LeBron James Makes History with 22nd All-Star Selection-And a Record No One Talks About
LeBron James just added another chapter to an already legendary career. In 2026, the Lakers star earned his 22nd NBA All-Star selection-extending a record that may never be touched. Even at 41 years old, James continues to defy time, earning his spot not as a legacy pick, but because he still moves the needle on the court.
Let’s take a moment to let that sink in: 22 All-Star nods. That’s every single season since his rookie year, minus the one he didn’t make it-his first.
Since then, it’s been a straight line to the top, and now he’s in a league of his own when it comes to All-Star appearances. No one else in NBA history has hit that number.
Not Kareem. Not Kobe.
Not MJ. Just LeBron.
But with that kind of longevity, you’re bound to rack up a few losses along the way-and in this year’s All-Star Game, James added another one. Team Stripes came up short in the latest edition of the midseason showcase, marking LeBron’s 11th loss in the event.
That’s the most All-Star Game losses by any player in NBA history. No one else even has double digits in that column.
Now, let’s be honest: this isn’t the kind of stat that’s going to show up in Hall of Fame speeches. The All-Star Game is, and has always been, more about celebration than competition-especially in recent years. Outside of that brief stretch from 2020 to 2022 when players turned up the intensity, the game has mostly been about highlights, handshakes, and honoring greatness.
So if you’re keeping score at home, LeBron’s 11 All-Star losses aren’t exactly a blemish. They’re more of a quirky footnote-one that only exists because he’s been selected so many times.
You can’t lose 11 if you haven’t played in 22. It’s a volume stat, and in this case, it speaks more to his sustained excellence than anything else.
What’s remarkable isn’t the loss-it’s that James is still earning these selections. This isn’t a farewell tour filled with sympathy votes.
This isn’t what we saw in 2019 with Dwyane Wade and Dirk Nowitzki, where both were honored with honorary spots in the game. LeBron is still producing, still competing, and still worthy of being called one of the league’s elite.
Whether this is his final season remains to be seen. The future is still up in the air, and James hasn’t tipped his hand. But if this was his last All-Star appearance, it’s fitting that he walked off the stage not just as a participant, but as the most decorated All-Star in league history-wins, losses, and everything in between.
And if he’s back next year? Well, don’t bet against him.