LeBron’s All-Star streak at 22 years. Duren, Powell, Johnson, Murray, Holmgren, Avdija 1st-timers
LeBron James is an All-Star again, extending his record streak of selections.
James was a pick for the 22nd consecutive year, one of 14 players who were announced Sunday as reserves for the Feb. 15 midseason showcase that’ll take place at the Los Angeles Clippers’ arena in Inglewood, California.
James is the All-Star record holder in a number of categories. Among them: his still-active streak of consecutive selections, along with 20 All-Star appearances and 434 points in those contests.
The Los Angeles Lakers star was not chosen as a starter this season in the process that includes voting from fans, media and other players. NBA coaches choose the reserves and, if necessary, Commissioner Adam Silver will select any additional players necessary for the All-Star rosters should someone need to be replaced because of injury.
James did not play in last season’s All-Star event because of injury.
The reserves from the Eastern Conference: Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell, New York’s Karl-Anthony Towns, Indiana’s Pascal Siakam, Toronto’s Scottie Barnes, Detroit’s Jalen Duren, Miami’s Norman Powell and Atlanta’s Jalen Johnson.
And from the Western Conference, along with James: Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards, Denver’s Jamal Murray, Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren, Houston’s Kevin Durant, Phoenix’s Devin Booker and Portland’s Deni Avdija.
Duren, Powell, Johnson, Murray, Holmgren and Avdija were first-time selections.
This season’s All-Star Game has a tournament format — U.S. vs. The World, with three teams of at least eight players going head to head in 12-minute games. Each team is guaranteed two games in the round-robin event, with the best two meeting again in a championship game.
Starters previously announced
The players chosen last month as starters: Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Boston’s Jaylen Brown, Detroit’s Cade Cunningham, Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey, New York’s Jalen Brunson, Golden State’s Stephen Curry, the Lakers’ Luka Doncic, Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Denver’s Nikola Jokic and San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama.
Antetokounmpo will miss a few weeks with a calf injury, so it would seem unlikely that he plays. Silver would pick a replacement for Antetokounmpo if he pulls out.
Brown, Cunningham, Maxey, Brunson and Curry would figure to be part of the two U.S. teams. Doncic, Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokic and Wembanyama would play for the World team.
The “starter” designation is a bit of a misnomer, since there will be at least 15 players who start for the three teams. By NBA rule, 10 players are chosen as official starters and the 14 others will be listed as reserves.
Coaches
Detroit’s J.B. Bickerstaff will coach one of the All-Star teams. Either San Antonio’s Mitch Johnson or Denver’s David Adelman will coach another — that will be decided by results of games on Sunday — and the NBA has not revealed how the coach of the third team will be decided.
Bickerstaff earned his nod because the Pistons lead the Eastern Conference. Johnson or Adelman will go by having the best record in the Western Conference among eligible coaches; Oklahoma City’s Mark Daigneault coaches the team with the West’s best record, but he cannot coach the All-Star Game this year because he coached at the event last season.
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