NBA All Star: which active players have the most ASG appearances?
When it comes to the NBA All-Star game, many players never get to enjoy the honor of selection. Then there are some who are always there.
To be selected to the NBA All-Star team is massive honor, as its official acknowledgement of a player being a cut above the rest. To be selected several times, however, is something else entirely. Here we take a look at the top 10 active players who have the most All-Star appearances to date:
#10 - Anthony Davis - 7 Appearances
Anthony Davis has been in the NBA since the 2012-13 NBA season and has made the All-Star team seven times in eight seasons. AD was the first pick of the 2012 NBA Draft and he was expected to make an impact in the NBA. He only missed the All-Star game in his rookie season, but has been a regular name in the prestigious game ever since and won the ASG MVP in 2017. Davis also earned four All-NBA selections and is an established superstar in the game.
#9 LaMarcus Aldridge - 7 Appearances
'LA' has he's known to his peers has become a staple in the All-Star game in recent years. In his first 14 NBA seasons, LaMarcus Aldridge earned seven ASG selections. Aldridge is somewhat of a veteran of the league now, having first entered back in 2006 with the Portland Trail Blazers. While it would take him a little while to find his feet, once selected for his first ASG in 2012, there was no looking back. LA would go on to be selected six times in the following seven years.
#8 - Steph Curry - 8 Appearances
Once again Stephen Curry will be an NBA All-Star starter for the Western Conference. In his previous 12 NBA seasons, Curry made the All-Star team seven times. Though one might find that number to be low for a former league MVP, the reality is that Curry really only came into his own after the first three years of his NBA career. Now in his 8th NBA All-Star game, it will be interesting to see how he turns out having recently been on the end of criticism for allegedly having a slow start to the campaign.
#7 Dwight Howard - 8 Appearances
With the kind of resume that Dwight Howard has, it's no wonder that he's become a sure bet when it comes to All-Star selection. With three NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards and eight All-NBA selections, Howard has started six times. Entertaining as always, the big man even won the Dunk Contest back in 2008.
#6 James Harden - 8 Appearances
With eight All-Star appearances under his belt James Harden is without doubt one of the league's biggest stars. The 2017-18 MVP winner is now with the Nets, however, his skill set is still as potent as ever. His time with the Houston Rockets between 2012 and 2020 garnered him with six All-Star selections before his trade to Brooklyn.
#5 Russell Westbrook - 9 Appearances
Another former league MVP, Russell Westbrook has actually taken that same intensity into a game that is normally for the fans. With two All-Star game MVP awards to boot - consecutively awarded in 2015 and 2016 - the Lakers' new addition has appeared in the ASG nine times. He has been a starter on two of those occasions.
#4 Chris Paul - 10 Appearances
Chris Paul has been an NBA superstar for a long time which would explain why he has earned himself 10 All-Star appearances and should he maintain his current form will likely be announced as a reserve which for this year's game which will bring him to 11, joining the likes of Bob Pettit, Allen Iverson and Charles Barkley with an 11th selection. Paul was named MVP of the 2013 All-Star Game after posting 20 points and 15 assists.
#3 Carmelo Anthony - 10 Appearances
Carmelo Anthony has been selected to 10 All-Star teams in his NBA career and while he is still viewed as a high level player in the league, that count is not likely to go further. Now with the Lakers, Anthony was an All-Star for eight consecutive years from 2009 to 2017, and had played in two All-Star games before. Though he was never an ASG MVP award, he did have an impressive 30-point performance back in 2014.
#2 Kevin Durant - 12 Appearances
Having been named captain for the NBA's Eastern Conference team, Kevin Durant will make it 12 All-Star game appearances in 2022. Quite frankly Durant is the best player in the conference. That notion is only further reinforced when we consider the fact that with this latest selection, Durant has now been a participant in the All-Star game in his last 12 seasons straight.
#1 LeBron James - 18 Appearances
Love him or hate him, LeBron James is still the greatest player in the NBA. Now 37, James has just made it 18 All-Star game selections which brings him level with Kobe Bryant's record. As captain of the Western Conference's team, James has been an All-Star for consecutive years during which time he has won the ASG MVP award 3 times. Should he win another one, 'The King' will draw level with Bryant and Bob Pettit for the most in NBA history.