The NBA All-Star Recreation is Feb. 19. And no one will know the All-Star rosters till that evening. Not even the gamers themselves.
The workforce captains — in all probability LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and both Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo or Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant — will make their picks in a reside, televised pregame phase shortly earlier than the sport begins in Salt Lake Metropolis.
The NBA and the Nationwide Basketball Gamers Affiliation introduced the format change Tuesday evening.
This would be the sixth time the league has used the format through which captains select their groups, however in every of the primary 5 cases the rosters have been chosen a number of days earlier than the sport.
The captains and starters will likely be introduced Thursday.
James has been a captain in every of the primary 5 years and, primarily based on the outcomes of voting launched by the league late final week, is nearly sure to be one once more this 12 months. The main vote-getter from each the Japanese and Western Conferences earns the appropriate to be a captain.
Durant was the early chief amongst East gamers, then fell barely behind Antetokounmpo in the latest balloting. He is nonetheless anticipated to be chosen as a starter, and it will not be recognized till Thursday if he reclaimed the East voting lead within the closing days.
Ballots to resolve the starters have been due Saturday.
“I need to play,” Durant informed reporters in New York on Tuesday. “I need to be part of all these occasions.”
James’ groups are 5-0 in All-Star Video games when he’s a captain.
Durant has been a captain because the East’s voting chief in every of the previous two video games. Antetokounmpo was within the earlier two video games, 2019 and 2020.
The highest three frontcourt gamers and high two guards in every convention will likely be chosen as starters, with the main general vote-getters from every convention serving as captains and selecting their groups.
Fan voting counts for 50% of the starters balloting, a media poll counts for 25%, and the ballots turned in by NBA gamers depend for the opposite 25%.
Reserves — chosen by NBA coaches, seven gamers from every convention — will likely be revealed Feb. 2.