The 2024 NBA All-Star starters have been revealed, and there are a few starters who got snubbed.
Once again, LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo were named Captains for this year's all-star game. Reverting back to the Eastern and Western Conference format, James will represent the west, and Giannis, the east. To be named captain, a player must receive the most votes in their conference.
By changing back to the conference format, there will not be a draft taken place by both captains. With the format change, the game will have four 12-minute quarters.
You may be wondering what factors determine who is an all-star, and where the percent of the votes come from. According to NBA Communications, 50 percent of the votes come from fans, 25 percent from NBA players, and the final 25 percent from select media. After that, the players are ranked by position. Both the east the west have two guards and three frontcourt starters.
Newly acquired Milwaukee head coach Doc Rivers will lead the eastern conference, while Chris Finch, of the Minnesota Timberwolves, will coach the west. On Feb. 1 the reserves will be announced, whom are are selected by NBA head coaches.
With the event just weeks away, the TNT crew, led by Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal, Ernie John, and Kenny Smith (Kenny the jet Smith) will announce the reserves next week. With the reserves, each conference team will have an additional two guards, three frontcourt players and two wild card roster spots.
Year after year, the final results always come with scrutiny from players and the fanbase. But lets first break down this year's staters:
NBA all-star starters: Eastern Conference
- Giannis Antetokounmpo: Milwaukee Bucks (Captain)
- Joel Embiid: Philadelphia 76ers
- Jayson Tatum: Boston Celtics
- Tyrese Haliburton: Indiana Pacers
- Damian Lillard: Milwaukee Bucks
In the east, captain Giannis Antetokounmpo is selected to his 8th straight all-star selection as a starter. Now in his 11th NBA season, Antetokounmpo is posting up a career-high 31.3 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 6.2 assists, on 60.5 percent field goal shooting. Nicknamed the "Greek Freak," Antetokounmpo is coming off impressive back-back-back triple doubles, against the Cavaliers and Pistons. Truly an unstoppable force, No. 34 posted a career-high and franchise record 64 points in December.
Joel Embiid, of the 76ers, is having another MVP caliber season. Notching his seventh NBA all-star selection, Embiid is putting up a league high 36 points, 11.4 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.8 blocks. A formidable threat in the east, Embiid recently posted a career-high and franchise record 70 points on Monday night. With that stellar performance, he grabbed 18 rebounds and dished out five assists. One of the best big men to ever play the game, Kevin Garnett recently described Embiid as "Shaq with a jump shot."
Jayson Tatum, of the Boston Celtics, will earn his 5th straight NBA all-star selection. At just 25 years old, Tatum is the heart and soul of the C's. Coming off a dominant win over eastern conference rival Miami Heat, Tatum expressed his gratitude for the selection. "It means the world", Tatum told Celtics on NBC Sports Boston. "I never get used to it. I never want to take it for granted. As a kid, it was my dream." Leading Boston to an NBA best 35-10 record, he's averaging 27 points, 8.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and one steal. Improving his post-up game and strength, he earned the third overall fan-votes, behind Giannis and LeBron.
ALL-STAR STARTER ⭐️
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) January 26, 2024
Tyrese Haliburton has been named a starter for the 2024 #NBAAllStar Game in Indy.
🔗 https://t.co/buwgCdB36v pic.twitter.com/MRvYfCHS8P
Tyrese Haliburton, of the Indiana Pacers will get a unique chance to play in front of his home fans. Although he's been out with a hamstring injury, Haliburton has emerged as one of the biggest stars in the league. A 2x all-star, the Pacers guard will be named a starter for the first time in his career. Leading the Pacers to a 25-20 record, he's averaging a career-high 23.6 points, 12.6 assists, 1.1 steals, and 4.1 rebounds. Recently, Haliburton had a career 23 rebounds along with 22 points in late December.
Such a nifty, athletic facilitator, Haliburton finds unique ways to score at the rim, and is a threat from deep "All-Star Starter, man. Been sitting here soaking this in like damn I wasn’t supposed to be here, but I put in the work, it was written! To my peers, the media, and the fans…This can’t happen without y’all." Haliburton recently posted on X his thoughts on getting the nod as a starter.
Damian Lillard, of the Milwaukee Bucks, will be named a starter for the first time in his career. An 8x NBA All-Star, Lillard is averaging 25.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 1.1 steals in his first year with Milwaukee. Nicknamed "Dame Time," Lillard remains one of the most prolific scorers in the league. Racking up seven double-doubles on the season, Lillard remains one of the most clutch players in the NBA.
NBA all-star starters: Western Conference
- LeBron James: Los Angeles Lakers (Captain)
- Kevin Durant: Phoenix Suns
- Nikola Jokic: Denver Nuggets
- Luka Doncic: Dallas Mavericks
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Oklahoma City Thunder
LeBron James, of the Los Angeles Lakers, is very familiar with all-star weekend. A 20x NBA All-Star, James made NBA history, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most selections in history. Named a starter for all 20 years, James continues his streak since the 2005 season. With the Lakers 23-23 on the season, LeBron is averaging insane numbers, especially for his age. Putting up 24.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 1.3 steals, James shows no signs of slowing down.
His 39.7 percent three-point shooting is the highest it's been since the 2012-2013 season. A vital part to the Lakers team, James had a classy reaction to yet another selection. “It’s just humbling. It’s very cool to be able to continue to have accomplishments throughout your career, " James told the Media on X.
Kevin Durant, of the Phoenix Suns, a 14x NBA All-Star, has been selected to his first as a member of the Suns. Prior to the season, Phoenix had high expectations, with the addition of Bradley Beal. With notable injuries to Beal throughout the season, Durant has picked up the slack and then some. In 37 games played, Durant is averaging 29.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.2 blocks, on 45.5 percent three-point shooting. 10th all time on the NBA's scoring list, he's the first member of the Suns to start an All-Star game since Amar’e Stoudemire and Steve Nash.
Nikola Jokic, of the Denver Nuggets, has been selected to his 6th consecutive All-Star game. A core member of the reigning NBA Champions, Jokic is averaging 26.3 points, 11.9 rebounds, 9 assists, and 1.1 blocks on 59.3 percent field goal shooting. First in player and media voting, the Joker leads the NBA in triple-doubles this season. 4th in assists and rebounds per game, Jokic most recently delivered a game winning 31-point triple double over the Pacers.
Luka Doncic, of the Dallas Mavericks, will make his 5th NBA All-Star appearance, and 4th as a starter. The most All-Star starts in Maverick's history, Doncic is putting up MVP caliber numbers. Second in points, the guard is averaging 33.6 points, 8.5 rebounds, 9.3 assists, on 48.2 percent field goal shooting. Now in his 6th NBA season, Doncic is putting up career-highs in points, assists, three-point percentage, and minutes. Finishing second in player and media votes, just 24 years old, Doncic remains one of the most elite guards in the league.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, of the Oklahoma City Thunder, will make his second NBA All-Star appearance. Selected as a starter for the first time, SGA continues to put up career numbers for OKC, who sit at the top of the Western Conference standings. Averaging 31.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.4 assists, Gilgeous-Alexander has one of the smoothest mid-range jumpers in the league, along with his handles. An elite scorer, SGA leads the NBA with the most 30+ point games this season. Although this may come as a surprise to some, he deserves it.
All-Star starter snubs
Like every year, the All-Star game tends to upset fans, and even some players. Unfortunately, that's the nature of the game when it comes to sports. While I have the upmost respect for all of the respective starters, there are a few players who easily could've been voted a starter based off of their talents and play this season.
Eastern Conference
Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers: Now in his second season with the Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell has risen his game to new heights over the last two seasons. Averaging the 6th most points per game (27.6), the guard is posting 5.4 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 1.9 steals. With the Cavaliers riddled by injuries, Mitchell has put the Cavs on his back. Having a slower start, the Cavaliers are now 26-16 on the season, and 8-2 in their last ten games. The Cavaliers leading scorer, Mitchell is putting up career highs in assists, rebounds, and steals. He put his full talents on display in Paris, adding 45 points, 12 rebounds, 4 steals, and 6 assists against Brooklyn.
Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks: There have been so many arguments whether Knicks guard Jalen Brunson is truly a 1a or 1b option. Here's what I can tell you, he's a hooper, and he's leading this team to their best few starts in years. 28-17 on the season, Brunson is averaging career-highs in points (26.5), assists (6.4), three-point percentage (42.4 %), minutes (35.6), and field goal attempts. One of the smoothest mid range jumpers in the game, his 59 percent true shooting is also a career best. The King of the big apple, Brunson is third in total points at the guard position (1,139). Finishing second in media voting, Brunson remains one of the top guards in the east.
Western Conference
Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers: Let's face it, when Kawhi Leonard is healthy, he's a top player in the NBA. Fully healthy this season, Leonard is averaging 23.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.7 steals. One of the best two-way players in the game, Leonard is shooting at a high clip, 44.3 percent from deep, and 52.2 percent from the field. Despite a 28-14 record, the Clippers won't have a single player as a starter, and that includes James Harden and Paul George. MVP of the 2019-2020 All-Star game, Kawhi has missed only four games on the season. The Clippers are one of the more elite teams in the west, and outscore opponents over 11 points per game with Leonard is on the court.
Honorable mention: Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors, Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks
The 2024 73rd NBA All-Star game will take place on Feb. 18 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, located in Indianapolis, IN.
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Sara Jane Gamelli is a full-time Sportswriter, Content Creator and Social Media Manager for Ballislife Bets. She has a focus on the NBA, WNBA, NCAA Basketball, and the NFL. Sara Jane currently resides in Connecticut/NYC area with her Cat and Dog. SJ has her undergraduate degree from the University of Connecticut in Economics, with a minor in business administration.
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