The NBA All-Star Game is returning to its traditional East vs. West format after switching to the team captain format starting in 2018.
Thursday night, the starters for the game which will be held in Indianapolis on Feb. 18, were announced.
The announcement came on Inside the NBA before the game between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics, and the NBA shared the names to their social media accounts immediately after.
The Eastern Conference starters are Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo in his eighth appearance, Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard in his eighth appearance, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid in his seventh appearance, Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum in his fifth appearance, and Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton in his second appearance.
The Western Conference starters have plenty of combined experience, with Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James being named to his NBA-record 20th all-star team, Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant making his 14th appearance, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic making his sixth appearance, Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic making his fifth appearance, and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander making his second appearance.
James previously shared the record of 19 appearances with fellow Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who James passed last February to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. He also has a chance to be the first player in NBA history to win the All-Star Game MVP four times.
[NBA]