Team LeBron and Team Durant made their NBA All-Star Draft selections Thursday night, setting the stage for an exciting showdown on Feb. 20 in Cleveland.
Below is each side's roster, starting with Team LeBron.
| Team LeBron | Players in order of selection |
|---|---|
| F | Giannis Antetokounmpo * |
| G | Stephen Curry * |
| F | DeMar DeRozan * |
| C | Nikola Jokic * |
| G | Luka Doncic |
| G | Darius Garland |
| G | Chris Paul |
| F | Jimmy Butler |
| G | Donovan Mitchell |
| G | Fred VanVleet |
| G | James Harden |
* - denotes starter
LeBron James opted to select Giannis Antetokounmpo, the league's reigning Finals MVP, with his first pick. It marked the second straight year the Lakers star drafted the Greek Freak using his top selection. James picked first for being the top overall vote-getter among All-Stars.
Kevin Durant then honed in on Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid as his opening draft choice. He'd later select Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker as the first reserve off the board.
| Team Durant | Players in order of selection |
|---|---|
| C | Joel Embiid * |
| G | Ja Morant * |
| F | Jayson Tatum * |
| G | Trae Young * |
| F | Andrew Wiggins * |
| G | Devin Booker |
| C | Karl-Anthony Towns |
| G | Zach LaVine |
| G | Dejounte Murray |
| F | Khris Middleton |
| G | LaMelo Ball |
| C | Rudy Gobert |
Jayson Tatum took Durant's starting spot, as the latter will be unavailable for the game because of an MCL sprain.
The most dramatic moment of the televised draft came when James Harden, Durant's recently traded ex-teammate in Brooklyn, was one of the final two reserves available to select. Durant opted to choose Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert over his former co-star, leaving James to select Harden last.
Each team will be representing a respective charity in the game. Team LeBron will play for the Kent State I Promise Scholars Program, while Team Durant is repping Greater Cleveland Food Bank.
