Full Breakdown
2025-26 All-NBA Teams Reveal Shifts in NBA Landscape
5/25/2026, 12:10:18 PM
All-NBA Teams Announced for 2025-26 Season
The NBA released the 2025-26 All-NBA selections on Sunday, May 24. The First Team consists of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder), Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets), Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs), Luka Doncic (Los Angeles Lakers) and Cade Cunningham (Detroit Pistons). The Second Team includes Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics), Kawhi Leonard (Los Angeles Clippers), Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers), Kevin Durant (Houston Rockets) and Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks). The Third Team features Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia 76ers), Jamal Murray (Denver Nuggets), Jalen Johnson (Atlanta Hawks), Jalen Duren (Detroit Pistons) and Chet Holmgren (Oklahoma City Thunder).
Eligibility Rule and Exceptions
NBA awards require a minimum of 65 regular-season games. LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks) and Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors) fell short and were ineligible. The league granted extraordinary-circumstances exceptions to Luka Doncic (64 games) and Cade Cunningham (64 games), allowing both to appear on the ballot despite not meeting the threshold.
Voting Results and Player Rankings
A global panel of 100 media members voted, assigning five points for a first-team vote, three for second-team and one for third-team. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic each received 100 first-place votes (500 points). Victor Wembanyama earned 99 first-place votes and one second-place vote (498 points). Luka Doncic collected 91 first-place and nine second-place votes (482 points). Cade Cunningham received 60 first-place and 38 second-place votes (414 points). On the Third Team, Jalen Duren accumulated 16 second-team votes and 73 third-team votes for 121 points, while Chet Holmgren earned eight second-team votes and 63 third-team votes for 87 points.
Records and Firsts
Nikola Jokic now holds twice as many All-NBA honors as any other Denver player. Kevin Durant became the first player to make an All-NBA team with five different franchises. Victor Wembanyama is the first Spurs player on the First Team since Kawhi Leonard (2016-17) and the first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander secured his fourth consecutive First-Team selection and his second straight MVP award. Cade Cunningham is the first Detroit Pistons First-Team honoree since Grant Hill (1996-97); his teammate Jalen Duren joins him as the first Pistons duo on All-NBA teams since Ben Wallace and Chauncey Billups (2005-06).
Criticism and Opposition
Two voters omitted Cade Cunningham entirely from their ballots, a point highlighted by analysts as a voting anomaly. Victor Wembanyama missed unanimous selection by a single second-team vote, prompting commentary that the near-unanimous outcome was “unexpected” given his defensive accolades. The use of eligibility exceptions for players who fell short of the 65-game rule also generated debate about consistency in award qualifications.
Significance and Future Outlook
The absence of LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Stephen Curry from the All-NBA lists marks the first time in decades that these long-standing veterans were excluded, underscoring a generational transition. The prominence of younger, internationally-schooled players—Gilgeous-Alexander, Wembanyama, Doncic and Cunningham—highlights the league’s evolving talent pool. The selections set a benchmark for the upcoming season, with the highlighted players positioned as focal points for championship contention and marketability.
Official Statements & Process
The NBA confirmed that the All-NBA teams were determined by the 100-member media panel using the five-three-one point system. The league emphasized that the voting methodology remains unchanged from prior seasons and that the results reflect the panel’s assessment of individual performance across the regular season.
