Brandon Ingram Named All-Star Replacement for Stephen Curry in 2026 NBA All-Star Game
Brandon Ingram is heading back to the All-Star Game - and this time, he’s doing it as the face of a surging Raptors squad.
The Toronto forward has been named to the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, replacing Stephen Curry, who will sit out due to runner’s knee. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made the selection, plugging Ingram into the USA Stripes roster for Sunday’s showcase at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.
It’s Ingram’s second All-Star nod, and it comes six years after his first appearance in 2020, when he was with the Pelicans and fresh off a breakout season that earned him Most Improved Player honors. Now, he’s back on the big stage - and this time, he’s doing it north of the border, leading a Raptors team that’s sitting fifth in the East.
Ingram’s Case: Consistency, Scoring, and Leadership
Ingram’s All-Star credentials this season are hard to ignore. He’s averaging 22 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game, while logging 33 games with 20-plus points. That’s not just steady production - it’s the kind of offensive leadership that’s helped anchor Toronto’s climb up the standings.
He didn’t crack the top tier of fan or player voting - finishing 10th among Eastern Conference fans and eighth among players - but with Curry sidelined, Ingram’s body of work made him the logical next man up. Among players who received more fan votes but didn’t make the cut, only Brooklyn’s Michael Porter Jr. (dealing with a knee issue) and James Harden (recently traded to Cleveland) were left out.
Now, Ingram gets his shot to shine in a revamped All-Star format that’s turning heads.
A New Look All-Star Weekend
This year’s All-Star Game is breaking from tradition with a brand-new format that brings a global flavor to the festivities. Instead of the usual East vs.
West or Team LeBron vs. Team Durant-style setup, the NBA is rolling out a three-team, round-robin tournament: USA Stripes, USA Stars, and a World Team.
Each of the 24 All-Stars will suit up for one of the three squads, with four 12-minute games on the schedule. Every team plays at least twice, and the top two teams - based on win-loss record and point differential - will meet in a final 12-minute championship game to decide the winner.
It’s a fresh twist that blends competition with entertainment, and it’s a nod to the international flavor of today’s NBA. With the league’s global reach growing every year, a USA vs.
World showdown has been a longtime wish of fans and players alike. Now, it’s finally here.
All-Star Weekend on NBC and Peacock
The 75th NBA All-Star Game tips off Sunday, Feb. 15, at 5 p.m. ET - an earlier start than usual, designed to lead into coverage of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. And for the first time in years, All-Star Weekend is back on NBC, with full coverage also streaming live on Peacock.
That means wall-to-wall action all weekend long: the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday (Feb. 13), All-Star Saturday Night featuring the 3-Point and Dunk Contests (Feb. 14), and the main event on Sunday.
NBC and Peacock are also rolling out a full slate of regular-season NBA coverage - from Peacock NBA Monday tripleheaders to Coast 2 Coast Tuesday doubleheaders and Sunday Night Basketball launching this month. It’s a full-court press of hoops coverage, and All-Star Weekend is just the beginning.
But right now, the spotlight belongs to Brandon Ingram. He’s earned his way back to the All-Star stage - and with the Raptors making noise in the East, this could be just the start of a big second half for one of the league’s most quietly consistent stars.