James is the first 20-time All-Star in NBA history. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, whose career scoring record was broken by James last season, was a 19-time selection.
LeBron James joined yet another exclusive club, and he ’ll have plenitude of familiar faces alongside him at this season’s NBA All- Star Game.
James is now an All- Star — and an All- Star starter — for the 20th time, with the league unveiling the results of this season’s starter balloting on Thursday night. James is the first 20- time All- Star in NBA history. Kareem Abdul- Jabbar, whose career scoring record was broken by James last season, was a 19- time selection.
This time’s game is February 18 in Indianapolis.
Joining James in the Western Conference starting lineup Phoenix’s Kevin Durant, Denver’s Nikola Jokic, Dallas ’ Luka Doncic and Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous- Alexander, the league’s leader in 30- point games this season who edged imperishable each-Star starter Stephen Curry of Golden State for the final West backcourt spot. Durant is a 14- time selection now, one of only 11 players in NBA history to be picked that numerous times.
In the Eastern Conference, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo will be joined by Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid — the reigning NBA MVP, two- time defending scoring champion and current NBA scoring leader — in the frontcourt. Tatum set an All- Star Game record last season, scoring 55 points in the contest at Salt Lake City on the way to MVP honors.
The East guards are Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton who ’ll be a starter on his home bottom — and Milwaukee’s Damian Lillard.
“You no way want to take it for granted, right? ” Tatum told TNT, which broadcast the unearthing of the starters before Boston’s game in Miami. “ There’s 450 guys in the league and for the suckers to constantly bounce me, it’s truly an honor. It’s commodity I don’t take for granted. I grew up wanting to be in All- Star weekend every time and to live out that dream in real time is enough cool. ”
Among the lights not picked as starters Curry, Boston’s Jaylen Brown, New York’s Jalen Brunson, Atlanta’s Trae Young, Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell, Miami’s Bam Adebayo, the Los Angeles Lakers ’ Anthony Davis, Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox, Phoenix’s Devin Booker, the Los Angeles Clippers ’ Kawhi Leonard, Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey and Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards.
The starters are named through a formula where addict voting counts for 50, advancing by players themselves counts for 25 and voting by a panel of pens and broadcasters who cover the NBA counts for the other 25.
The reserves, to be blazoned on Feb. 1, are chosen in a vote of the league’s head trainers. Any additions to the registries, should a player be unfit to share because of injury or another reason, will be made by Commissioner Adam Silver.
There are veritably many players in the U.S. major pro sports to be named as an All- Star, or its original, in 20 different seasons. James is the first to have that distinction in the NBA. He joins hockey’s Gordie Howe and a triad of baseball players Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Stan Musial — on that list.
Howe was a 23- time pick for the NHL All- Star Game. Aaron was a Major League Baseball All- Star in 21 different seasons, while Mays and Musial were in 20 seasons each. Mickey Mantle played in 20 baseball each-Star games over 16 seasons as a selection; some baseball seasons featured two All- Star contests.
This time’s All- Star Game goes back to the traditional Eastvs. West format, which was employed in the first 66 NBA midseason classics. The most recent six saw the commanding vote- getters from each conference serve as captains who got to draft their brigades; James served as one of the captains all six times, with Antetokounmpo the other captain three times, Durant doubly and Curry formerly.
But that format is gone, as is the ‘ target score ’ format that featured an untimed fourth quarter in the last four All- Star Games. The winner of those games was the first platoon to reach whatever the leading platoon had after three diggings, plus 24 points — the 24 being a nod to Kobe Bryant’s last jersey number. This time, it ’ll be a regular game with overtime if necessary.
League officers said entering the season that they’ve been stressing to players the significance of perfecting the quality of the All- Star Game. According to Sports Media Watch, last time’s game equaled around4.6 million observers across TNT and TBS — the smallest number since that stat started being collected.
“When you turn on an NBA All- Star Game, I suppose people anticipate to see some competition, ” Joe Dumars, the league’s administrative vice chairman and head of basketball operations said as the season started. Know More Latest News…
