Dirk Nowitzki leads all European NBA All-Stars with 14 selections, with Giannis Antetokounmpo closing in, Nikola Jokic climbing to the Top 3, and Victor Wembanyama debuting.
Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is closing in on Dirk Nowitzki's record for the most NBA All-Star selections among European players. The Greek Freak earned his ninth All-Star nod this year and led all players in fan votes.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
| Team: |
Milwaukee Bucks |
| Position: | PF |
| Age: | 30 |
| Height: | 211 cm |
| Weight: | 98 kg |
| Birth place: | Athens, Greece |
However, due to a calf strain, he won't be able to participate in the game, which takes place on Feb. 16 at Chase Center in San Francisco. Despite his absence, the selection still counts toward his total.
Giannis remains the only European player to win NBA All-Star MVP honors, which he claimed in 2021 after an incredible performance -- 35 points on perfect shooting (16-16 FG), along with seven rebounds and three assists.
Meanwhile, Denver Nuggets' three-time MVP Nikola Jokic has been selected for his seventh All-Star Game.
This year's event will be missing Luka Doncic, who was recently traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Slovenian star ranks third among active European players with five All-Star appearances.
With Luka out, San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama will aim to bring unique European flavor. Wemby is making his All-Star debut, becoming the third French player in history to receive the honor, joining Tony Parker and Joakim Noah.
Houston Rockets big man Alperen Sengun is also a first-time All-Star, having a splendid season with averages of 19.0 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.2 steals.
Among European legends, Dirk, Giannis, and Jokic top the All-Star selections leaderboard. Tony Parker and Pau Gasol follow closely behind with six appearances each.
Other notable Europeans include Detlef Schrempf, Peja Stojakovic, and Marc Gasol, who each made three All-Star Games. Sacramento Kings double-double machine Domantas Sabonis also joins that group with three selections in 2020, 2021, and 2023.
Victor Wembanyama
| MIN: | 33.02 |
| PTS: | 24.27 (54.14%) |
| REB: | 10.84 |
| As: | 3.64 |
| ST: | 1.14 |
| BL: | 3.89 |
| TO: | 3.32 |
| GM: | 44 |
Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Luol Deng, Joakim Noah, and Nikola Vucevic have each earned two All-Star nods.
Meanwhile, Vlade Divac, Goran Dragic, Mehmet Okur, Rik Smits, Andrei Kirilenko, and first-time All-Stars Sengun and Wemby have all appeared once.
Kristaps Porzingis was named a reserve for the 2018 All-Star Game but was unable to play due to a knee injury.
All-Time List
| Place | Player | Country | All-Star selections |
| 1. | Dirk Nowitzki | Germany | 14 |
| 2. | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Greece | 9 |
| 3. | Nikola Jokic | Serbia | 7 |
| 4-5. | Tony Parker | France | 6 |
| 4-5. | Pau Gasol | Spain | 6 |
| 6. | Luka Doncic | Slovenia | 5 |
| 7-10. | Domantas Sabonis | Lithuania | 3 |
| 7-10. | Detlef Schrempf | Germany | 3 |
| 7-10. | Peja Stojakovic | Serbia | 3 |
| 7-10. | Marc Gasol | Spain | 3 |
| 11-14. | Zydrunas Ilgauskas | Lithuania | 2 |
| 11-14. | Luol Deng | Great Britain | 2 |
| 11-14. | Joakim Noah | France | 2 |
| 11-14. | Nikola Vucevic | Montenegro | 2 |
| 15-23. | Lauri Markkanen | Finland | 1 |
| 15-23. | Vlade Divac | Serbia | 1 |
| 15-23. | Goran Dragic | Slovenia | 1 |
| 15-23. | Mehmet Okur | Turkiye | 1 |
| 15-23. | Rik Smits | Netherlands | 1 |
| 15-23. | Andrei Kirilenko | Russia | 1 |
| 15-23. | Alperen Sengun | Turkiye | 1 |
| 15-23. | Victor Wembanyama | France | 1 |
| 15-23. | Kristaps Porzingis | Latvia | 1 |
