New Orleans striker Zion Williamson can now be called the NBA All-Star, and only three more than 70 years of game history have reached a younger age.
Williamson is one of four All-Stars for the first time, all revealed Tuesday night when the league announced bookings for the March 7 game in Atlanta. Joining him as All Star rookies: Jaylen Brown of Boston, Julius Randle of the Knicks and Zach LaVine of Chicago.
Phoenix’s Chris Paul is an All-Star for the eleventh time, and James Harden of the Nets, one for the ninth year in a row. Other bookings include Ben Simmons of Philadelphia, Jayson Tatum of Boston and Nikola Vucevic of Orlando of the Eastern Conference, along with Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers, Paul George of the Los Angeles Clippers, teammates of Utah Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert and Portland Damian Lillard of the Western Conference.
“It’s definitely an honor,” Mitchell said.
Team captains LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets will draft their teams next week, with the roster submission on March 4th. and a multimedia panel.
Reservations were chosen by a vote of the league’s head coaches.
“You do the best you can,” Orlando coach Steve Clifford said. “It’s not easy. … Every year is difficult, and when you look at this year in the East there were a number of guys who are worthy of doing it. So every year is difficult.”
Trae Young of Atlanta, an All-Star from last season, doesn’t make it this year despite the 26.9-point average he entered Tuesday, most among unselected people. Miami forwards Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler did not make the cut, nor did Devin Booker of Phoenix.
“Devin Booker is the most despised player in our league !!!! It’s that simple, “James tweeted.
Mike Conley of Utah, someone the NBA Jazz leader desperately wanted to see arrive for what would have been the first time, also lost his mind.
“For a guy like him who has done so many things in his career, both on and off the ground, he deserves that,” Mitchell said of Conley.
Not enough coaches agree. There are still chances for Conley, because Davis is likely to miss the game through injury. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will choose any injury replacement; a player who bows will be replaced by another person from their respective conference.
Williamson is 20, and only Kobe Bryant, James and Magic Johnson were younger in their All-Star debuts. There were six other 20-year-olds chosen for the previous All-Star Games, but they were all closer to their 21st birthday at the time than Williamson is now.
Randle has been the Knicks ’best player, trying to make the playoffs for the first time since 2013. Brown averages 25.5 points in Boston for the best run. And LaVine has been to the All-Star weekend many times, winning two dunk contests and an MVP award at the Rising Stars game. But this will be his first time in the same All-Star Game.
James and Durant will pick eight other starters for their first teams when the draft takes place: Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Washington’s Bradley Beal, Golden State’s Stephen Curry, Dallas’ Luka Doncic, Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid, Brooklyn’s Kyrie Irving. Nikola Jokic of Denver and Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers.