Lakers forward LeBron James tied Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Thursday with his 19th NBA All-Star selection. James, who currently shares the record with Abdul-Jabbar for most All-Star Games played with 18, was chosen as a starter, according to a league press release.
All of the starters were revealed on Thursday night.
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, Warriors guard Stephen Curry and Mavericks guard Luka Doncic were the other starters chosen out of the Western Conference. James will serve as a team captain for the sixth straight year, since he received the most votes.
Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, named a team captain for the third time, heads the list of starters out of the Eastern Conference. Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, Nets forward Kevin Durant, Nets guard Kyrie Irving, and Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell will join him, but the league’s second-leading scorer, Sixers center Joel Embiid (33.4 PPG), didn’t garner enough votes.
The starters are selected by a weighted voting process with the fan vote accounting for half of the final outcome. The player and media portions of the vote each counted for 25 percent. Three frontcourt players and two guards were selected from each conference.
Embiid finished third in the player and media voting among Eastern Conference frontcourt players but fourth in the fan voting. All voting results can be found here.
The game will be played Feb. 19 in Salt Lake City. James and Antetokounmpo will choose their teams shortly before the game begins. James will set the league record for most All-Star appearances if he plays, since Abdul-Jabbar did not play in the 1973 game after being chosen.
The reserves, which are chosen by the league’s coaches, will be announced Feb. 2.
I support Embiid
2nd seed is 2nd seed
Wins is everything
Yawn.
How in the hell is shai not a starter
Cause of Curry & Luka, that’s why.
In the East, he might have gotten Kyrie’s spot.
But he’ll get in with the reserves this year. And later on in his careeer he might get a start, just like Spida Mitchell.
Even then Morant would’ve gotten the nod over SGA, at it’s heart the All-Star game is still a popularity contest and it should be. It happened to Embiid as well. He’s having a better season than Giannis but didn’t get in because of Durant and Tatum.
correct, with Currys missed games and little bit of struggle since returning, he should have started over curry but no way nba world let’s that happen if he’s healthy.
SGA should be starting if all was fair though.
At least Durant isn’t leading still while United for a third year in a row
Injured
Fat Zion named a starter, after missing half the season so far with injuries, once more puts the utter stupidity of the fan vote on display.
If the media anointed Lionel Messi the GOAT of basketball, the slug-brained plebs would make him a NBA All-Star starter.
Who cares? It’s a meaningless exhibition game that’s MUCH more for the fans than the players. Is it a popularity contest? Of course. Should it be? Of course.
I would rather watch Pistons-Rockets then the All Star game. I haven’t seen it in decades.
What snub for Embiid that is really embarrassing for the league!!!
EC starters…
Kyrie, Harden, KD, Giannis & Embiid
Subs…
JT, Siakam, Randle, DeRozan, Haliburton, Bam & Butler (Mitchell & Vucevic if KD & Haliburton can’t make it)
WC starters…
Luka, Shai, LBJ, AD & Jokic
Subs…
Sabonis, Curry, Dame, Zion, Lauri, Ja & KAT (Booker, PG13 & Fox if Luka, Zion & KAT can’t make it)
This is what I get for not voting. At the same time Embiid will be an all star regardless and probably the first pick when Giannis and Lebron pick. He might even still be a starter based on injuries.
Ya he was one vote short we were all looking for you but couldn’t find you
The problem isn’t fans voting— it’s the fact that they can vote everyday or more than once.
Just like voting for president
I’m surprised yao didn’t get in
Whats the odds of LeBron selecting Kyrie Irving considering they are former teammates and he’s set to hit Free Agency this offseason ..…
Who does the voting. And why do they get the same people every year to be captains. Give everyone a chance at it,