The NBA revealed the 2024 All-Star Game starters on Thursday night, with Lakers forward LeBron James leading the pack with his record-breaking 20th straight selection. James has been a starter since 2005, his second season in the league, and broke his tie with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most selections in league history (Twitter link via NBA PR).
James and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo will serve as captains. Joining James as Western Conference starters are Suns forward Kevin Durant, Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Mavericks guard Luka Doncic and Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. James is a captain for a seventh straight year.
Joining Antetokounmpo as Eastern Conference All-Star starters are Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, Bucks guard Damian Lillard, Sixers center Joel Embiid and Celtics forward Jayson Tatum.
Thursday’s selections represent milestones for several players. Antetokounmpo is making his eighth career start and was the top vote-getter. Lillard is making his first career All-Star start. Haliburton is the fourth player in Pacers history to be named an All-Star starter, joining Paul George, Reggie Miller and Jermaine O’Neal (Twitter link). Embiid is a starter after not being named one in his MVP season a year ago. Tatum is making his fifth All-Star Game.
In the West, Doncic set the Mavs’ franchise record with four All-Star Game starts. Jokic was first in player and media voting en route to his sixth straight selection. Gilgeous-Alexander is making his first start. Durant is making his 14th All-Star appearance.
The starters are selected by a weighted voting process with the fan vote accounting for half of the final outcome. The player and media portions of the vote each counted for 25 percent. Three frontcourt players and two guards were selected from each conference.
ESPN’s Tim Bontemps writes there was little drama in the selections for the starting positions. The voting totals from fans didn’t vary much from week to week, with Embiid, Haliburton, Tatum, Antetokounmpo, James, Jokic and Durant well ahead in their respective positions. The second guard spot in the East was more competitive, with Lillard and Hawks guard Trae Young going back and forth in fan voting. The guard spots in the West were also tight, with Doncic, Gilgeous-Alexander and Warriors guard Stephen Curry close in voting. Bontemps points out Lillard finished well ahead of Knicks guard Jalen Brunson in fan voting to earn the starting nod.
Full voting results can be found here.
The coaches for each All-Star team will be determined via the standings on Feb. 4, with the top-seeded coach taking the reins for each conference. However, Boston’s Joe Mazzulla and Denver’s Michael Malone are ineligible by virtue of the fact that they coached the two teams last season. Entering Thursday, the Thunder and Timberwolves are tied atop the West while the Bucks are next up behind the Celtics in the East, with the Sixers one game behind Milwaukee.
This year, the league is returning to the East vs. West format, so these players are suiting up for their respective conferences in the 73rd NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 18.
The reserves, who are picked by the league’s coaches, will be announced Feb. 1.
Damian Lillard as an all star starter is…something
Jalen Brunson and Maxey were more deserving of that spot imo
Can’t believe Haliburton got the votes. I wanted Brunson but thought Young would get it. Times are changing ……
Trae is the most overrated player of our generation. Brunson, Maxie are easily more deserving.
Atlanta set their franchise back 10 years at least by not keeping Luka over Trae. If Luka had some of the supporting cast that Trae has had, he’d have a couple rings by now.
Idk that he is overrated. Most people know hes just a chucker.
Players and media were not going to give Trae on a losing team the nod. He had fan votes only and the voting is now weighted.
Lillard is a Modelo All Star!
probably had a lot of Portland and Bucks fans
Brunson better be a reserve. He should be starting. I wonder if Randle makes it.
Brunson and Maxie should both be reserves for sure. I can’t imagine any other PGs in the East making it over them.
Randle, not sure. If not, probably an injury replacement. He seems like a fringe AS this year.
Wow! Curry was snuDUBed!! Dub the vote! We need a recall!
They are a play in team or out of the play in. You can’t seriously think he is starting over SGA on the #1 seed in the West…or Luka who has a team in the playoff spot.
Record or not, SGA and Luka are just better than Curry in 2023-4 and it’s really not that close. They got that one right.
More proof that fans are too dumb to be involved in the process. It’s not who is the best it’s city population, and who sports anchors decide to talk about.
No, it’s an All-Star game not All-NBA the All-Star game is about who the fans want to see.
I haven’t cared about the All Star Game since I was 12.
I’d rather watch Pistons-Wizards all day long.
You’re so cool. I wish I was just like you.
Why do I have to download a file to see the results?
NBA allstars… Zzzzz
Yawn. Nobody has cared about Allstar weekend in over a decade. They can make all the small changes they want. Doesn’t make it less of a mockery
And yet the NBA has the best All Star weekend by far of the 4 major sports.
MLB boring, quick, forgettable
NFL after the season so who cares. They added skills competition again but filmed at different time so edited.
NHL only a couple of nice events but it last way too long and they edit down
NBA has Rookie vs Sophomore, 3pt, and dunk contest.
Old nfl skills contest was awesome back in the elway days
MLB all star used to be huge. Determined WS home field?! It’s been lost, but baseball fans with winning teams watched intently even in the summer slump where most fans get bored before playoff runs.
The equivalent of award shows like the Oscars. Why do these millionaires need even more praise than they’re already getting receiving? Just give them a couple weeks off
Being the prettiest turd doesn’t make you a diamond bud
Should have been…
Haliburton, Mitchell, JT, Giannis & Embiid
Luka, Shai, AD, Sabonis & Jokic
Is saturday night gonna be any good this year?
I know the game is on Sunday but if Saturday is a snore the players don’t have anything to beat on Sunday…
The fact that embiid was not an all star and won mvp is just more proof that Jokic should have won. What a joke
Kendrick Perkins would like a word with you.
Hope Desmond Bane gets a all star nod same with JJJ. I like the selections the Dame one im only so so but the rest make sense and im all for it