LeBron James has set a new record as both the youngest and the oldest player to be selected for an All-NBA team. Meanwhile, Luka Doncic of Dallas and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Oklahoma City are on track to earn about $1 million per game in the future.
Nikola Jokic of Denver and Gilgeous-Alexander were the only unanimous choices for the first team in this season’s All-NBA selections, announced by the league on Wednesday night. They were joined on the first team by Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee, and Jayson Tatum of Boston.
The second team included Jalen Brunson of New York, Anthony Edwards of Minnesota, Kevin Durant of Phoenix, Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers, and Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers.
On the third team were James, Stephen Curry of Golden State, Domantas Sabonis of Sacramento, Tyrese Haliburton of Indiana, and Devin Booker of Phoenix.
Starting this season, the NBA changed its rules, and All-NBA voting is now without specific positions, unlike before where there were two guards, two forwards, and one center on each team. This formula has been used since the 1950s.
Additionally, players needed to meet a minimum number of games played to be considered for the award by the panel of 99 broadcasters and writers who voted.
For James, who became the youngest player to make the All-NBA when he was chosen for the team in the 2004-05 season, another selection adds to his list of achievements.
His 20 All-NBA picks have extended his record, which is now five more than Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. His 20 consecutive selections is also a record, and he’s the first player to be age 39 or older during what became an All-NBA regular season.
Abdul-Jabbar and Duncan were both almost 39 when the regular seasons ended in their final All-NBA campaigns, Abdul-Jabbar’s being in 1985-86 and Duncan’s in 2014-15.
James, who is the NBA’s career scoring leader, played in 71 games this season, with the last 42 of those coming after he turned 39.
And for Doncic and Gilgeous-Alexander, the All-NBA nods mean they are set for supermax extensions that can be signed in 2025, both of which would set records.
Doncic can sign a five-year deal worth about $347 million, starting at nearly $60 million in 2026-27 and ending at about $79 million in 2030-31. Gilgeous-Alexander will be eligible to sign a four-year extension worth about $294 million.
His contract would begin in 2027-28 at approximately $65 million per year — and by the final year, 2030-31, he would be earning slightly over $81 million, which is nearly $1 million per game. This would mark the first instance of an NBA player earning an annual salary exceeding $80 million.
Edwards and Haliburton, who both signed extensions last summer valued at about $205 million, will now see their contracts increase to about $245 million over the next five seasons thanks to their All-NBA selections. Durant earned All-NBA honors for the 11th time, which ties him for the 12th-most in NBA history.
