LeBron James, first-timers Ja Morant, Andrew Wiggins named NBA All-Star starters
NEW YORK — LeBron James will return to Cleveland as an All-Star Game captain, and Ja Morant and Andrew Wiggins are headed there as first-time selections.
MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets and Warriors superstar Stephen Curry joined them Thursday as the other players voted as starters from the Western Conference.
The starters from the East were Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid in the frontcourt, along with Atlanta’s Trae Young and Chicago’s DeMar DeRozan.
James and Durant, as the leading vote-getters in each conference, will be the captains who draft players for the rosters for the Feb. 20 game in Cleveland.
James, who began his NBA career with the Cavaliers in 2003 and led them to the 2016 championship during his second stint there, was chosen as an All-Star for the 18th straight time. He has been a captain every year since the league went away from the East vs. West format.
Durant’s availability for the game is in doubt because of a sprained knee ligament. He was voted a starter for the 10th time, while Antetokounmpo was voted in for a sixth consecutive time, tying Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s franchise record for selections.
The timing of Anthony Davis’ return from an injury, with the Lakers needing to slow down 76ers center Joel Embiid on Thursday, couldn’t be better.
Embiid was voted a starter for the fifth straight season, the longest streak by a 76ers player since Allen Iverson was chosen seven straight times from 2000-06.
Fan ballots accounted for 50% of the vote, with a media panel and current players each accounting for 25%.
Morant, the No. 2 pick behind Zion Williamson in the 2019 draft, was rewarded for having Memphis a surprising third in the Western Conference. Averaging 25.8 points, 6.9 assists and 5.9 rebounds, he joins Marc Gasol as the only Grizzlies players voted All-Star starters.
“Blessed & Thankful,” he wrote on Twitter in thinking his fans.
Wiggins was the most surprising selection. The No. 1 pick of the 2014 draft has blossomed since being traded to Golden State two years ago and is averaging 18.1 points for the team with the league’s second-best record.
Reserves for the game, voted on by the head coaches in each conference, will be announced on Feb. 3.
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