You think you know who the best five players in the world are? Think again. The NBA All First Team used to be simple—you pick the best center, two forwards, and two guards. Boom. Done. But the league went and changed the rules, making it "positionless" a couple of years ago, and honestly, it’s turned the whole selection process into a chaotic math problem that keeps GMs up at night.
It isn't just about who has the sickest highlight reel on TikTok anymore.
🔗 Read more: Finding the Best Cool Wallpapers of Ronaldo for Your Phone and Desktop
Since we’re sitting here in early 2026, the 65-game rule is basically the Grim Reaper of awards season. If you don't hit 20 minutes in at least 65 games, you're invisible to the voters. You could average 50 points and 20 rebounds, but if you play 64 games? You get nothing. It’s brutal.
The Chaos of Being Positionless
For decades, the NBA All First Team was a structured hierarchy. You had Kareem or Shaq at the five, Bird or LeBron at forward, and Jordan or Kobe at guard. Now? Voters are basically told, "Just pick the five best guys." In theory, you could have five centers. Or five point guards.
But voters are human. They still try to make it look like a real team.
The shift to positionless voting was supposed to stop the "Embiid vs. Jokic" problem where one of the two best players in the league was relegated to the Second Team just because they both played center. Now, they can both be there. But this has created a massive ripple effect. If you’re a high-end wing player who used to coast into a First Team spot because the forward pool was shallow, you’re now competing with everyone.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander doesn't have to worry about being a "guard." He just has to be better than everyone else. And lately, he is.
The 65-Game Rule: The Silent Career Killer
We have to talk about the 65-game minimum. It’s the elephant in the room. This rule was designed to stop "load management," which is just a fancy way of saying stars were sitting out too many games.
Right now, as we look at the 2025-26 landscape, half of the guys who made the NBA All First Team last year are sweating. Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury? That’s a wrap for his eligibility. Giannis? He’s been hovering right on the edge of that 65-game mark for weeks.
✨ Don't miss: Why the Texas High School Coaches Association is the Real Power Behind Friday Night Lights
One rolled ankle in March could cost a player millions of dollars.
That’s the part people forget. These selections aren't just for bragging rights; they are tied to "supermax" contract eligibility. If a guy like Cade Cunningham—who has been absolutely torching the league for the Detroit Pistons lately—makes the First Team, his career earnings potential skydives into another dimension.
Missing out because you played 64 games isn't just a bummer. It's a financial catastrophe.
Who Actually Makes the Cut in 2026?
Let’s look at the locks.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is essentially the president of this club right now. He’s leading a Thunder team that’s winning 60+ games, and his efficiency is borderline offensive. He’s a lock. Period.
✨ Don't miss: The Road Out of Hell: Why This Brutal Marathon Is the Ultimate Test of Human Grit
Then you have Nikola Jokic. Even with some mid-season knee issues, the Joker is still the sun that the Denver Nuggets orbit around. He’s averaging numbers that don’t even look real—triple-doubles are basically a Tuesday for him. As long as he stays above that 65-game threshold, his spot is carved in granite.
But then things get weird.
- Luka Doncic: He’s back in the hunt after some eligibility scares last season. He’s currently on pace to join the 35-point-per-game club, a list so exclusive you usually need a Hall of Fame ring just to see the door.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo: Still a physical marvel, but his availability is the big "if." When he plays, he’s a First Team shoo-in. If the calf issues linger? The door swings wide open.
- Cade Cunningham: This is the one nobody saw coming two years ago. He’s turned the Pistons into a legit threat. He’s the most balanced guard/wing hybrid we’ve seen in a minute, and with the "winning" bias of voters, his Case is getting stronger by the day.
The Disrespect to the Veterans
You’ve noticed someone is missing, right? LeBron James.
Look, LeBron’s streak of 21 consecutive All-NBA selections is the most absurd stat in professional sports. But at 41, the 65-game rule is his greatest enemy. He’s still playing at an elite level—better than most guys half his age—but he’s used up almost all his "buffer" games.
If he misses one more back-to-back, the streak is dead.
It feels wrong to imagine an NBA All First Team or even a Third Team without him, but that’s the reality of the new CBA. The league wants stars on the court. If you aren't there, you don't exist in the history books for that season. It’s a harsh "what have you done for me lately" culture, but it’s making the regular season actually matter again.
Why Winning Matters (More Than You Think)
Voters love a winner. They always have.
Take Donovan Mitchell. Last season, some people were shocked he made the First Team over Anthony Edwards. Why? Because the Cavs won 64 games. Mitchell was the engine. Even if Ant-Man had slightly better "per-game" stats, the win column acts like a massive thumb on the scale.
If you’re the best player on a 60-win team, you’re almost guaranteed a spot.
If you’re the best player on a 40-win team? You better be averaging 35/10/10 like prime Russell Westbrook, or you’re headed for the Second Team. The "positionless" era has actually made this bias worse. Since voters don't have to worry about filling a roster, they just look at the standings and pick the alphas of the top seeds.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Bettors
If you’re trying to predict the final ballot or just want to win a bar argument, keep these three things in mind:
- Track the Games Played: Use a tracker. Any player with 15+ missed games by February is in the "danger zone."
- The "Winning" Tiebreaker: If two players have similar stats, always go with the one whose team is top-3 in their conference. Voters are lazy; they look at the standings first.
- The Narrative Shift: Keep an eye on the "Leap" players. Voters love rewarding a new star like Jalen Johnson or Alperen Sengun if they’ve dragged a bad team into the playoffs.
The NBA All First Team is no longer just a list of the five best players. It’s a list of the five best available players who win games and play through the pain. The era of the 50-game superstar is officially over.
To stay ahead of the curve, start watching the injury reports more closely than the box scores. In today's NBA, availability isn't just the "best ability"—it's the only one that gets you on the First Team.