In the NBA, players strive for respect. This is common, and when an earned honor does not pan out in their favor, fanbase-wide heartbreak occurs. Well, Kawhi Leonard of the LA Clippers has been one of the best players in the world this season. He wants an all-star honor, but given the games he missed and where the Clippers stand, he may not make it that far.
Losing teams, like the Clippers with a 13-22 record, typically do not have all-stars; this applies to virtually every team outside the play-in tournament this season. However, there will be a few exceptions, like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Lauri Markkanen.
When it comes to the Clippers, they have two players who deserve the selection: Leonard, of course, with his late spurt of dominance, and James Harden, who is 17th in points and sixth in assists averages.
Had LA been in the top eight in the Western Conference, both would have been selected. But the Clippers’ losses will cost one of the two superstars an all-star appearance, and signs point to Leonard missing out.
Kawhi Leonard’s domination may not pay off with an all-star selection
The Western Conference is too talented to give a losing team two all-stars. Room must be made for the megastars of the bunch, like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic, then the first-timers who could be Deni Avdija and Austin Reaves.
The first primary signal of what the All-Star Game could look like is through fan voting. The NBA released the second batch today, and to no surprise, James Harden is 12th with 400,282, and Kawhi Leonard is 13th with 275,361.
For reference, in the first batch, Harden was still 12th, but Leonard was nearly off the list at 20th, behind Chet Holmgren and Stephon Castle.
Moreover, in one week, Leonard came a long way. He jumped a lot of names, and had an undefeated stretch of five games where he averaged over 40 points, shooting 50-40-90; the first player since Kobe Bryant in 2007.
Additionally, Leonard is averaging 28.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists, shooting 49.2% from the field in 25 games. These are well beyond all-star numbers that could miss the cut as a result of the Clippers’ lack of wins.
That said, Leonard is trying to win, and the Clippers have been, yet the timing of all of the pieces falling in place has taken a significant toll on the two-time champion’s chances at the 2026 All-Star Game in the Intuit Dome.