On Friday night, the NBA announced the ten starters for the 2024 All-Star Game in Indianapolis. LeBron James will be taking part for the 20th time, making him the sole record holder. Two players make their debut as starters
21 seasons in the NBA, 20 times All-Star: LeBron James continues to set records in the best basketball league in the world, even at the age of 39. The Los Angeles Lakers star was once again voted an All-Star in a vote in which fans, players and media representatives took part – the votes of the fans counted for 50 percent of the total, those of the players and journalists for 25 percent each.
This makes James the first player in NBA history to be invited to the event 20 times. Until recently, he shared the record with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with 19 All-Star selections each, but since Friday he has been the sole record holder.
Although James only finished second in the Western Conference behind Nikola Jokic in the voting by media representatives and players, the four-time champion received the most fan votes, which is why he leads the West All-Stars onto the pitch as captain. For the first time since 2017, the NBA is returning to the classic West vs East format in the All-Star Game.
Alongside James, the West starters are Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets, 6th All-Star appearance), Kevin Durant (Phoenix Suns, 14th), Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks, 5th) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder, 2nd). The 25-year-old guard was selected as a starter for the first time.
Lillard prevails against Brunson
The same goes for Tyrese Haliburton in the Eastern Conference. The guard of the up-and-coming Indiana Pacers is playing in the All-Star Game for the second time overall, and it is also his debut as a starter. In the backcourt, Damian Lillard (Milwaukee Bucks, 8th participation) also beat Knicks guard Jalen Brunson by a wafer-thin margin. The other starters are unsurprisingly Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics, 5th participation), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers, 7th) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks, 8th). The Greek leads the East starters as captain.
The remaining players for the 73rd All-Star Game, the reserves, will be announced next week on the night of February 2nd. The votes will come from the 30 head coaches. The All-Star weekend will take place from February 16-18 in Indianapolis, with the All-Star Game scheduled for the night of February 18-19 German time.
