The NBA All-Star starters have been announced, with a mix of familiar faces and rising stars making the cut. In the East, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Karl-Anthony Towns, Jalen Brunson, and Donovan Mitchell will represent the conference. Meanwhile, the West will be represented by Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James.
LeBron James continues to set records with his 21st consecutive All-Star start, while Steph Curry will host the event for the weekend, marking his 11th All-Star appearance. Surprisingly, the New York Knicks are the only team with two All-Star starters, despite being in third place in the East.
Some notable snubs include LaMelo Ball from Charlotte, who led all Eastern guard voting from fans but didn’t make the cut, and Victor Wembanyama from the West, who narrowly missed out on a starting spot to Kevin Durant. The All-Star event, which is more than just one game this season, will take place on Feb. 16 at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
Fan voting accounted for 50% of the formula for selecting starters, with current NBA players and a media panel each accounting for 25%. The selection process led to some surprises, such as Jalen Brunson overtaking LaMelo Ball in the voting. The reserves for each conference will be chosen by the league’s head coaches, with the results set to be released on Jan. 30.
The new All-Star format introduces a mini-tournament with three teams composed of the 24 All-Star players and the winning team from the Rising Stars Challenge. TNT analysts Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O’Neal will act as honorary general managers, picking the teams on Feb. 6. The tournament will consist of two semifinals and a championship game, with the first team to reach 40 points declared the winner.
Mark Daigneault and Kenny Atkinson have secured spots as coaches for the All-Star event, leading their respective teams to first place in their conferences. Their assistants will also have coaching roles in the event. The prize money pool for the tournament is $1.8 million, with the champion team earning $125,000 per player.
As we look forward to the All-Star weekend, the anticipation grows to see which players will be named as reserves and how the new tournament format will play out on the court. Stay tuned for more updates as the event draws closer.
