games designed to spice up midseason festivities.
Rather than being voted a starter by fans, James joined a reserve group that includes stars like Anthony Edwards, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Jamal Murray, and Chet Holmgren for the Western contingent. Eastern Conference reserves feature the likes of Donovan Mitchell, Pascal Siakam, and Scottie Barnes. Starters for the All-Star Game, announced earlier, include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Dončić, and Nikola Jokić, among others.
This season has been unlike many in James’ career. He missed a huge stretch due to sciatica, which delayed his start and contributed to the end of his famous 1,297-game streak scoring at least 10 points.
James himself brushed off doubts, focusing instead on returning to high-level play once healthy. “I just wanted to get back to playing the game at a high level,” he said, explaining that making the All-Star Game wasn’t an initial personal goal this season.
He called the achievement “super humbling,” and also added, “Mad respect to the coaches and them seeing how I’m still playing at this latter stage of my career and to be able to be an All-Star, that means a lot to my family, my people that’s been following my career, my LeBron faithful, that’s been following my journey.“
Published: Feb 2, 2026 12:18 pm