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The Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James and the Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant lead the list of 10 players who have been selected by fans, current NBA players and a media panel to start in the 2021 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, March 7 (Monday, March 8, Philippine time) at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
As the NBA All-Star Game starters who led their respective conferences in fan votes, James and Durant will serve as team captains for the Team LeBron vs Team Durant matchup and draft the rosters from the pool of players voted as starters and reserves in each conference.
The All-Star Game starters comprise of 2 guards and 3 frontcourt players in each conference, while the reserves, featuring 7 players from each conference as selected by NBA head coaches, will be unveiled on February 23.
Along with James (frontcourt), the Western Conference starter pool includes the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (guard), the Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Dončić (guard), the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokić (frontcourt) and the LA Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard (frontcourt).
In the Eastern Conference, Durant (frontcourt) is joined in the starter pool by the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo (frontcourt), the Washington Wizards’ Bradley Beal (guard), the Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid (frontcourt) and the Nets’ Kyrie Irving (guard).
A record 5 international players have been voted NBA All-Star Game starters: Antetokounmpo (Greece), Dončić (Slovenia), Embiid (Cameroon), Irving (Australia) and Jokić (Serbia). The previous record was 4, which was set last year.
Mini bubble
The All-Star Game – and every event associated with the festivities – will be condensed into one day for the first time.
There also will be no fan activities or hospitality functions that usually accompany the festivities.
The skills challenge and three-point contest will precede the All-Star Game, with the slam dunk contest taking place at halftime, the league announced.
The game also will follow the same format as last year, with the teams competing to win each quarter and playing to a final target score during the untimed 4th quarter.
The league and the National Basketball Players Association are buoying health and safety protocols with private travel to and from Atlanta and the creation of a “mini bubble” within a single hotel for players and coaches. There will also be enhanced testing for COVID-19, the league said.
Further, the league and the NBPA will commit $2.5 million to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and the fight against COVID-19.
“NBA All-Star in Atlanta will continue our annual tradition of celebrating the game and the greatest players in the world before a global audience,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement.
“In addition to the festivities on the court, the All-Star Game will honor the vital role HBCUs play in our communities and focus attention and resources on COVID-19 relief, particularly for the most vulnerable.”
First time
James trails only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (19 times) and Kobe Bryant (18) in number of All-Star selections. He is averaging 25.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game this season.
Jokic (third appearance) is averaging 27.4 points, 11.1 rebounds and 8.6 assists while Leonard (fifth) is scoring 26.7 points per game. Curry (seventh) ranks second in the NBA with a 30.0 scoring average and Doncic (second) is averaging 29.1 points, 9.4 assists and 8.6 rebounds.
Durant is back in the contest after missing all of last season due to an Achilles injury. He is averaging 29.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists. Irving (seventh) is averaging 28.3 points per game.
Beal is making his third appearance but is a starter for the first time. He is averaging 32.8 points per game.
“It is truly an honor to be selected to start in the All-Star Game for the first time in my career,” Beal said in a statement. “I want to thank the fans, media and players for selecting me to represent the Wizards organization during the All-Star festivities in Atlanta. I also want to thank my teammates, coaches, the entire organization, and our fans who are still supporting us through this unprecedented season.”
Antetokounmpo (fifth) is the two-time reigning regular-season MVP. He is averaging 28.2 points, 11.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists. Embiid (fourth) is fourth in the NBA in scoring (29.7) while also averaging 10.8 rebounds.
Voting formula
The voting formula for starters consisted of fan balloting counting as 50% with player and media voting each counting as 25%.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard being bypassed as a starting guard. Lillard, who ranks third in the NBA with a 29.8 scoring average, tied with Doncic for a West starting spot.
Fan balloting was used as the tiebreaker. Doncic ranked second in the Western Conference backcourt voting by the fans and Lillard was third.
There has been criticism of the NBA holding an All-Star Game during the coronavirus pandemic, but Silver defended staging the contest during an appearance on TNT.
“All-Star is the No. 1 fan engagement event of the entire season for the league,” the commissioner said.
“It’s been a 70-year tradition and something like 100 million people will vote for All-Stars … For us, All-Stars is part of the league, no different than the games we played. It begins and ends with the fans. This is an event our fans love to see. Nothing comes without controversy during a pandemic.” – with a report from Reuters
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