Knicks Starting Five Commands Early All-Star Voting Returns

The first round of All-Star fan voting returns are in, and the New York Knicks are leading the NBA in representation.

Their entire starting lineup made the cut within the Eastern Conference's top-20 highest vote-getters, the only squad to net more than three shoutouts from the masses.

Lakers' Luka Doncic and Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo lead the NBA's first 2025-26 All-Star fan voting returns: pic.twitter.com/no0xNHMuXD
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 29, 2025

Jalen Brunson was unsurprisingly listed within the top-three, now finding himself within half of a point of averaging 30 per game on a contending Knicks team. Karl-Anthony Towns, too, with five of his own All-Star appearances lining his own decorated resume, wasn't a surprise to win as much approval as he has, even during a statistical down-season by his standards.

They're the two likeliest candidates to make it to the honorable game, but the Knicks' mentions don't stop there. Star wings OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges just made the cut within the top-15, and Josh Hart also crossed the 100,000 vote threshold.

Analyzing the Less-Likely Cases

Now, how likely are the Knicks to send their entire starting five to the game? The feat's never been done in the NBA, with only elite regular season teams even coming close in recent history. The 2014-15 Atlanta Hawks and 2018-19 Golden State Warriors sent four representatives apiece, having dominated the regular season without one clear star to rule the rest.

The Knicks are in a good spot to net as many All-Star nods as they did, as they currently look like the team to beat out east. Their 6.8 net rating is the best out of the entire conference, backed by a convincing 22-9 record that's already resulted in an NBA Cup win.

New York Knicks Center Karl-Anthony Towns — Dec 16, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) and teammates react after winning the Emirates NBA Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Anunoby is, I'd argue, the likeliest of the bunch to join Brunson and Towns as a first-time All-Star. He's averaging slightly-fewer points than Bridges is, but his stifling defense has helped him take over at several key moments across this regular season, most recently doing so in the Cup Final.

That's not to poo-poo Bridges' own case, though, as he, too, would be a deserving winner of the exclusive accomplishment. He's shooting over 53% from the floor, the highest mark of any starter, and that's with his typical perfect attendance on 35 minutes per game.

According to the voters, Hart is right there with the two wings. He's a fan favorite hustler who's enjoying a near-39% clip from 3-point range, but even in the east, a land that's already short on stars after a devastating 2025 playoffs took out several of the conference's headlining faces, he'll need a special stretch of luck to join his teammates. Even still, this serves as a reminder that the New York market remains unrivaled, and they're bought into this winning iteration of the team.

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