Stephen Curry has done it again. The Golden State Warriors superstar secured his 12th NBA All-Star starting selection for 2026. Fans around the world voted him into the Western Conference lineup. His popularity remains unmatched in the league. But this year’s selection has sparked significant controversy.
Curry is averaging 27.6 points per game this season. He’s shooting 38.9% from three-point range. His numbers have had a solid impact on the Warriors as well. They sit eighth in the Western Conference standings. However, another star is having a career year but won’t be starting.
What Did Kendrick Perkins Say About Stephen Curry’s All-Star Starter Selection?
The voting system has created an unexpected debate about merit versus popularity. Former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins recently questioned the Warriors star’s selection and argued that Anthony Edwards should have been chosen instead. He is on a $244,623,120 contract now and has been having one of the best seasons we have seen so far in recent years.
He said, “There’s no way Anthony Edwards should not be starting in the West. He’s having a career year damn near averaging 30. Shooting 50 from the field. 40 from the 3. His team is 4th in the Western Conference.”
Them Perkins gave his Curry hypothesis, “If you’re asking me who I gotta remove, it’s Steph Curry! You can’t sit up here and justify and tell me why Steph should be ahead of Anthony Edwards right now. All I’m saying is if we going on this year, Ant is more deserving than Steph to be in the All Star game. So Ant just having a career year, f*ck it, huh?”
Kendrick Perkins can’t believe Steph Curry got picked over Anthony Edwards as an All Star starter 😬
“There’s no way Anthony Edwards should not be starting in the West. He’s having a career year damn near averaging 30. Shooting 50 from the field. 40 from the 3. His team is 4th… pic.twitter.com/tUYEsAllGx
— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) January 20, 2026
Perkins has a strong case. Edwards is averaging 29.6 points per game this season. He’s shooting an incredible 50.4% from the field and 41.8% from three. The Timberwolves sit fourth in the West with a 27-16 record. Edwards finished fourth in player voting and fifth in media voting. But he came seventh in fan voting. That proved costly.
The voting format weighs fan votes at 50%. Player and media votes each count for 25%. Edwards lost his starting spot to Victor Wembanyama in a fan vote tiebreaker.
The San Antonio Spurs star has also been performing exceptionally well, averaging 24.8 points and 10.8 rebounds so far. It’s even more impressive considering how he came back from a serious deep-vein thrombosis injury recently.
The final starters are Luka Dončić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Stephen Curry, Nikola Jokić, and Victor Wembanyama. Edwards will likely be named a reserve on February 1.
This controversy highlights a bigger issue. Should fame outweigh current performance? Curry’s legacy is undeniable. But Edwards’ statistics this season tell a different story. The All-Star Game happens in California on February 15. Until then, the debate continues.
