Africa-linked NBA stars feature in 2026 All-Star voting

Five NBA players with ties to Africa are among the leading vote-getters as fan voting continues for the 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend, set to take place from February 13–16 in Los Angeles

In the Western Conference, San Antonio Spurs centre, Victor Wembanyama, who represents France and has family roots in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is currently ranked fifth in fan voting.

He trails Luka Dončić, Nikola Jokić, Stephen Curry, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Dončić and Milwaukee Bucks forward, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has ties to Nigeria, remain the top vote-getters in their respective conferences according to the second fan returns of NBA All-Star Voting 2026, released on Wednesday.

Nikola Jokic suffers knee injury

Antetokounmpo leads the Eastern Conference voting, with several other Africa-linked players also appearing in the top rankings. Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam of Cameroon, the reigning Eastern Conference Finals MVP, is ranked 10th.

New York Knicks forward O.G. Anunoby, who has Nigerian roots, sits at No. 13, while 2023 NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid of Cameroon is currently ranked 17th.

Fan voting for the NBA All-Star Game will conclude on Thursday, January 15, 2026, at 6:59 a.m. Central Africa Time (CAT). The All-Star starters are scheduled to be announced on Monday, January 19.

The 2026 NBA All-Star Game will feature a new format, with two teams composed of U.S. players and one international “World Team” competing in a round-robin tournament. The format will include four 12-minute games.

The All-Star Game will be played on Monday, February 16, at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, the home arena of the Los Angeles Clippers.