Overview
- NBA head coaches named 14 reserves on Sunday, completing the All-Star player pool for Feb. 15 at the Intuit Dome and debuting a U.S. vs. World, three-team round‑robin format of four 12‑minute games.
- LeBron James, 41, was selected as a reserve for a record 22nd All-Star appearance and called the honor "super humbling" while crediting coaches for the vote.
- Six players earned first-time selections, including Jalen Duren, Jalen Johnson, Norman Powell, Deni Avdija, Chet Holmgren and Jamal Murray, according to the league's announcement.
- High-profile omissions fueled pushback, with Kawhi Leonard’s absence drawing the most scrutiny given his 27-plus point average and league-leading steals, and other snubs cited including Joel Embiid, James Harden and Brandon Ingram.
- Reaction ranged from Clippers coach Tyronn Lue calling Leonard the league’s best player over the past six weeks to Gilbert Arenas criticizing the selections on X, while the Lakers landed two All-Stars with Luka Dončić joining James.