The ballots are in, the triple-vote days are over, and the NBA all star vote count is doing exactly what it always does: making fans furious while providing a very real look at where the league's power actually sits in 2026.
If you haven't been checking the returns every hour, things have changed. A lot.
Forget the days when LeBron James was the de facto king of the voting booths. For the first time in what feels like forever—specifically 21 seasons—the "King" isn't sitting at the top of the mountain. That's not a typo.
The Shocking Reality of the NBA All Star Vote Count
Luka Dončić is currently the person everyone is chasing. Now playing in the bright lights of Los Angeles for the Lakers, Luka has pulled in a massive 2,229,811 votes as of the latest returns. It's a staggering number.
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But the real story isn't just Luka. It's the guys right behind him.
Nikola Jokić is trailing with 1,998,560 votes, and Steph Curry is still doing Steph Curry things with 1,844,903. Then you have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama rounding out a top five that is heavily dominated by international talent.
Seriously, look at that list. It's almost entirely guys born outside the U.S.
This shift is actually the reason the NBA finally pulled the trigger on the new format for the 2026 game at the Intuit Dome. It’s "U.S. vs. The World" now. Basically, the league realized their best players are mostly international, so they might as well lean into the rivalry.
Over in the Eastern Conference, Giannis Antetokounmpo is still the focal point. He’s sitting at 2,092,284 votes. But he's got some serious company this time around. Jalen Brunson is right on his heels with 1,916,497 votes, and Tyrese Maxey isn't far behind with 1,908,978.
The Weird Case of Deni Avdija
If you want to see how wild the fan vote can get, look no further than Portland.
Deni Avdija has been having a career year, averaging over 25 points a game and drawing fouls like he’s Prime James Harden. Because of that—and probably a very dedicated fan base—he’s currently sitting at 1,224,109 votes.
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That puts him 7th in the West.
To put that in perspective, he’s currently ahead of LeBron James.
LeBron has 1,059,855 votes. That’s good for 8th in the West, which is fine, but it’s a far cry from the days when he’d triple the score of anyone else in the league. Sciatica slowed down the start of his 23rd season, and it seems the fans noticed.
How the Math Actually Works (It’s Not Just Fans)
A lot of people think the fan vote is everything. It’s not.
If it were, we might actually see some really strange starters based on whoever has the best social media campaign that week. The NBA uses a weighted system to make sure things stay somewhat "fair," or at least grounded in reality.
The fan vote counts for 50%.
The other 50% is split right down the middle between NBA players and a media panel. Each group gets 25%.
Here is how they actually calculate the "Score":
- They rank players in each of the three groups (Fans, Players, Media).
- They use the formula: (Fan Rank * 2 + Player Rank + Media Rank) / 4.
- The lower the score, the better the chance of starting.
So, if a guy like Austin Reaves (who has 718,799 votes and is 11th in the West fan vote) gets absolutely ignored by the players and the media, he’s not going to start.
The media and players tend to be way harsher. For example, back in the 2024-25 cycle, we saw guys like Damian Lillard win tiebreakers over Jalen Brunson specifically because of how the weighted ranks shook out. It's a math game as much as a basketball game.
The New Format and Why It Matters
This year’s game in Inglewood is a round-robin tournament.
We’re talking three teams. Two U.S. teams and one World team.
Because of this, the nba all star vote count has a specific target: the league needs 16 U.S. players and 8 international players. If the voting doesn't naturally result in those numbers, Adam Silver has the power to step in and pick "commissioner additions" to fill the gaps.
It’s a bit of a safety net.
Who Is Getting Snubbed?
Every year, someone gets the short end of the stick.
Right now, that guy might be Kevin Durant. Despite still being one of the most efficient scorers on the planet, he’s currently 9th in the West with 997,386 votes. He’s just barely under that 1-million-vote threshold.
Then you have the young guys.
Cade Cunningham is having an MVP-caliber season in Detroit, leading them to a 24-8 record. He has 1,752,801 votes, which is great, but he’s still behind Brunson and Maxey. If the media doesn't back him up, he might find himself coming off the bench despite being the best player on one of the best teams in the East.
Even "The Brow," Anthony Davis, is struggling in the fan polls. He’s 14th in the West with only 269,979 votes. That is shockingly low for a guy who anchors the defense for the league's most famous franchise.
Why the 3-for-1 Days Changed Everything
If you wonder why the numbers jump by hundreds of thousands in a single week, it’s the "3-for-1 Days."
The NBA designated specific days—like Christmas and January 14th—where every vote count was tripled. This is where the big surges happen. Fans of teams like the Knicks or the Lakers are notoriously good at mobilizing on these days.
It’s basically a digital pep rally.
What Happens Next?
The fan voting officially closed on January 14th.
We are currently in the "waiting room" phase. The NBA is busy tallying the player and media ballots to finalize those weighted scores.
On Monday, January 19, 2026, the starters will be announced on NBC at 2 p.m. EST.
Once those ten starters are set, the coaches take over. They pick the seven reserves for each conference. Coaches aren't allowed to vote for their own players, which usually leads to a lot of "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" politicking behind the scenes.
If you’re looking to track the final results, keep an eye on the official NBA Communications social channels on Monday.
What You Should Do Now
- Check the Starters Reveal: Tune in on January 19th to see if your favorites made the cut.
- Watch the Reserve Announcements: These usually come out about a week after the starters, likely around January 26th.
- Review the U.S. vs. World Roster Splits: Since the format is new, look for how the league assigns the 16 U.S. players into two separate teams.
- Keep an Eye on Injury Replacements: With guys like Austin Reaves recently sidelined, there will almost certainly be a replacement spot opening up in the West.
The road to the Intuit Dome is almost paved. Whether the fans got it right or the media has to save the day remains the biggest debate in hoops right now.