Victor Wembanyama named All-Star Game 2026 starter, a historic first for the Frenchman

Victor Wembanyama (7’4″, 22 years old) continues to push boundaries. Already an All-Star last year, the French phenom reaches a new milestone by being named a starter for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, which will be held in Los Angeles. A logical consecration given the colossal impact of the #1 pick in the 2023 Draft on the current NBA season.

𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗡𝗕𝗔 𝗔𝗟𝗟-𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗥 🤩@Ledger pic.twitter.com/oLC8hyqAdT

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) January 19, 2026

A prestigious place in Spurs history

By becoming an All-Star Game starter, Victor Wembanyama joins an extremely exclusive circle for the San Antonio Spurs. Only George Gervin, Alvin Robertson, David Robinson, Tim Duncan and Kawhi Leonard had previously received this honor in the Texas jersey.

With this new selection, the San Antonio franchise now has at least one All-Star in 43 of the 49 editions held since the 1976 ABA-NBA merger, a total that ties them with the Lakers at the top of the league in this category.

A very high-level NBA season

On the court, the Frenchman dominates statistically as rarely seen for a player his age. After 28 games played, Wembanyama is averaging 24.5 points, 10.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.64 blocks in just 28.8 minutes per game. He’s shooting 51.6% from the field and 38.2% from 3-point range, both career highs.

The only player in the league averaging at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks, he leads the NBA in blocks per game (2.69) and ranks among the championship’s top rebounders.

Collectively, the Spurs are riding this momentum with a record of 29 wins and 13 losses, second in the Western Conference at midseason.

Already historic records

This 2025-2026 season will also be marked by several extraordinary performances. On January 13 in Oklahoma City, Victor Wembanyama reached the 500-block milestone in his career, becoming the second-youngest player in history to do so, as well as the fourth-fastest to reach that total, in just 143 NBA games.

He also holds a streak of 101 consecutive games with at least one block, an absolute record for the Spurs and the third-longest streak in NBA history. Earlier in the season, in Chicago, he became the first NBA player to post a stat line including at least 35 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 three-pointers and 5 blocks in a single game.

A new format All-Star Game

Victor Wembanyama will be one of the major faces of the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, scheduled for February 15 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. He will be part of the Western Conference starting five alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic and Stephen Curry.

The starter selection was determined by a combined vote from fans (50%), NBA players (25%) and a media panel (25%). Note that this edition will mark the introduction of a new format pitting two American teams against an international team, in a three-team tournament (two teams of American players and one international team).