A Closer Look at the NBA All-Star Starters: Who Fans and Players Are Choosing
2026 NBA All-Star Game Scheduled for February 15 in Inglewood
The 2026 NBA All-Star Game is set to take place on Sunday, February 15, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
This year’s fan voting highlighted Luka Doncic as a standout choice for the All-Star starters. The Los Angeles Lakers guard secured over 3.4 million votes, making this his sixth All-Star appearance. Doncic outpaced Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, who received 3.2 million votes, for the top spot among fan ballots. The ten starters for both the Western and Eastern Conferences were announced on Monday, with full rosters to be revealed later.
In analyzing the voting process, fans’ input represented 50% of the overall decision, while NBA players and media contributed 25% each. Players were ranked within their conferences, and the scores were calculated through a weighted system, allowing the top five in each conference to claim starting positions.
Leading the fan votes, Doncic and Antetokounmpo were closely followed by Nikola Jokic of Denver with 2.99 million votes, Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey with 2.94 million, New York’s Jalen Brunson at 2.85 million, and Golden State’s Steph Curry at 2.81 million. This marks Antetokounmpo’s tenth All-Star appearance, placing him just two behind Curry for the most appearances among this year’s starters.
When it comes to player votes, Detroit’s Cade Cunningham took the lead with 159 votes, surpassing Antetokounmpo by 12 votes. Boston’s Jalen Brown garnered 138 votes, while Brunson and Jokic received 137 and 135 votes, respectively. Cunningham’s successful tally will lead him to his second All-Star game.
In the media voting category, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, last year’s NBA MVP from Oklahoma City, finished with 99 votes, ahead of Brown (98), Cunningham (97), and both Doncic and Jokic (95).
The eagerly awaited All-Star Game on February 15 will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock, alongside a lineup of events over All-Star Weekend, including the Slam Dunk Contest and the Three-Point Contest, marking the first time since 2002 that all events will air on NBC.
