Kobe, Curry headline West All-Star starters
Kobe Bryant received nearly 1.9 million fan votes in being named to his 18th career All-Star team on Thursday, with Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and Kawhi Leonard rounding out the Western Conference's starting lineup.
Bryant hasn't actually played in the mid-February classic since 2013 due to injuries. He'll make his final All-Star appearance with only two months remaining in his legendary, 20-year career.
Related: LeBron, Wade lead East All-Star starters
Leonard overtook Draymond Green in the final round of balloting after trailing the Golden State Warriors forward by over 12,000 votes as of Jan. 14. Leonard also edged out Green for Defensive Player of the Year last season.
Curry becomes the first Warriors player to start three consecutive All-Star games since Rick Barry in the mid-1970s.
| Position | Players | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| F | Kobe Bryant | 1891614 |
| F | Kevin Durant | 980787 |
| F | Kawhi Leonard | 782339 |
| G | Russell Westbrook | 1604325 |
| G | Stephen Curry | 772009 |
Zaza Pachulia of the Dallas Mavericks led a late charge, surpassing Green in frontcourt balloting, but finished just 14,227 votes behind Leonard.