Johnson’s historic statistical surge, highlighted by elite scoring, rebounding, and playmaking, propels him to his first NBA All-Star nod.
The leap was undeniable, and now it is official. Jalen Johnson was named an NBA All-Star for the first time Thursday, selected as a reserve for the 2026 All-Star Game after a season that has reshaped both his career arc and the direction of the Atlanta Hawks.
The announcement was made on NBC and Peacock ahead of the network’s “Sunday Night Basketball” broadcast, with seven reserves chosen from each conference by NBA head coaches. The voting was conducted without regard to position, a format that rewarded Johnson’s rare blend of scoring, rebounding, and playmaking.
At 24 years, 59 days old on All-Star Sunday, Johnson becomes the fourth-youngest player in franchise history since the team’s move to Atlanta to earn the honor. It is the clearest validation yet of a season in which he has emerged as one of the league’s most versatile engines.
Johnson is averaging career highs across the board, posting 23.1 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per game while logging 35.6 minutes. He is one of only two players in the NBA averaging at least 23 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists, and the only one doing so in the Eastern Conference. League-wide, he ranks 21st in scoring, seventh in rebounding, and fourth in assists, placing him in company typically reserved for perennial MVP candidates.
That statistical profile has translated into consistent production night after night. Johnson leads the NBA with 32 double-doubles and has recorded eight triple-doubles, the most in a single season in Hawks history. His triple-double total also leads the Eastern Conference and trails only one player league-wide.
December marked the moment his season crossed into historic territory. Over the course of the month, Johnson averaged a triple-double — 25.8 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 10.1 assists — becoming just the seventh player in NBA history to average at least 25 points in a triple-double over a calendar month. The list he joined includes Oscar Robertson, Russell Westbrook, Nikola Jokic, Luka Dončić, Wilt Chamberlain, and LeBron James.
One of Johnson’s signature performances came Dec. 5 against the Denver Nuggets, when he finished with 21 points, 18 rebounds, and 16 assists. He secured the triple-double in just 16 minutes and 44 seconds, the second-fastest in the play-by-play era, trailing only Jokic, according to Elias Sports.
The milestones have piled up. Johnson set new career highs this season with 43 points on Dec. 18, 18 rebounds on three occasions, 16 assists on Dec. 5 and seven steals on Nov. 13. His 43-point outing came on his 24th birthday, when he also grabbed 18 rebounds and handed out nine assists, making him just the second player ever to record 40 points, 10 rebounds and five assists on his birthday, again joining James.
His individual excellence has not been isolated from team success. Johnson earned Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors for games played Nov. 10–16, leading Atlanta to a 4–0 road trip against Western Conference opponents. It marked the franchise’s first sweep of a Western road trip of at least four games since the 1970–71 season.
The 75th NBA All-Star Game will be held Feb. 15 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, debuting a new U.S.-versus-World format. The event will air at 5 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. NBA commissioner Adam Silver will select any injury replacements as needed.
For Johnson and the Hawks, the selection represents more than an individual accolade. It underscores a season in which Johnson has transitioned from rising talent to cornerstone, placing Atlanta firmly in the conversation when the league’s brightest stars take the floor in February.