Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is having an excellent season, but he was surprisingly not named to the All-Star team.
While fans were upset about Leonard’s All-Star snub, things changed on Tuesday. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver named Leonard an addition to the U.S. player pool for the All-Star Game.
LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard has been named by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver as an addition to the U.S. player pool for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game. pic.twitter.com/DBjfA70Mf2
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) February 3, 2026
This year’s All-Star Game is in a new format. It features two teams of U.S. players and one team of international players, which will compete in a round-robin tournament.
Leonard was initially left off the roster despite averaging 27.6 points with 6.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 36 games this season.
⭐️ The 2026 NBA All-Stars ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/DaOg0TW1Fp
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) February 1, 2026
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Leonard’s addition brings the U.S. player total up to 16, which is the minimum required for the new format.
This year’s All-Star Game is taking place at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif., which is the brand-new home of the Clippers, making Leonard’s absence from the initial roster selection even more surprising.
This will be the seventh All-Star appearance for Leonard during his career.
Now, Leonard is officially an All-Star, and the teams will be selected on Tuesday night with the game set for Feb. 15.
