By Stefan Djordjevic / sdjordjevic@eurohoops.net
The 2021 NBA All-Star weekend in Atlanta is on the schedule in the next few days and the captains in LeBron James and Kevin Durant took their picks for the game.
James had the first turn, choosing Giannis Antetokounmpo and following up with Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, and Steph Curry for the starting lineup.
“That’s the starting five? Yeah, it’s over guys. Me, LeBron, Luka, Jokic, and Steph? Man, that’s a good starting five,” Giannis said about the picks.
The back-to-back MVP was on the opposite side of LeBron for the past couple of years but they will play together this time around as they did back in 2017.
“He just makes plays. Most of the time you’re just wide open and I’ve never been used to that with somebody else creating the attention and me being wide open all the time,” Giannis said on playing alongside the Lakers star.
They will go against Kyrie Irving, Joel Embiid, Kawhi Leonard, Bradley Beal, and Jayson Tatum who is replacing the injured Durant in the game.
In addition to the three Europeans in the starting five, LeBron also picked up Domantas Sabonis and Rudy Gobert while the only European on the opposite side will be Nikola Vucevic.
LeBron also chose Damian Lillard, Ben Simmons, Chris Paul, Jaylen Brown, Paul George while KD completed his team with James Harden, Devin Booker, Zion Williamson, Zach LaVine, and Julius Randle.