angels, NBA superstars LeBron James (Lakers) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks) will face each other for the third time as captains of the All-Star Game teams, while Cameroonian Joel Embiid (Sixers) was the legend who was left out of the starting quintet. went. ,
The NBA announced this Thursday the 10 players who will begin exhibition games on February 19 at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, home of the Utah Jazz.
The nominations were the result of votes from fans, who had a 50% weight in the election, journalists (25%) and players (25%).
At the age of 38, LeBron James was voted the most by fans in the West, so he will captain a team, as he has done in the previous five editions of the All-Star, with the full five coming this season. format was used. Trumpet.
‘King James’, who averaged 29.9 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, added his nineteenth selection for the event, equaling the record of the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, whom he is also close to surpassing in the all-time ranking of the NBA’s top Huh. scorer.
In addition to forwards, point guards Stephen Curry (Warriors) and Luka Doncic (Mavericks) and centers Nikola Jokic (Nuggets) and Zion Williamson (Pelicans) will also start games for the Western Conference, who snatched that spot at the last minute. From Anthony Davis (Lakers).
The 22-year-old Williamson is one of the league’s most prolific players, averaging 26 points, 7 rebounds and 4.6 assists, but has only played in 29 of the Pelicans’ 49 games due to injury.
For the former, Antetokounmpo was the player with the most votes and will captain a team for the third time after the 2019 and 2020 editions, in which he lost to Team LeBron.
Other players in this conference who will start as starters are point guard Kyrie Irving (Nets), guard Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers) and forwards Jayson Tatum (Celtics) and Kevin Durant (Nets).
Joel Embiid, who is averaging 33.4 points per game (second best in the league) and 9.8 rebounds, was left out of the starting five as Antetokounmpo, Tatum and Durant filled the Big Man spots in the past.
Other stars of the league, such as Ja Morant (Grizzlies), Damian Lillard (Blazers), James Harden (Sixers) or Anthony Davis, will have to wait to be selected as substitutes in the votes of the coaches themselves.
For the first time, the roster will be selected by the two captains shortly before the start of the game in Salt Lake City.
