Curry, Durant lead All-Star fan vote after 1st returns
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry and Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant lead the first return of fan balloting ahead of the 2022 All-Star Game, the league announced Thursday.
Joining Curry as the Western Conference's top vote-getters are the Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James and the Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic, the reigning MVP.
In the Eastern Conference's early returns, Durant is flanked by reigning Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and DeMar DeRozan, the Chicago Bulls newcomer.
Western Conference - Guards
| RANK | Player | Team | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stephen Curry | GSW | 2 584 623 |
| 2 | Luka Doncic | DAL | 787 690 |
| 3 | Ja Morant | MEM | 669 033 |
| 4 | Klay Thompson | GSW | 367 743 |
| 5 | Devin Booker | PHX | 338 526 |
| 6 | Chris Paul | PHX | 315 912 |
| 7 | Donovan Mitchell | UTA | 217 546 |
| 8 | Damian Lillard | POR | 211 352 |
| 9 | Russell Westbrook | LAL | 210 065 |
| 10 | Anthony Edwards | MIN | 128 863 |
Western Conference - Frontcourt
| Rank | Player | Team | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LeBron James | LAL | 2 018 725 |
| 2 | Nikola Jokic | DEN | 1 649 809 |
| 3 | Paul George | LAC | 1 072 591 |
| 4 | Andrew Wiggins | GSW | 933 355 |
| 5 | Draymond Green | GSW | 691 423 |
| 6 | Anthony Davis | LAL | 592 281 |
| 7 | Karl-Anthony Towns | MIN | 474 794 |
| 8 | Carmelo Anthony | LAL | 319 128 |
| 9 | Rudy Gobert | UTA | 218 819 |
| 10 | Deandre Ayton | PHX | 177 115 |
Eastern Conference - Guards
| Rank | Player | Team | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DeMar DeRozan | CHI | 1 487 598 |
| 2 | James Harden | BKN | 892 065 |
| 3 | Trae Young | ATL | 862 878 |
| 4 | Zach LaVine | CHI | 776 043 |
| 5 | LaMelo Ball | CHA | 422 247 |
| 6 | Kyrie Irving | BKN | 267 929 |
| 7 | Derrick Rose | NYK | 232 501 |
| 8 | Tyler Herro | MIA | 122 224 |
| 9 | Darius Garland | CLE | 119 399 |
| 10 | Fred VanVleet | TOR | 108 529 |
Eastern Conference - Frontcourt
| Rank | Player | Team | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kevin Durant | BKN | 2 360 435 |
| 2 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | MIL | 2 145 835 |
| 3 | Joel Embiid | PHI | 1 236 060 |
| 4 | Jayson Tatum | BOS | 643 970 |
| 5 | Jimmy Butler | MIA | 522 513 |
| 6 | Jarrett Allen | CLE | 168 019 |
| 7 | Bam Adebayo | MIA | 141 693 |
| 8 | Miles Bridges | CHA | 122 554 |
| 9 | LaMarcus Aldridge | BKN | 111 318 |
| 10 | Nikola Vucevic | CHI | 92 936 |
The fan vote, which accounts for 50% of final vote weighting, will conclude Jan. 22. Current players and a media panel contribute 25% each to the final vote. Starters will be announced Jan. 27, while reserves - selected by NBA head coaches - will be announced Feb. 3.
The game is slated for Feb. 20 in Cleveland.