Image Source: SFGATE
LeBron James and Kevin Durant are now in the lead for the third consecutive year to become the All-star captains
Potentially facing up again in the NBA All-Star Game will be LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets. James and Durant are on pace to serve as the All-Star captains for the third straight year as they are currently leading the overall All-Star vote standings and the early voting results for the Eastern Conference.
With 3,118,545 votes, Durant is leading among the frontcourt players in the Eastern Conference puts him slightly ahead of Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid (2,226,712) and Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo (2,998,327).
James had become the most popular frontcourt player in the Western Conference as of Thursday with 3,168,694 votes. Nikola Jokic of Denver is second (2,237,768), while Anthony Davis of the Lakers is third (2,063,325).
Each conference’s three leading frontcourt players and top two guards will be selected as starters, with the top vote-getters in each conference standing as captains and picking their teams.
The media ballot counts for 25% of the starters’ balloting, fan voting accounts for 50% of it, and NBA players’ votes account for the remaining 25%. James has been one of the All-Star captains in the last five All-Star Games, going 5-0. His squad defeated teams selected by Curry in 2017, Antetokounmpo’s squad in 2018 and 2019, and Durant’s squad in 2020 and 2021.
Voting is still available till January 21. By January 26th, the starters and captains will be revealed. The game takes place in Salt Lake City on February 19 and the reserves, selected by NBA coaches, will be made public by February 2.
More: Magic Johnson got ‘down to his knees’ to pray for NFL star Damar Hamlin