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All-Star Selections Who Did Not Play
Being selected to the NBA All-Star Game does not guarantee that a player will participate. Injuries, illnesses, personal circumstances, and other events have prevented numerous stars from appearing in the league's annual exhibition.
Throughout NBA history, replacement players have been selected to fill many of these vacancies. In some cases, however, no replacement was announced, and teams entered the game with fewer available players.
This archive preserves the original NBAHoopsOnline records, grouped by the number of missed All-Star Games attributed to each player. Each entry includes the year, team, reason for the absence, and replacement information where available.
Archive note: The original page contains overlapping entries for Anthony Davis, as well as several dates and classifications that require additional verification. The records below retain those entries rather than removing information without confirmation.
Players Listed With 3 Missed All-Star Games
| Year | Player | Team | Reason / Date | Replacement |
|---|
| 2010 | Kobe Bryant | Los Angeles Lakers | Left ankle injury, February 5, 2010 | Jason Kidd (Dallas Mavericks) |
| 2014 | Kobe Bryant | Los Angeles Lakers | Left knee injury, December 17, 2013 | Anthony Davis (New Orleans Pelicans) |
| 2015 | Kobe Bryant | Los Angeles Lakers | Right shoulder surgery, January 21, 2015 | DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento Kings) |
| 2015 | Anthony Davis | New Orleans Pelicans | Sprained right shoulder, February 7, 2015 | Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks) |
| 2021 | Anthony Davis | Los Angeles Lakers | Knee injury, February 7, 2021, according to original archive | Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns) |
| 2025 | Anthony Davis | Dallas Mavericks | Knee injury; original archive lists February 7, 2025 | Kyrie Irving (Dallas Mavericks) |
| 1994 | Alonzo Mourning | Charlotte Hornets | Left calf muscle tear, January 27, 1994 | Charles Oakley (New York Knicks) |
| 1997 | Alonzo Mourning | Miami Heat | Heel injury, February 5, 1997 | Joe Dumars (Detroit Pistons) |
| 2001 | Alonzo Mourning | Miami Heat | Kidney disease dating to the preseason | Dikembe Mutombo (Atlanta Hawks) |
| 1997 | Shaquille O'Neal | Los Angeles Lakers | Right knee strain, February 2, 1997 | Kevin Garnett (Minnesota Timberwolves) |
| 2001 | Shaquille O'Neal | Los Angeles Lakers | Right foot injury, January 26, 2001 | Vlade Divac (Sacramento Kings) |
| 2002 | Shaquille O'Neal | Los Angeles Lakers | Toe injury, February 3, 2002 | Elton Brand (Los Angeles Clippers) |
Players Listed With 2 Missed All-Star Games
| Year | Player | Team | Reason / Date | Replacement |
|---|
| 1994 | Charles Barkley | Phoenix Suns | Torn knee tendon, January 7, 1994 | Gary Payton (Seattle SuperSonics) |
| 1997 | Charles Barkley | Houston Rockets | Right ankle injury, January 25, 1997 | Detlef Schrempf (Seattle SuperSonics) |
| 1991 | Larry Bird | Boston Celtics | Back injury, January 6, 1991 | Hersey Hawkins (Philadelphia 76ers) |
| 1992 | Larry Bird | Boston Celtics | Back injury, December 30, 1991 | Michael Adams (Washington Bullets) |
| 1977 | Dave Cowens | Boston Celtics | Lower back sprain, February 11, 1977 | Phil Chenier (Washington Bullets) |
| 1980 | Dave Cowens | Boston Celtics | Foot injury, January 22, 1980 | Bill Cartwright (New York Knicks) |
| 2015 | Anthony Davis | New Orleans Pelicans | Sprained right shoulder, February 7, 2015 | Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks) |
| 2021 | Anthony Davis | Los Angeles Lakers | Knee injury, February 7, 2021, according to original archive | Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns) |
| 2021 | Kevin Durant | Brooklyn Nets | Undisclosed injury in original archive | Not replaced |
| 2022 | Kevin Durant | Brooklyn Nets | Undisclosed injury in original archive | LaMelo Ball (Charlotte Hornets) |
| 2021 | Joel Embiid | Philadelphia 76ers | COVID-19, March 7, 2021 | Not replaced on roster |
| 2024 | Joel Embiid | Philadelphia 76ers | Knee injury, February 7, 2024 | Scottie Barnes (Toronto Raptors) |
| 1986 | Patrick Ewing | New York Knicks | Knee injury, February 6, 1986 | Not replaced on Eastern roster; warmed up with the team |
| 1997 | Patrick Ewing | New York Knicks | Strained groin, January 28, 1997 | Chris Webber (Washington Bullets) |
| 2007 | Allen Iverson | Denver Nuggets | Right ankle strain, February 7, 2007 | Ray Allen (Seattle SuperSonics) |
| 2010 | Allen Iverson | Philadelphia 76ers | Daughter's illness, beginning January 31, 2010 | David Lee (New York Knicks) |
| 1990 | Karl Malone | Utah Jazz | Right ankle sprain, February 8, 1990 | Rolando Blackman (Dallas Mavericks) |
| 2002 | Karl Malone | Utah Jazz | Personal reasons; mother's illness | Not replaced on Western roster |
| 2007 | Yao Ming | Houston Rockets | Right knee injury, December 23, 2006 | Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets) |
| 2011 | Yao Ming | Houston Rockets | Foot injury, November 10, 2010 | Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves) |
| 1981 | Dan Roundfield | Atlanta Hawks | Right calf injury, January 18, 1981 | Mike Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers) |
| 1982 | Dan Roundfield | Atlanta Hawks | Sore hamstring and Achilles tendon, January 17, 1982 | Kelly Tripucka (Detroit Pistons) |
| 1968 | Nate Thurmond | San Francisco Warriors | Right knee ligament surgery, January 19, 1968 | Clyde Lee (San Francisco Warriors) |
| 1970 | Nate Thurmond | San Francisco Warriors | Right knee surgery, January 16, 1970 | Bob Rule (Seattle SuperSonics) |
| 1969 | Jerry West | Los Angeles Lakers | Pulled leg muscle, January 4, 1969 | Gail Goodrich (Phoenix Suns) |
| 1974 | Jerry West | Los Angeles Lakers | Stomach muscle pull, December 11, 1973 | Charlie Scott (Phoenix Suns) |
Players Listed With 1 Missed All-Star Game
| Year | Player | Team | Reason / Date | Replacement |
|---|
| 1973 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Milwaukee Bucks | Personal reasons | Bob Love (Chicago Bulls) |
| 2025 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks | Knee injury; original archive gives February 7, 2021 | Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks) |
| 1960 | Paul Arizin | Philadelphia Warriors | Thigh injury, January 20, 1960 | Tom Gola (Philadelphia Warriors) |
| 1973 | Rick Barry | Golden State Warriors | Sprained ankle, January 21, 1973 | Connie Hawkins (Phoenix Suns) |
| 2007 | Carlos Boozer | Utah Jazz | Left knee injury, January 27, 2007 | Josh Howard (Dallas Mavericks) |
| 2009 | Chris Bosh | Toronto Raptors | Knee sprain, February 4, 2009 | Mo Williams (Cleveland Cavaliers) |
| 1956 | Carl Braun | New York Knicks | Bruised right foot, January 21, 1956 | Johnny Kerr (Syracuse Nationals) |
| 2021 | Devin Booker | Phoenix Suns | Knee injury, March 6, 2021 | Mike Conley (Utah Jazz) |
| 2008 | Caron Butler | Washington Wizards | Left hip flexor strain, February 5, 2008 | Ray Allen (Boston Celtics) |
| 2002 | Vince Carter | Toronto Raptors | Left quadriceps strain, February 7, 2002 | Baron Davis (Charlotte Hornets) |
| 1995 | Cedric Ceballos | Los Angeles Lakers | Thumb surgery, February 3, 1995 | Dikembe Mutombo (Denver Nuggets) |
| 1979 | Doug Collins | Philadelphia 76ers | Foot injury, January 21, 1979 | Bob Lanier (Detroit Pistons) |
| 1962 | Larry Costello | Syracuse Nationals | Fractured wrist, January 9, 1962 | Sam Jones (Boston Celtics) |
| 1997 | Clyde Drexler | Houston Rockets | Hamstring injury, February 4, 1997 | Chris Gatling (Dallas Mavericks) |
| 1963 | Wayne Embry | Cincinnati Royals | Severe cold, January 12, 1963; did not travel to Los Angeles | Not replaced on Eastern roster |
| 1952 | Larry Foust | Fort Wayne Pistons | Foot injury, February 9, 1952 | Arnie Risen (Rochester Royals) |
| 2008 | Kevin Garnett | Boston Celtics | Abdominal muscle sprain, January 25, 2008 | Rasheed Wallace (Detroit Pistons) |
| 1962 | Tom Gola | Philadelphia Warriors | Hand injury, January 9, 1962 | Johnny Green (New York Knicks) |
| 2022 | Draymond Green | Golden State Warriors | Knee injury, February 3, 2022 | Dejounte Murray (San Antonio Spurs) |
| 2015 | Blake Griffin | Los Angeles Clippers | Right elbow surgery, February 6, 2015 | Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers) |
| 1958 | Cliff Hagan | St. Louis Hawks | Twisted knee, January 17, 1958 | Not replaced on Western roster |
| 2022 | James Harden | Philadelphia 76ers | Hamstring injury, January 30, 2022 | Jarrett Allen (Cleveland Cavaliers) |
| 1965 | Tom Heinsohn | Boston Celtics | Foot injury, January 12, 1965 | Johnny Green (New York Knicks) |
| 2001 | Grant Hill | Orlando Magic | Right ankle injury, December 12, 2000 | Latrell Sprewell (New York Knicks) |
| 2012 | Joe Johnson | Atlanta Hawks | Left knee injury, February 20, 2012 | Rajon Rondo (Boston Celtics) |
| 1989 | Magic Johnson | Los Angeles Lakers | Left hamstring injury, February 8, 1989 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Los Angeles Lakers) |
| 1988 | Steve Johnson | Portland Trail Blazers | Thumb surgery, January 22, 1988 | James Donaldson (Dallas Mavericks) |
| 1986 | Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls | Broken foot, October 30, 1985 | No individual replacement named. Seven reserves announced; Sidney Moncrief moved into starting lineup. |
| 2007 | Jason Kidd | New Jersey Nets | Strained lower back, February 10, 2007 | Joe Johnson (Atlanta Hawks) |
| 1957 | Clyde Lovellette | Minneapolis Lakers | Ankle injury, January 12, 1957 | Vern Mikkelsen (Minneapolis Lakers) |
| 1984 | Moses Malone | Philadelphia 76ers | Ankle injury, January 24, 1984 | Bill Laimbeer (Detroit Pistons) |
| 1978 | Pete Maravich | New Orleans Jazz | Knee injury, January 31, 1978 | John Havlicek (Boston Celtics) |
| 1954 | Jack Molinas | Fort Wayne Pistons | Lifetime ban for gambling, January 10, 1954, one day after All-Star selection | Andy Phillip (Fort Wayne Pistons) |
| 1993 | Chris Mullin | Golden State Warriors | Right thumb injury, February 5, 1993 | No individual replacement named. Eight reserves were announced, including Mullin. |
| 2007 | Steve Nash | Phoenix Suns | Shoulder inflammation, February 5, 2007 | Mehmet Okur (Utah Jazz) |
| 2009 | Jameer Nelson | Orlando Magic | Separated shoulder, February 2, 2009 | Ray Allen (Boston Celtics) |
| 2006 | Jermaine O'Neal | Indiana Pacers | Torn groin muscle, January 24, 2006 | Gilbert Arenas (Washington Wizards) |
| 2010 | Chris Paul | New Orleans Hornets | Left knee surgery, January 29, 2010 | Chauncey Billups (Denver Nuggets) |
| 2024 | Julius Randle | New York Knicks | Leg injury, February 7, 2024 | Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks) |
| 2001 | Theo Ratliff | Philadelphia 76ers | Right wrist fracture, February 7, 2001 | Antonio Davis (Toronto Raptors) |
| 1993 | Mitch Richmond | Sacramento Kings | Right thumb fracture, February 11, 1993 | Terry Porter (Portland Trail Blazers) |
| 1955 | Arnie Risen | Rochester Royals | Ankle injury, January 13, 1955 | Jack Coleman (Rochester Royals) |
| 2013 | Rajon Rondo | Boston Celtics | Torn right ACL, January 25, 2013 | Brook Lopez (Brooklyn Nets) |
| 2010 | Brandon Roy | Portland Trail Blazers | Right hamstring strain, January 20, 2010 | Chris Kaman (Los Angeles Clippers) |
| 1987 | Ralph Sampson | Houston Rockets | Left knee surgery, February 4, 1987 | Tom Chambers (Seattle SuperSonics) |
| 1952 | Dolph Schayes | Syracuse Nationals | Wrist fracture, February 8, 1952 | Harry Gallatin (New York Knicks) |
| 1953 | Fred Scolari | Baltimore Bullets | Wrenched knee, January 11, 1953 | Billy Gabor (Syracuse Nationals) |
| 2021 | Ben Simmons | Philadelphia 76ers | COVID-19, March 7, 2021 | Not replaced on roster |
| 1991 | Isiah Thomas | Detroit Pistons | Right wrist surgery, January 23, 1991 | No individual replacement named. Eight reserves announced; Joe Dumars moved into starting lineup. |
| 2015 | Dwyane Wade | Miami Heat | Right hamstring strain, January 27, 2015 | Kyle Korver (Atlanta Hawks) |
| 1977 | Bill Walton | Portland Trail Blazers | Inflamed right Achilles tendon, January 27, 1977 | Don Buse (Indiana Pacers) |
| 2003 | Chris Webber | Sacramento Kings | Left ankle sprain, January 28, 2003 | Peja Stojaković (Sacramento Kings) |
| 1980 | Scott Wedman | Kansas City Kings | Multiple facial fractures, January 24, 1980 | Kermit Washington (Portland Trail Blazers) |
| 1992 | Dominique Wilkins | Atlanta Hawks | Right Achilles tendon surgery, January 28, 1992 | Kevin Willis (Atlanta Hawks) |
Historical Notes
All-Star selection versus appearance: A player may be officially selected for the All-Star Game even if an injury or another circumstance prevents him from participating. Selection totals and actual appearances can therefore differ.
Historical franchise names: Teams are listed using the names they carried at the time of the selection, including the Syracuse Nationals, Fort Wayne Pistons, Rochester Royals, New Orleans Jazz, Washington Bullets, Seattle SuperSonics, and New Jersey Nets.
Replacement procedures: The NBA has not always handled absences the same way. Some selections resulted in a named replacement, while others led to changes in the starting lineup or a roster with fewer available players.
Duplicate historical entries: Anthony Davis appears in both the three-game and two-game categories of the original archive. Both sets of entries are preserved above. The archive also contains dates that do not align with the listed All-Star year, and these should be verified before being used as definitive historical records.
The tables preserve the information in the existing archive with corrections to spelling, capitalization, team names, and date formatting. They should not be interpreted as an independently verified list of every missed NBA All-Star Game through 2026.
Related NBA All-Star Pages
Submit a Record or Correction
If you know of an important record that would make a good addition to this page, or notice an error in one of the existing entries, please send the information.
When suggesting an addition, please include the date, teams, player or record involved and a reliable source when available.
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Submissions will be reviewed before changes are made to NBAHoopsOnline historical records.
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