Atlanta guard Trae Young has secured his spot in the upcoming NBA All-Star Game, alongside Dallas guard Kyrie Irving, who has been selected for the event once again.
On Monday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced that Young would be stepping in as an injury replacement for Milwaukee forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is sidelined due to a calf injury. Additionally, Irving was chosen as a replacement for his Mavericks teammate Anthony Davis, who is dealing with a groin injury.
Young expressed his frustration over not being initially selected for the game, whether through fan voting or coaches’ picks for reserves. He humorously coined the term “Traed” in a social media post to describe his feelings about the snub.
Leading the league in assists this season, Young has now earned his fourth All-Star selection. The All-Star Game, structured as a mini-tournament of three games, is scheduled for Sunday in San Francisco.
In his new role, Young will replace Antetokounmpo on Team Chuck, which was recently drafted by TNT analyst Charles Barkley. Antetokounmpo was one of the early picks in the selection of 24 players made by Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith.
Young’s team boasts a strong international presence, featuring players such as Nikola Jokic from Denver (Serbia), Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada), San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama (France), Indiana’s Pascal Siakam (Cameroon), Houston’s Alperen Sengun (Turkey), New York’s Karl-Anthony Towns (whose family has Dominican roots), and Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell (whose mother hails from Panama).
Young stands out as the top assist leader in the NBA, entering Monday’s games with an impressive average of 11.4 assists per game, significantly surpassing Jokic’s average of 10.3 per game.
This marks the second consecutive year that Young has been selected as an injury replacement for the All-Star Game, following his appearances in 2020 and 2022.
Davis exited his debut with the Mavericks on Saturday due to injury and is predicted to be out for several weeks. Irving, a recipient of the All-Star MVP title in 2014, is making his ninth appearance.
Irving will be joining Team Shaq, which also includes stars such as LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State’s Stephen Curry, Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Kevin Durant from Phoenix, Milwaukee’s Damian Lillard, and James Harden from the Los Angeles Clippers.
Team Kenny will feature other All-Stars, including Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards, New York’s Jalen Brunson, Memphis’ Jaren Jackson Jr., Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams, fellow Cleveland teammates Darius Garland and Evan Mobley, Cade Cunningham from Detroit, and Miami’s Tyler Herro.
