LeBron, Durant headline 2020-21 NBA All-Star starters
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James and Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant will serve as captains for next month's All-Star Game in Atlanta, it was announced Thursday on TNT.
All 10 starters were also revealed:
Eastern Conference
| Position | Player | All-Star Appearance |
|---|---|---|
| F | Joel Embiid | 4th |
| F | Kevin Durant | 11th |
| F | Giannis Antetokounmpo | 5th |
| G | Kyrie Irving | 7th |
| G | Bradley Beal | 3rd |
Durant and Kyrie Irving were the only pair of teammates selected as starters this season.
Meanwhile, after controversially missing out on the annual showcase last season, Washington Wizards' three-time All-Star Bradley Beal was recognized as a starter for the first time in his career.
Western Conference
| Position | Player | All-Star Appearance |
|---|---|---|
| F | LeBron James | 17th |
| F | Nikola Jokic | 3rd |
| F | Kawhi Leonard | 5th |
| G | Stephen Curry | 7th |
| G | Luka Doncic | 2nd |
James was named a captain for the fourth consecutive season as the West's leading vote-getter. His 17 All-Star appearances trail only Kobe Bryant (18) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (19) on the all-time list, while his 17 All-Star starts rank as the most all time.
Luka Doncic narrowly edged out Damian Lillard in the fan-vote tiebreaker to earn his second consecutive starting nod. Doncic finished second in fan voting, while Lillard received the second-highest vote total by players and media. The Trail Blazers didn't hide their displeasure:
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) February 19, 2021
Starters were selected based on a combination of fan votes (50%), media votes (25%), and selections by NBA players (25%).
All-Star reserves from each conference will be revealed on Feb. 23. Team captains will then select each team during an All-Star draft on March 4 prior to the game on March 7.