NOW that the interminable trades have passed, basketball fans can focus on the upcoming NBA All-Star weekend, which will feature a different format this year.
The All-Star draft took place this morning (Philippine Time), with former NBA players Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith serving as team captains for three of the four best teams that will face off in San Francisco on February 16.
The fourth team in the field, the winner of the Castrol Rising Stars Challenge on February 14, will be named Team Candace after Women’s NBA standout and TV pundit Candace Parker.
Team Members
The first three teams in this All-Star game had lineups of various breeds. Team Shaq is more veteran, Team Kenny is full of fresh talent, and Team Chuck is made up of international players.
Team Shaq was the first to pick, and they did not hesitate in selecting NBA All-Time Scoring Leader LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers. The team is stacked with all-American veterans and championship contenders.
He’ll be joined by Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry, Phoenix Suns’ Kevin Durant, ex-Lakers teammate Anthony Davis, and Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum, all of whom were on USA’s Olympic gold medal winning roster.
Team Kenny’s first pick will undoubtedly be Anthony Edwards, the blazing sensation from the Minnesota Timberwolves, who will lead an eight-man team composed of the league’s rising stars.
Meanwhile, Nikola Jokic, last season’s Most Valuable Player, will lead the foreign player-led squad alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Here’s the complete team lineups:
Team Shaq: LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Jason Tatum, Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, James Harden and Jaylen Brown.
Team Kenny: Anthony Edwards, Jalen Brunson, Jaren Jackson Jr., Cade Cunningham, Darius Garland, Tyler Herro, Evan Mobley and Jalen Williams.
Team Chuck: Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama, Pascal Siakam, Alperen Sengun and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Let the Games Begin
Even before the games began, the team captains had already expressed their opinions on the rosters they assembled. However, they did not leave out the amusing banter they had during Inside The NBA’s draft.
“My international players got all the different languages. They’re not going to be mad at each other. They’re just going to be able to get along,” Barkley said.
“I don’t think the international guys are going to play hard. The international players are really great players. However, I only see one guy I’m worried about that’s going to really play hard and that’s Giannis,” Smith argued.
The All-Star event starts on Sunday, February 16 at 8:20 p.m. ET, featuring the first semifinal from San Francisco’s Chase Center, home of the Golden State Warriors.
The next semifinal will take place, followed by the finals. Games will not be timed. Instead, the first side to reach or exceed 40 points wins the game in each round.
