The NBA All-Star Game starters announcement had a familiar feel at the top of the bill with LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo named Thursday night as captains for the Western and Eastern conferences.
The game will be played at 6 p.m. on Feb. 16 at the United Center in Chicago.
For the second straight year, James and Antetokounmpo will face off during the All-Star draft, which will take place Feb. 6.
The pool of players they will select from, however, is representative of a season that has seen radical change and a rash of injuries. With stars such as Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson dealing with major injuries, James and Antetokounmpo will have a new crop of potential teammates.
The 10 starters, who were announced during a TNT broadcast of “Inside the NBA,” matched a trend hammered home in the early returns of All-Star fan voting, which accounts for 50% of the starters’ selection. The remaining half is determined by current players and media members.
In those earlier reports, usual suspects Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard and James Harden were joined by a long list of first-timers. The Mavericks’ Luka Doncic, the Raptors’ Pascal Siakam and the Hawks’ Trae Young were selected as starters for their first appearance in the league’s main event.
Bulls star Zach LaVine, who fared well in early returns but was not picked as a starter, could be added to the rosters Jan. 30, when reserve selections made by NBA coaches will be announced on TNT.
Here are the starters available for the Lakers’ James and the Bucks’ Antetokounmpo to select.
Western Conference
Mavericks guard Luka Doncic
Lakers center Anthony Davis
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard
Rockets guard James Harden
Eastern Conference
Raptors forward Pascal Siakam
76ers center Joel Embiid
Hawks guard Trae Young
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Celtics guard Kemba Walker