Kawhi Leonard was snubbed.
He deserved to be an All-Star — he has played like a top-10 player in the league this season, averaging a career-high 27.6 points per game, along with 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and a league-leading 2.1 steals per game. He’s missed fewer games this season than other All-Stars such as Nikola Jokic or Victor Wembanyama. The coaches screwed up by not voting him an All-Star reserve.
Adam Silver corrected that, naming Leonard to the All-Star Game in an announcement on Tuesday.
LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard has been named by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver as an addition to the U.S. player pool for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game (Sunday, 2/15 on NBC & Peacock). pic.twitter.com/XRajGpreOQ
— NBA (@NBA) February 3, 2026
The reason was that 16 USA players were needed for this year’s USA vs. World format (more on that below), and there were just 15. It’s also a nice touch that the Clippers now have an All-Star for the game to be played on Feb. 15 in their home building, the Intuit Dome.
Here is how the All-Star Game players shake out in the USA vs. World format:
USA players: Stephen Curry (Warriors), Jalen Brunson (Knicks), Tyrese Maxey (76ers), Jaylen Brown (Celtics), Cade Cunningham (Pistons), Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers), Jalen Johnson (Hawks), Norman Powell (Heat), Scottie Barnes (Raptors), Jalen Duren (Pistons), Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves), Chet Holmgren (Thunder), Kevin Durant (Rockets), Devin Booker (Suns), LeBron James (Lakers). Leonard has now been added to this group.
World players: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks, but he will miss the game with a calf strain), Luka Doncic (Lakers), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder), Nikola Jokic (Nuggets), Victor Wembanyama (Spurs), Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks), Pascal Siakam (Pacers), Jamal Murray (Nuggets), Deni Avdija (Trail Blazers).
Leonard was asked about his All-Star snub after the Clippers ugly loss Monday night to the 76ers, and he was gracious. He said he always wants to be named and is honored because it’s a recognition of all the work he put in to reach this level, but that all the players who were named also were great players who put in the work, so he had no hard feelings.
Now he can just join them.
All-Star Game format
This year, the NBA All-Star Game returns to NBC and debuts on Peacock — and it falls right in the middle of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. That was a perfect setup for the first-of-its-kind All-Star Game format, a USA vs. World showdown that fans and players have been asking for.
The 24 All-Star playerswill be divided into three teams, two USA teams and one world team. Those three teams will compete in a round-robin tournament of four 12-minute games. Each of the three teams will have a minimum of eight players (if the USA or World teams are short on players, the league office will select one or more players to reach the required number).
At the end of the round-robin, the two top teams will play a championship game (the fourth 12-minute game of the day) for the title.
The 75th NBA All-Star Game will take place on Sunday, Feb. 15, at 5 p.m. Eastern, an earlier time than in previous years, leading into more coverage of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
How to watch NBA on NBC andPeacock:
Every moment of All-Star Weekend — the Rising Stars challenge on Friday. (Feb. 13), All-Star Saturday Night with the 3-Point Contest and Dunk Contest (Feb. 14), as well as the All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 15 — will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock.
The 75th NBA All-Star Game will take place on Sunday, Feb. 15, at 5 p.m. Eastern, a time earlier than in previous years, leading into more coverage of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones.
Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.
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