Which player and coach has the most NBA All-Star game appearances?
With his recent selection, LeBron James has now passed Lakers legend, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the player with the most NBA All-Star selections in history.
The 2023 NBA All-Star Game will be held at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah on Sunday 20th February. This is the 72nd edition of the NBA’s famous game and will feature a battle between the Eastern Conference team, captained by Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Western Conference team, which will be led by Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James. Where James is concerned, it is of course fitting as he prepares to make history once again.
King James now reigns supreme in the NBA All-Star Game
Fans will know, that it was just last year when LeBron James equaled the record held by the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, for the most NBA All-Star Game selections in history with 19. The Bucks and Lakers also played the most All-Star games in history with 18, which James also matched. Indeed, between 1970 and 1989 missed just one All-Star game, in 1973. Prior to last year’s game both James and the late Kobe Bryant had been selected on 18 occasions, but the latter missed three of them in 2010, 2014 and 2015. To give you some perspective, since its inception back in 1951 there have been 443 players selected for the NBA All-Star game, but of those only 302 have been selected more than once.
Now, here we are with James not only passing the great Kareem in selections - he now has 20 - but appearances as well, as he will now move to 19 barring any unforseen circumstance. Incidentally, he also holds the record for the most starts in the All-Star game which now stands at 18. This marks yet another incredible achievement in what has been an unprecedented season for James and interestingly enough, at Kareem’s expense. If you missed it, James took his seat on the throne atop the league’s all-time scoring list, when he passed Abdul-Jabbar’s record of 38,387 points just four days ago. James now sits on 38,390 and will assumedly go on to score many more before his sensational career comes to an end. Long live the King indeed.
What about All-Star MVPs?
Winning the MVP nomination in 1956, 1958 (co-MVP) 1959 and 1962, former Milwaukee Hawks player Bob Pettit held the four-MVP record solo for 49 years. However, his record was later matched by Kobe Bryant, who scooped the MVP award in 2002, 2007, 2009 (co-MVP with Shaquille O’Neal) and 2011. Having lost out to Steph Curry in the chase for the trophy last year, James will once again have an opportunity to sit amongst those on four when he takes to the court this Sunday in Utah.
All-Star coaching records
Red Auerbach, the legendary Boston Celtics head coach between 1950-1966, stands head and shoulders above his peers in terms of All-Star Games with the cigar-smoking tactician taking charge of an All-Star team a record 11 times from 1957-1967.
Pat Riley, coach of the Lakers between 1981 and 1990 and now president of the Miami Heat, is second on the list with eight All-Star Games (1982-83 and 1985-1990), while Lenny Wilkens, Tom Heinsohn, John Kundla and Phil Jackson have all coached four times each.