LeBron James’ record streak of all-star game selections will be on the line Sunday evening, when the NBA releases the list of 14 players chosen as reserves for the Feb. 15 midseason showcase event.
James is the all-star record holder in a number of categories. Among them: his active streak of 21 consecutive selections for the game, along with 20 all-star appearances and 434 points scored in those contests.
The Los Angeles Lakers star was not chosen as a starter this season in the process that includes voting from fans, media and other players. NBA head coaches choose the reserves and, if necessary, Commissioner Adam Silver will select any additional players necessary for the all-star rosters should someone need to be replaced because of injury.
James did not play in last season’s all-star event because of an injury.
This season’s all-star game has a tournament format — U.S. vs. The World, with three teams of at least eight players going head-to-head in 12-minute games. Each team is guaranteed two games in the round-robin event, with the best two meeting again in a championship game.
The players chosen last month as starters: Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Boston’s Jaylen Brown, Detroit’s Cade Cunningham, Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey, New York’s Jalen Brunson, Golden State’s Stephen Curry, the Lakers’ Luka Doncic, Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Denver’s Nikola Jokic and San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama.
The “starter” designation is a bit of a misnomer, since there will be at least 15 players who start in the all-star games given that there are three teams. By NBA rule, 10 players are chosen as official “starters,” and the 14 others will be listed as “reserves.”
Detroit’s J.B. Bickerstaff will coach one of the teams. Either San Antonio’s Mitch Johnson or Denver’s David Adelman will coach another — that will be decided by the results of games on Sunday — and the NBA has not revealed how the coach of the third all-star team will be decided.
Bickerstaff earned his nod because the Pistons lead the Eastern Conference. Johnson or Adelman will go by having the best record in the Western Conference among eligible coaches; Oklahoma City’s Mark Daigneault coaches the team with the West’s best record, but he cannot coach the all-star game this year because he coached in it last season.
The all-star game will be played at the Los Angeles Clippers’ Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
