Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has been named as the Western Conference captain and a starter for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game for the 20th consecutive season, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most in league history. LeBron was the leading vote-getter in the West and second-highest overall, trailing only Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
James will be joined in the Western Conference frontcourt by Denver Nuggets star and reigning NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic as well as Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant. In the backcourt for the West is Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks and Shai Gilgious-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, who was named a starter for the first time in his career.
In the East, it is Antetokounmpo being joined in the frontcourt by reigning regular season MVP Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers and Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics. The East guards also have another first-time starter in Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers, being joined by Antetokounmpo’s Bucks teammate Damian Lillard.
It has been another excellent season for James, who continues to redefine what a player at his age is capable of in the NBA. LeBron is averaging 24.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 7.4 assists while shooting 52% from the field and 39.1% from 3-point range, the second-highest mark of his career. James has also been mostly healthy this season, playing in 40 of the Lakers’ 45 games.
LeBron has had some truly outstanding performances this season. This includes a 40-point outing on the road against one of the top teams in the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder, not to mention back-to-back 30-point nights on the way to leading the Lakers to the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament Championship, in which he was named the first-ever In-Season Tournament MVP.
James’ Lakers teammate Anthony Davis just missed out on being named a starter. He was fourth in the frontcourt fan voting the whole way. While he wasn’t quite able to overtake either Jokic or Durant, Davis will likely be named an All-Star reserve. Here is how the voting shook out:
Three voting groups determined the starters:
▪️ Fans (50%)
▪️ NBA players (25%)
▪️ Media panel (25%)Complete voting results here: https://t.co/7NuxV72HZh
Below are the overall scores for the top finishers at each position. pic.twitter.com/nTZD7buDOG
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) January 26, 2024
This year, the All-Star Game will return to the traditional East vs. West format and without the top two vote-getters selecting their own teams. The game is scheduled to take place on Feb. 18 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Lakers’ LeBron James named finalist for 2024 USA Basketball Mens National Team
The NBA All-Star team may not be the only other team LeBron plays for in 2024 as the Lakers star was named a finalist for the USA Basketball Mens National Team that will play in the Olympic Games in Paris this summer.
There were 41 players named in the group with James being amongst them, as are a pair of his Lakers teammates in Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves. LeBron has spoken about his desire to make one last trip to the Olympics and it looks to be set in motion now.
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