LeBron James has earned his 19th All-Star selection in 20 NBA seasons, tying Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most in league history. He also became the only player to be selected 19 straight times.
It’ll be Team LeBron vs. Team Giannis when the 2023 NBA All-Star game tips off Feb. 19 in Salt Lake City, as the NBA announced the captains and the eight other All-Star Game starters Thursday night.
The Los Angeles Lakers star will serve as a captain for the sixth straight year after receiving the most votes of any player in the Western Conference; Team LeBron has won the past five All-Star games.
Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo will serve as the Eastern Conference’s captain for the third time and the first time since 2020.
The other four starters coming out of the Eastern Conference are Brooklyn Nets teammates Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum and Cleveland Cavaliers standout Donovan Mitchell.
From the West, two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets), Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks), Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors) and Zion Williamson (New Orleans Pelicans) will be starters.
For the first time, the captains will draft their teams right before the game.
All 10 starters have appeared in an All-Star Game before. Durant will make his 13th appearance, Curry his ninth.
Fan ballots accounted for half the vote to determine the 10 starters. Current players and a media panel accounted for 25 percent apiece. All-Star reserves, as picked by the league’s head coaches, will be announced Feb. 2.
–Field Level Media