The fan vote has produced some odd voting results over the past. Zaza Pachulia was almost an NBA All-Star once. Andrew Wiggins was selected as a starter for the festivities in 2022. This time, though, it's not the NBA fans being put under a microscope. It's actually the players themselves.
The voting process for the All-Star starters consists of three main elements: fans, NBA players, and a media panel. The fan vote accounts for 50 percent. Meanwhile, the players and media get 25 percent each. That is how the main five representatives from each conference are determined.
With the starters announced yesterday, there is a major story circulating involving the Los Angeles Lakers. No, the point of focus here is not questioning whether LeBron James is going to lose his All-Star spot for the first time in over two decades. It has to do with his son. Bronny James got some traction from the NBA players.
Tim Reynolds reported, "There are two NBA players voted for Bronny James to start the NBA All-Star Game. Another four voted for Isaac Jones, who has scored five points this season."
A few player votes turned Bronny James into a talking point he never asked for
So, let's discuss Bronny's All-Star credentials. In short, the Lakers guard does not have any.
James has appeared in 24 games for Los Angeles this season. Bronny has averaged 1.5 points, 1.1 assists, 0.4 rebounds, and 0.4 steals in 6.9 minutes per game. The second-year guard has also shot 32.5 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc.
Is a statistical dive really necessary to show Bronny does not qualify as an All-Star? Not at all. That much is painfully obvious to just about any NBA fan. However, there are two players in the league who need convincing otherwise.
— Keenan (@Keenfolk_) January 19, 2026
In all seriousness, the two votes Bronny got from the hoopers are nothing more than those players getting a good laugh in. That is where the focus should be.
For years, the conversations about the NBA All-Star Game have revolved around how little the current generation cares for participating in them. It's an exhibition game that does not have any huge stakes. The players have failed to bring effort, passion, or whatever superlative you care to use, as a result.
They can't even be blamed a ton either. The NBA stars are not going to risk injury in an exhibition game. How much the game has sped up and the extra ground that needs to be covered only creates more risk of a serious ailment.
The players don't take the All-Star Game seriously. They have very little reason to. With all due respect to both Bronny and Jones, the votes from their peers illustrate that point very well.