In what has become somewhat of an annual tradition, we are here to discuss The Biggest Snub of the NBA’s All-Star Game.
Each week during the 2025-26 NBA season, we will take a deeper dive into some of the league’s biggest storylines in an attempt to determine whether trends are based more in fact or fiction moving forward.
Last week: The Lakers can build a champion around Luka Dončić’s defense
Fact or Fiction: LeBron James belongs in the All-Star Game
In what has become somewhatof an annualtradition, we are here to discuss The Biggest Snub of the NBA’s All-Star Game. Past winners include Jamal Murray, who finally received his call for the first time this season, as the league announced its 14 reserves on Sunday.
The rosters in alphabetical order (starters in bold) …
EASTERN CONFERENCE:Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks; Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors; Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics; Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks; Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons; Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons; Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks; Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers; Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers; Norman Powell, Miami Heat; Pascal Siakam, Indiana Pacers; Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE: Deni Avdija, Portland Trail Blazers; Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns; Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors; Luka Dončić, Los Angeles Lakers; Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets; Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder; Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder; LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers; Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets; Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets; Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs.
As always, Rule No. 1 about picking The Biggest Snub: We have to remove someone.
There are only 24 spots — at least until NBA commissioner Adam Silver selects a replacement for the injured Antetokounmpo and balances the U.S. and World rosters (do not even get me started) — so if we add someone, we have to remove another player.
One name sticks out to me on this list, and it might cause a bit of a stir: LeBron James.
James is one of the few greatest players in the history of the game. He is unquestionably the greatest 41-year-old ever to play basketball. Maybe he deserves the spot just for that.
In fact, Silver once rewarded Dwyane Wade and Dirk Nowitzki with All-Star appearances in the final years of their careers, and I figured they would do the same for James this year. Not that I agreed with that, either. And maybe I am just a hater, but to me: You should want to earn your spot on the roster. Not have it given to you. (We’ll have more on that later.)
But no: James made it on his own. Or, at least, he did according to the league’s coaches, whose votes selected seven reserves from each conference on the debut of Sunday Night Basketball on NBC. A blend of fan, player and media votes decided the 10 starters.
Listen, I would get it if the fans voted for James. (He finished eighth in fan voting.)
I would get it if the players voted for James. (He finished eighth in player voting.)
The man is a living legend.
But this was up to the coaches, and to them it should have been about who earned it on the basketball court, right? I could only imagine that James would want it that way, too.
You always want to earn your spot.
And in no world has James been a better player this season than Kawhi Leonard. One of them is averaging a 22-6-7 on 50/33/75 shooting splits over 30 games. The other is posting a nightly 28-6-4 on 50/40/94 shooting splits over 34 games. I will give you one guess which.
It is Leonard who has the superior numbers. Not only is he on pace to join the 50-40-90 club, the 34-year-old is leading the NBA in free-throw percentage and steals per game (2.1).
James, meanwhile, is statistically one of the slowest and weakest defenders in the league.
Maybe you think Leonard does not deserve the spot because of the Aspiration scandal. Last time I checked the league had not made a ruling on whether or not Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, as alleged, circumvented the salary cap to sign Leonard. Even if the league had made that ruling, it is the Clippers who should be punished, not necessarily Leonard. (If Aspiration wants to pay me $50 million for a no-show job, I am not entirely against it.)
Or maybe you think Leonard does not deserve his spot in the All-Star Game because his Los Angeles Clippers are 22-25, 10th place in the West, clinging to the conference’s final play-in tournament berth. Never mind the fact that they are 16-4 in their last 20 games and own the same net rating (-0.2) on the season as James’ sixth-place Los Angeles Lakers.
Leonard is The Biggest Snub. No question about it. He may be among the biggest All-Star snubs in NBA history, according to Player Efficiency Rating (27.2). He is among the league’s leaders in every major advanced statistical category, including Estimated Plus-Minus.
Even if I were to grant you that Leonard should be disqualified for the Aspiration stuff, or the Clippers’ record, there is at least one other player, if not several, who deserves the spot over James. One immediately springs to mind: The Houston Rockets’ Alperen Şengün.
Şengün is averaging a 21-9-6 on 50/30/68 shooting splits — comparable numbers to James, only he is doing it for an actual contender (who happens to be missing its starting point guard, Fred VanVleet, and a starting/reserve center, Steven Adams). When Şengün is on the floor, the Rockets outscore opponents by 5.5 points per 100 meaningful possessions, according to Cleaning the Glass, operating like a top-3 offense and a middling defense.
When Leonard is on the floor, the Clippers are outscoring opponents by 3.9 points per 100 non-garbage possessions, likewise operating like a top-4 offense and a middling defense.
Conversely, when James is on the floor, the Lakers have been outscored by 1.5 points per 100 meaningful possessions, operating like a top-10 offense and a bottom-5 defense.
Point is …
Determination: Fiction. LeBron James does not belong in the All-Star Game. Not as a coaches’ pick. Maybe as a commissioner’s pick. Even then, he no-showed last year’s game. Make that his honorary appearance if we must give out participation All-Star nominations.
Category: General Sports
