By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Giannis Antetokounnmpo and Nikola Jokic has been voted in the East and the West respectively as starters for the 2022 NBA All-Star game on Sunday, Feb. 20 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.
For the Greek Freak, this is the sixth All-Star selection. In his ninth NBA season, the league’s two-time Most Valuable Player and reigning NBA Finals Most Valuable Player is averaging 28.6 points (4th in NBA), 11.2 rebounds (7th in NBA), a career-high 6.0 assists (20th in NBA), 1.45 blocks (T-9th in NBA) and 1.0 steal per game while shooting 53.1% from the field (13th in NBA). He’s one of only three players to rank inside the league’s top-10 in both scoring and rebounding and is one of only two players averaging 25+ points, 10+ rebounds and 5+ assists this season.
Antetokounmpo, who was named the 2021 NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player after scoring a game-high 35 points on a perfect 16-for-16 shooting, enters this year’s All-Star Game as the game’s all-time leader in scoring average at 28.8 points per game.
This is Jokic’s fourth straight All-Star selection and second consecutive year being named an All-Star Starter. He joins Alex English and David Thompson as the only Nugget players to be selected to start in consecutive All-Star games and is just the third Nuggets player ever to be selected to four-or-more All-Star games (Anthony, English).
The 26-years old Serb is averaging 26.2 points, 13.8 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 1.40 steals, while shooting .571 from the field and .371 from three in 33.2 minutes per game this season. The Joker recently became the first player in NBA history to tally 5,000 career rebounds and 3,000 career assists in less than 500 games played. He also posted 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 250 assists in the first 39 games of the season, the least amount of games to reach those numbers in NBA history (Oscar Robertson- 41 games, 1961-62).
LeBron James and Kevin Durant are named captains for the second consecutive year.
The Los Angeles Lakers superstar is a starter for the 18th consecutive year. He has been a team captain every year since the NBA adopted the current All-Star format in 2018.
Durant was able to maintain his spot as the top vote-getter on the fan ballot in the Eastern Conference, despite not being able to play in a game since Jan. 15 due to a sprained MCL.
Western Conference All-Star Starters
Frontcourt: LeBron James (Lakers), Nikola Jokic (Nuggets), Andrew Wiggins (Warriors)
Guards: Stephen Curry (Warriors), Ja Morant (Grizzlies)
Eastern Conference All-Star Starters
Frontcourt: Kevin Durant (Nets), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks), Joel Embiid (76ers)
Guards: DeMar DeRozan (Bulls), Trae Young (Hawks)
The rosters for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game will be determined through the NBA All-Star Draft, where the two team captains, Durant and James, will select from the pool of starters and reserves in each conference and make their picks without regard to conference affiliation. The reserves for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game, selected the NBA head coaches, will be announced on Thursday, Feb. 3. The All-Star Draft will be held on Thursday, Feb. 10.