Nikola Jokic gave the rest of the NBA three weeks to catch up to him. He’s still having a top-five season in the Western Conference, according to the league’s fans, players and media.
As he recovers from a bone bruise in his left knee, Jokic was named an All-Star for the eighth consecutive year on Monday afternoon, extending the third-longest active streak of All-Star appearances behind Giannis Antetokounmpo (10) and LeBron James (21), whose historic run might end this year. The league revealed voting results Monday for 10 “starters,” a recognition that’s meant to be more decorative than practical this season as a new format is introduced.
Jokic, who turns 31 four days after the festivities in Los Angeles, will compete for the “world team” in a round-robin tournament of 12-minute games Feb. 15 at Intuit Dome, if he’s healthy enough to play. When asked in December about the NBA’s latest creative attempt to make the event more competitive, Jokic was not optimistic. “Maybe itap gonna be bad like every other year,” he said.
The starters were decided by a combination of fan, player and media voting. Head coaches will select the other 14 players, who will be unveiled Feb. 1. Nuggets guard Jamal Murray is still waiting to find out if he’ll become Jokic’s first teammate to join him at an All-Star weekend.
Jokic is matching a career-high with 29.6 points per game while leading the league in rebounds (12.2), assists (11) and true shooting percentage (71.3%). He’s shooting 60.5% from the field and 43.5% from the 3-point line, also a career-high.
Already the third player and first center in NBA history to average a triple-double, he’s on pace to replicate the feat this season. When he limped off the court Dec. 29 with the knee injury that has sidelined him for 11 games, he was five rebounds and two assists away from tying Oscar Robertson for second all-time in career triple-doubles at 181. He has 16 this season in 32 games.
All-Star recognition doesn’t require a hard minimum on games played — it’s voter’s discretion — but Jokic’s streak of seven consecutive All-NBA teams and five straight top-two MVP finishes is in jeopardy due to his injury. Players have to meet a 65-game minimum to qualify for end-of-year awards, meaning Jokic can only miss six more games before he’s ineligible. The Nuggets have won seven of their first 11 games without him.
Here’s the full list of starters, which was announced on NBC before a slate of games Monday.
NBA All-Star 2026: West starters
- Nikola Jokic (C), Denver Nuggets
- Luka Doncic (G), Los Angeles Lakers
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (G), Oklahoma City Thunder
- Steph Curry (G), Golden State Warriors
- Victor Wembanyama (C), San Antonio Spurs
NBA All-Star 2026: East starters
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (F), Milwaukee Bucks
- Jalen Brunson (G), New York Knicks
- Cade Cunningham (G), Detroit Pistons
- Tyrese Maxey (G), Philadelphia 76ers
- Jaylen Brown (F), Boston Celtics
