LeBron, Top Vote-Getter Giannis Lead NBA All-Star Starters

LeBron James extended his record to 21 All-Star appearances Thursday night as he was once again named the starter for this year’s midseason showcase of the NBA’s biggest names.

James, who turned 40 last month, extended his record after surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 19 appearances last season. He will be joined in the Western Conference starting lineup by Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, the reigning NBA most valuable player; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant, who is tied for fourth-most appearances with 15; Oklahoma City Thunder Guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander; and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry.

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, led all players in fan voting for a second straight season and was joined by Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell and New York Knicks teammates Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns in the Eastern Conference Start five.

James, who was scheduled to face Tatum and the Celtics later Thursday, averaged 23.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 9 assists for the Lakers, who remain in sixth place in the Western Conference standings, a production level unprecedented for a player his player his player age. Durant, meanwhile, joins Hall of Famers Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and Shaquille O’Neal with 15 All-Star selections, behind James, Abdul-Jabbar and the late Kobe Bryant (18) in NBA history.

Jokic, making his seventh All-Star appearance, is having another stellar season for the Nuggets, averaging 30.1 points, 13.2 rebounds and 9.9 assists while shooting 56% overall and 47% from range at 3 points. Curry returns to the starting lineup after serving as a reserve last year as the game will be played at his home base in San Francisco. He’s making his 11th appearance overall, passing injured Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic in recent weeks in the only close vote among Western selections.

There certainly hasn’t been any drama about Gilgeous-Alexander returning to the starting lineup for a second straight season. Fresh off his first 50-point game Wednesday night against the Utah Jazz, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 32 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.1 assists for the Western Thunder.

In the East, Antetokounmpo, now an All-Star for the ninth time, led the way. It was the sixth appearance for Tatum and Mitchell, who were widely expected to be starters alongside Antetokounmpo, as was Towns, who started the All-Star Game for the first time in his career during his first season in New York after having done so four times as a reserve during his first nine seasons in the league with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Starting lineups are chosen from a hybrid voting system, with 50% of votes coming from fan ballots, and 25% from media and fans.

The only starting spot that really felt up for grabs entering Thursday’s reveal was the East’s second starter alongside Mitchell in the East backcourt. In the mix were Brunson, Charlotte Hornets guard Lamelo Ball — who finished with the most votes among East guards — and Bucks guard Damian Lillard.

In the end, it was Brunson who got the spot.

The seven reserves from each conference will be revealed next Thursday on TNT, with coaches from each conference voting on all of them.

This year’s All-Star Game coaches will be Mark Daignault of the Thunder and Kenny Atkinson of the Cavaliers. Due to the change in format this season – which has the 24 All-Stars divided into three teams, and the winning team in the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday night – assistant coaches from The Thunder and Cavaliers will coach two of the two teams.