Lakers’ James, Bucks’ Antetokounmpo named starters and captains for 2020 NBA All-Star Game

The Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James and the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo lead the list of 10 players – two guards and three frontcourt players from each conference – selected by fans,

The Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James and the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo lead the list of 10 players – two guards and three frontcourt players from each conference – selected by fans, current NBA players and a media panel to start in the 2020 NBA All-Star Game.

As the All-Star starters who led their respective conferences in fan votes during NBA All-Star Voting 2020 presented by Google, James and Antetokounmpo will serve as team captains and draft the All-Star Game rosters from the pool of players voted as starters and reserves in each conference.  The team rosters for the 69th NBA All-Star Game will be revealed on TNT in a special 2020 NBA All-Star Draft presented by Jordan Brand show on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. ET.

The 2020 NBA All-Star Game, featuring Team LeBron vs. Team Giannis, will take place on Sunday, Feb. 16 at the United Center in Chicago.  TNT and ESPN Radio will air the game live in the United States at 8 p.m. ET.  NBA All-Star 2020 will reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages.

Along with James (frontcourt), the Western Conference starter pool features the Lakers’ Anthony Davis (frontcourt), the Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Dončić (guard), the Houston Rockets’ James Harden (guard) and the LA Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard (frontcourt).

In the Eastern Conference, Antetokounmpo (frontcourt) is joined in the starter pool by the Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid (frontcourt), the Toronto Raptors’ Pascal Siakam (frontcourt), the Boston Celtics’ Kemba Walker (guard) and the Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young (guard).

James has been named an NBA All-Star for the 16th time, moving into sole possession of third place for the most selections in league history behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (19) and Kobe Bryant (18).  When he takes the court in Chicago, James will set the NBA record for All-Star starts with 16, one more than Bryant (15).

With Dončić, 20, and Young, 21, selected as starters, this marks the second time that an NBA All-Star Game will include multiple 21-and-under starters – a scenario that played out in the 1998 All-Star Game with Bryant (19) and Kevin Garnett (21).  The last time multiple second-year NBA players started the same All-Star Game, as Dončić and Young are set to do in Chicago, was the 1996 All-Star Game (Grant Hill and Jason Kidd).

The All-Star Game starters were announced tonight by TNT during the TNT NBA Tip-Off presented by Autotrader pregame show.  TNT will unveil the All-Star Game reserves (seven players from each conference), as selected by NBA head coaches, on Thursday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. ET during TNT NBA Tip-Off.

In the 2020 NBA All-Star Draft, James and Antetokounmpo will draft the eight remaining players from the starter pool in the First Round and then all 14 players from the reserve pool in the Second Round.  The captains will make their selections without regard to a player’s conference affiliation or position.

By virtue of being the top overall finisher in fan voting, James will make the first pick in the First Round (Starters) during the NBA All-Star Draft.  Antetokounmpo will have the first pick in the Second Round (Reserves).  After the first pick in a round, picks will alternate until all players in that round have been selected.

 

Fonte: NBA.

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