The 2025 NBA All-Star starters are set!
The league’s superstars are ready to lead their squads during All-Star Weekend (Feb. 14-Feb. 16) in a new format which includes four teams battling it out in a mini-tournament.
The All-Star reserves will be announced on Jan. 30, and the draft will take place on Feb. 6, with TNT analysts Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith selecting the three eight-man teams from among the 24 players. The fourth team will be the winning team from the Rising Stars championship game.
LeBron James, in his 21st All-Star appearance, reunites with Olympic teammates Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant as West starters. In the East, New York Knicks duo Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns will join nine-time All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Who is the biggest snub from the starters? Which All-Star is primed to take the weekend’s coveted MVP award? Our NBA insiders react to the biggest questions about this year’s NBA All-Star starters.
Agree with the 2025 #NBAAllStar Starters? ⭐
Who would be in your starting five for both conferences? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/Res6i3UJv3
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) January 24, 2025
Which starter selection was the biggest surprise?
Baxter Holmes: This might be the last time we’ll see three starters in one conference who are all over the age of 35, which is a true testament to Curry, James and Durant. Regardless of age, they’re redefining what’s possible late in a player’s career. And while Victor Wembanyama will likely become an All-Star for many years to come, his numbers this season — 24.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, a league-high 4 blocks and 3.8 assists — are certainly good enough for a starting nod. One could make a case that either Curry or James received their spots in part because of their Hall of Fame legacy, and that they’re being graded on a curve because of their teams’ uneven performances this season (with the Golden State Warriors plummeting of late). The same could be said of Durant, whose Phoenix Suns sit at 22-21. Wembanyama’s time will come, but he was certainly deserving this year, too.
Kevin Pelton: I’m surprised Durant made it despite slipping to third in fan voting. I expected the media and player vote to favor Wembanyama and allow him to claim the third starting spot in the West. Durant has certainly played at an All-Star level this season, but the passing of the torch in the West frontcourt will apparently take another year.
Michael C. Wright: After Durant missed 10 games earlier this season, everything appeared to be trending toward Wembanyama cracking the starting group in his first All-Star appearance. Nobody questions Durant’s talent, and his numbers compare favorably to his Western Conference counterparts in the frontcourt. But as for Durant’s team, Phoenix currently sits 10th in the West even after winning seven of their last 10. Of the starters in the frontcourt, Durant has also played the fewest games (33).
Jamal Collier: Neither Brunson nor Towns were necessarily undeserving, but it still is surprising to see New York with multiple All-Stars for the second consecutive season — and the only team with two starters this year — (Towns replacing Julius Randle this time), especially over other teams that have been more dominant this season.
Who got snubbed?
Wright: Brunson and Donovan Mitchell deserve to be starters on the East team, but it’s somewhat shocking that LaMelo Ball took first in the fan vote (and third among players) ahead of Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham, who deserved consideration for one of the starting spots. Leading a Pistons squad in the thick of the postseason hunt, Cunningham’s scoring average (24.6) is lower than Brunson’s but he has more assists (9.4) and rebounds (6.5). Ball has better numbers than Cunningham and Brunson, but hasn’t been nearly as impactful on winning.
Pelton: Wembanyama is the best player who won’t be starting. He got one of my votes in the West frontcourt, and frankly that wasn’t a difficult decision. Wembanyama is the favorite for Defensive Player of the Year and an emerging force at the other end of the court, as he showed earlier Thursday with 30 points and six assists in a blowout win of the Indiana Pacers in his native France.
Collier: Could Wembanyama have been tabbed a starter? I’m not sure the answer is 100% yes and his day will come, but his first half has been so electric that it’s worth considering whether he should have filled out the frontcourt over the two veterans in the forward spot. Still, Wembanyama likely having a spot as a reserve and watching how the rest of his peers react to him on the court makes the game worth checking out alone.
Holmes: Ball ranks fourth in the NBA in scoring (29 points per game) and averages more rebounds (5.4) and assists (7.5) than both Eastern Conference All-Star starting guards Mitchell and Brunson. He received the most fan votes among guards in the Eastern Conference and earned the third most among players, but finished seventh in the media vote — a disconnect that’s likely attributable to his team’s poor record (11-29). Still, the numbers scream “snub” for Ball. I’m not sure what the solution is, though. Both Mitchell and Brunson have been fantastic — with numbers that back up their play — for teams that figure to make deep playoff runs in the East. It just goes to show how much team success can factor into the equation.
What reserve battle are you watching closest for next week?
Wright: Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins should be putting in some calls to his coaching buddies to campaign for his players with the team sitting at No. 3 in the West. Ja Morant hasn’t played enough to warrant serious consideration, but Jaren Jackson Jr. has been Memphis’ most available star this season, playing in 42 games while averaging a career-high 22.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.6 blocks. We’ve become accustomed to Jackson’s contributions as a defender. But he’s become one of the Grizzlies’ most reliable scorers, and one of the most improved among frontcourt players in the league.
Holmes: I’m watching how the surging Sacramento Kings are represented. Center Domantas Sabonis, who was arguably snubbed the previous two seasons, is again leading the league in rebounds (a career-best 14.3 per game). Guard De’Aaron Fox is 12th in the league in scoring at 25.7 points. The West is deep, as always, but the Kings are 9-1 in their last 10 games. I’m curious if that hot streak is rewarded.
Pelton: Whether the coaches pick Ball. For the most part, who starts the All-Star Game is academic. In Ball’s case, it represented his easiest path toward a second appearance. Coaches tend to overemphasize team performance, making a player on the 13th-place team in the East a tough sell. I’m curious whether Ball’s gaudy individual stats will overcome that anchor.
Collier: It’s a crowded field among East reserve guards who are deserving of All-Star consideration. Behind Mitchell and Brunson, the field now includes: Ball, Cunningham, Damian Lillard, Darius Garland, Trae Young, Tyrese Haliburton, Tyrese Maxey and Tyler Herro. It’ll be interesting to see who makes the cut.
Which superstar pairing would be the most exciting to watch?
Holmes: Nikola Jokic and James. These two are among the highest-IQ players to ever play the game. Their ability to scan the court, know where everyone is and exactly what to do next is remarkable. And in a fun setting like this, with so much talent on the floor, they can really have fun with no-look passes and setting up teammates for eye-catching plays.
Pelton: Knicks fans surely aren’t spending much time on “what-if” scenarios with how well Brunson and Towns are playing, but either player with Mitchell represents a path not taken when he was traded to Cleveland instead of New York back in 2022.
Wright: Normally, you’d take a couple of NBA veterans. But they’ve been there and done that for too many All-Star Games. So, let’s look at some of the younger players that will take this game more seriously. Wembanyama will likely form one half of a dynamic duo alongside three-time league MVP Jokic, who possesses the creativity and passing ability to set up the Spurs big man nicely.
Collier: LeBron and Steph. We got a taste during the Olympics with this generational duo playing on the same team and it was glorious. I would 100% watch that again. James leads the NBA in most All-Star appearances (21) and is now the first player at age 40 or older to start an All-Star Game. Curry, now claiming his 11th All-Star appearance, will look to reclaim his MVP status from the 2022 weekend.
Way-too-early pick for ASG MVP?
Collier: Anthony Edwards, assuming he is selected as a reserve. He didn’t make it as a starter and his team has been middling toward the play-in tournament in the West, so this could be his chance to ball out this season in front of a national stage. Edwards is shooting more frequently and is averaging a career-high 42.6% from 3, which could set him up nicely for success in an All-Star setting.
Holmes: Curry. The game is in his backyard, and who knows how many more opportunities he’ll have to put on a show in such a setting. I’m expecting a big game out of him especially because it seems likely that his Warriors aren’t going anywhere this season.
Pelton: Wembanyama might make the All-Star Game his first signature NBA moment. After impressing in last year’s Rising Stars game, Wembanyama, in Year Two, looks primed to make a big splash in his first full All-Star Weekend. Teaming up with tenured All-Stars like James, Curry and Jokic might be the catalyst to a very fruitful future as an All-Star staple.
Wright: As mentioned earlier, Wembanyama will take this game more seriously than many of his counterparts. You could see last year during the Skills Challenge that Wembanyama was there to compete and wasn’t happy with Edwards shooting left-handed during portions of that competition. “They wanted to have fun,” Wembanyama said afterward. “Fun is winning.”