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Tim BontempsESPN
For the past two years, LeBron James has not been able to count on Giannis Antetokounmpo in his All-Star team, because both were captains of their respective squads.
But this year, with Kevin Durant getting the other captaincy against James, he made sure to play alongside the most valuable double player in the NBA, which had positioned him with the first overall pick in the All-Star Game draft. from Thursday night.
“I try to pick players who can complement each other,” James said before taking on Antetokounmpo to start Wednesday’s draft, when asked why he has won the first three times he has been captain. “We’re on the ground, you just have to try to play the game the right way. It’s an All-Star Game, so there will be some messes out there, but for most of the game we’ll just play the right way and try to win “.
Leading voters at the Eastern and Western conferences went back and forth in selecting the remaining headlines for next month’s All-Star Game, as voted on by a combination of fans, players and members of the media. communication.
James and Durant chose seven reservations. The last two players on the board ended up being Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, of the Utah Jazz League leader. Mitchell was eventually selected by Durant, while James took Gobert.
The Jazz are at the top of the NBA with a 27-9 record, and their two All-Stars who finished caused some controversy on the TNT set. James tried to defend himself and Durant for how things turned out.
“I just want to say something, because there’s no slander in the Utah Jazz,” James said with a smile. “But you have to understand, like in the video games we grew up with, we never played with Utah. Even as fantastic as Karl Malone and John Stockton were, we would never have chosen them. Never.”
Charles Barkley then complicated James’ insight into writing, saying, “LeBron says he needs some size, he’s 7-5 Gobert and he’s 6-2. [Domantas] Soaps, “drawing a lot of laughter from everyone involved.
This is the first time one of the captains has not been involved in the game, as Durant is out until the All-Star Break due to a hamstring strain that has sidelined him since early February. So with Celtics striker Jayson Tatum replacing Durant in the starting lineup, that is, there were nine players to choose from, Durant finished with the last two teams in the starting lineup and got the first selection of the round of reservation.
Ultimately, James went with Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic to start by his side in Atlanta on Sunday night, while Durant’s starting group will be his Brooklyn Nets teammate Kyrie Irving , Joel Embiid, Kawhi Leonard and natives of St. and close friends: Bradley Beal and Jayson Tatum.
In the reserve round, Durant’s first pick was his other teammate, James Harden, followed by Devin Booker, Zion Williamson, Zach LaVine, Julius Randle, Nikola Vucevic and Mitchell. James, meanwhile, took on Damian Lillard, Ben Simmons, Chris Paul, Jaylen Brown, Paul George, Sabonis and Gobert.
There were also round-trip options that the two men were frustrated with being off the board, with Durant needing to pause a moment after wanting to take Simmons, and James said he hoped to get Williamson in the draft.
Before they both chose teams, they showed a clip of Durant and James talking to each other just before Durant’s debut at the 2010 All-Star Game in Dallas.
“I was nervous talking to Bron in that little sequence right there,” Durant said laughing.
Both also announced their options for the charities that will play both teams on Sunday, with the LeBron team playing for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the Durant team playing for the United Negro College Fund.
“That we can light this program, light those kids, means a lot to me and to my base and to the things we do in my hometown,” James said explaining his choice.
“It’s just an honor to get to represent so many people and use this platform to help advance the education of our young people, just the world at large,” Durant said. “So we want it.”
Although Durant won’t play in the All-Star Game, James, despite losing Wednesday’s loss to the Sacramento Kings, the first game he’s lost this season, will be on the court and playing.
“I’m fine,” James said when asked how he felt. “Viouslybviament, it’s a long season and I want to make sure my body has as fresh a mind as possible to get into the second half of the season. So it’s been a good first half, and I hope it can be a second half better, so we look forward to the finish line. “