As expected, the Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James and the Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry have been voted as the NBA All-Star Game captains. James received most votes from fans and the media and finished second in players voting, while Curry got the most votes from the players and fans but finished second in the media voting. This means that the pair will be able to pick their own team from a pool of starters and reserves according to the new rules.
James will get to pick first since he ended up as the player with the highest number of votes. When asked about it, James didn’t want to reveal his picks, but he intends to make the best possible team.
“This is the reason they did this format, to make it very competitive,” – said James. “The All-Star Game hasn’t been what it should be the last few years. I’m going to take it upon myself, and obviously the rest of the guys to go out there and play the game the right way and compete. Our fans deserve it.“
Besides James, other Eastern Conference starters will be Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers), Kyrie Irving (Boston Celtics) and DeMar DeRozan (Toronto Raptors).
In the Western Conference, Stephen Curry will be joined by James Harden (Houston Rockets), Kevin Durant (Golden State Warriors) and New Orleans Pelicans duo Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins.
We will find out the reserves, selected by NBA head coaches, on Tuesday, while the full team rosters will be announced January 25. It is important to note that according to the new rules, each captain will be able to choose players regardless of the conference, which opens up possibilities for interesting combinations.
