LeBron James continues to lengthen his record in the All-Star realm, while Giannis Antetokounmpo once again charmed fans to become their favorite choice.
On Thursday night, the NBA disclosed some of the starters for the redesigned All-Star Game format, and it came with few surprises. James has now officially earned his spot in the All-Star roster for the 21st consecutive year, while Antetokounmpo has made history as the ninth player to win fan voting for two successive seasons.
The lineup of starters includes Jalen Brunson from New York and Donovan Mitchell from Cleveland as the guards representing the Eastern Conference. Jayson Tatum from Boston along with Karl-Anthony Towns from New York will join Antetokounmpo as the frontcourt players from the East.
For the Western Conference, the guards picked are Stephen Curry from Golden State and the NBA’s leading scorer, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The frontcourt spots alongside James are filled by Kevin Durant from Phoenix and Nikola Jokic from Denver.
The selections for these starters were determined through a weighted voting system, where 50% came from fan votes, while media panels and current players accounted for 25% each.
There are still 14 more All-Stars pending announcement, which will be selected through voting from the league’s head coaches. The finalized list is scheduled to be disclosed on January 30, and the All-Star festivities, now expanded into multiple games, are set to take place in San Francisco on February 16.
Potential candidates for the reserve positions include San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama, Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis, Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards, and Dallas teammates Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Damian Lillard from Milwaukee, who was the MVP in the previous All-Star Game, Miami’s Tyler Herro, Atlanta’s Trae Young, and Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball, who topped East guard fan voting, are also in contention.
This season, there will be at least 15 players who have “started” in the All-Star Game. This marks the debut of a new format consisting of three games. The 24 chosen All-Stars will be divided into three teams of eight players each, drafted by notable basketball personalities like Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith.
These three teams will participate in a four-team tournament, supplemented by NBA rookies and second-year players from the Rising Stars event on All-Star Friday. The tournament will feature two semifinal matches, and the winners will compete in a final game. The matches are designed to be short, as the first team to achieve 40 points will emerge victorious.
Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault and an assistant from his staff will guide two of the teams, while Cleveland’s Kenny Atkinson and one of his assistants will take charge of the remaining teams.
The last two iterations of the All-Star Games have set new offensive benchmarks. Jayson Tatum from Boston set an individual record with 55 points in the 2023 game, whereas last year’s final score of 211-186 stands as the highest ever in All-Star Game history.
At age 40, James is nearing the opportunity to become just the third player ever to participate in an All-Star Game after turning 40, joining the ranks of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Dirk Nowitzki.
This marks James’s 21st consecutive selection, providing him two more All-Star acknowledgments than any other player in NBA history, with Abdul-Jabbar following as a 19-time pick. James’ streak of consecutive selections is three years longer than any other, with Kobe Bryant previously holding the second-longest streak at 18 appearances.
Additionally, James is poised to achieve his 21st consecutive start, while the second-longest streak for All-Star game starts belongs to Bob Cousy from Boston with 13 appearances.
Giannis Antetokounmpo topped the fan voting this year, securing more than 4.4 million votes, making him the favorite for the second year running.
Other players who have dominated the overall fan choice for consecutive seasons include notable names like James, Michael Jordan, and Julius Erving. Kobe Bryant led fan voting on four separate occasions, and Dwight Howard did it twice, but neither managed to retain the title for two consecutive years.
