Giannis, LeBron headline NBA All-Star starters
Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James will serve as the captains for next month's All-Star Game in Chicago after finishing as the leading vote-getters for the Eastern and Western Conference, respectively.
The pair captured the honor last season, too.
Pascal Siakam, Joel Embiid, Kemba Walker, and Trae Young join Antetokounmpo as the other Eastern Conference starters.
Walker finished third among guards in fan voting but pulled ahead of Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving as the top-ranked backcourt player among his peers and the media.
Eastern Conference starters
| Position | Player | All-Star Appearance |
|---|---|---|
| F | Giannis Antetokounmpo | 4th |
| F | Pascal Siakam | 1st |
| F | Joel Embiid | 3rd |
| G | Kemba Walker | 4th |
| G | Trae Young | 1st |
The West's frontcourt features an L.A. trio with Anthony Davis and Kawhi Leonard joining James. Luka Doncic and James Harden make up the backcourt.
Western Conference starters
| Position | Player | All-Star Appearance |
|---|---|---|
| F | LeBron James | 16th |
| F | Anthony Davis | 7th |
| F | Kawhi Leonard | 4th |
| G | Luka Doncic | 1st |
| G | James Harden | 8th |
James passes Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett with the third-most All-Star selections in NBA history. The three-time Finals MVP leads all players this season with 10.8 assists per game.
Doncic and Young are just the second pair of players age 21 or younger to start an All-Star Game, according to NBA PR.
Starters were once again selected based on aggregate balloting, combining fan votes (50%), media votes (25%), and NBA player choices (25%).
The reserves are chosen by the coaches and will be revealed Jan. 30.
James and Antetokounmpo will draft their rosters Feb. 6 from the pool of starters and reserves. The former will pick first as he received more votes.