LeBron James is once again an All-Star, extending his record for consecutive selections.
James was chosen for the 22nd straight year, one of 14 players who were announced Sunday as reserves for the Feb. 15 midseason show at the Los Angeles Clippers’ stadium in Inglewood, California.
James is the All-Star Game record holder in several categories. Among them: his still-active streak of consecutive selections, along with 20 All-Star appearances and 434 points in those games.
The Los Angeles Lakers star was not chosen as a starter this season in the process that includes voting by fans, media and other players. Reserves are chosen by NBA coaches and, if necessary, Commissioner Adam Silver will select any additional players needed for the All-Star teams in case someone needs to be replaced due to injury.
James did not play in last season’s All-Star event due to injury.
Eastern Conference reserves: Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell; Karl-Anthony Towns, of New York; Pascal Siakam, of Indiana; Scottie Barnes, of Toronto; Detroit’s Jalen Duren; Norman Powell, from Miami and Jalen Johnson, from Atlanta.
And from the Western Conference, along with James: Anthony Edwards, of Minnesota; Jamal Murray, of Denver; Chet Holmgren of Oklahoma City; Kevin Durant, of Houston; Devin Booker, from Phoenix and Deni Avdija, from Portland.
Duren, Powell, Johnson, Murray, Holmgren and Avdija were selected for the first time.
This season’s All-Star Game has a tournament format: United States vs. El Mundo, with three teams of at least eight players facing each other in 12-minute games. Each team is guaranteed two games in the round-robin event, with the top two facing off again in a championship game.
Previously Announced Starters Players chosen last month as starters: Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo; Jaylen Brown, of Boston; Cade Cunningham, of Detroit; Tyrese Maxey, of Philadelphia; Jalen Brunson, of New York; Stephen Curry, of Golden State; Luka Doncic, of the Lakers; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City; Nikola Jokic, from Denver and Victor Wembanyama, from San Antonio.
Antetokounmpo will miss a few weeks with a calf injury, so it seems unlikely he will play. Silver would choose a replacement for Antetokounmpo if he retires.
Brown, Cunningham, Maxey, Brunson and Curry would be part of the two United States teams. Doncic, Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokic and Wembanyama would play for the World team.
The “starter” designation is a bit misleading, as there will be at least 15 players starting for all three teams. By NBA rule, ten players are chosen as official starters and the other 14 will be listed as reserves.
Coaches Detroit’s JB Bickerstaff will coach one of the All-Star teams. San Antonio’s Mitch Johnson or Denver’s David Adelman will coach someone else, that will be decided by the results of Sunday’s games, and the NBA has not revealed how the third team’s coach will be decided.
Bickerstaff won his job because the Pistons lead the Eastern Conference. Johnson or Adelman will be chosen for having the best record in the Western Conference among eligible coaches; Oklahoma City’s Mark Daigneault coaches the team with the best record in the West, but he can’t coach the All-Star Game this year because he coached in the event last season.
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