LeBron James extended his record to 21 All-Star selections Thursday night when he was again named a starter for this year’s midseason showcase of the NBA’s biggest names.
James, who turned 40 last month, extended his record after surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 19 selections last season.
He will be joined in the Western Conference starting lineup by Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, the NBA’s reigning Most Valuable Player; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant, who is tied for the fourth-most selections with 15; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander; and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry.
Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, led all players in fan voting for a second straight season and was joined by Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell and New York Knicks teammates Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns in the Eastern Conference starting five.
The starting lineups are chosen from a hybrid voting system, with 50% of the vote coming from fan ballots, and 25% from both the media and current players.
The seven reserves from each conference will be unveiled next Thursday on TNT, based on voting by each conference’s coaches.
The coaches for this year’s All-Star Game will be Mark Daignault from the Thunder and Kenny Atkinson from the Cavaliers.
