LeBron James, Kevin Durant named 2022 NBA All-Star Game captains originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
The King and KD will be facing off in the NBA All-Star Game once again.
LeBron James and Kevin Durant were named this year’s All-Star captains Thursday night on “TNT NBA Tip-Off.” This will be the second straight season in which Team LeBron and Team Durant will go head to head in the All-Star Game after James’ squad came out on top in 2021.
Along with captains, the other eight All-Star starters were named. Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic are the other four All-Star starters from the West. Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young, Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan, Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid join Durant as starters from the East.
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The voting process for All-Star starters takes into account 50% fan vote, 25% current player vote and 25% media vote. Reserves, meanwhile, will be selected by the league’s 30 head coaches.
While there are five starters from each conference, they will not be representing their respective conferences in the All-Star Game. James and Durant will draft the teams, selecting four starters apiece before dipping into reserves.
James has been a captain all five years since the NBA broke off from its East-West format. He’s built an impressive resume as captain, with his teams going 4-0 since 2018. James is currently in his 19th NBA season, averaging 29.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game with the Los Angeles Lakers.
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Durant, meanwhile, was named an All-Star captain for the first time in 2021. This year, the Brooklyn Nets forward is leading the NBA in scoring (29.3 points per game), but he sprained his knee on Jan. 15 and is reportedly planning to miss this year’s All-Star Game to focus on his rehab. He also missed last season’s All-Star Game as a captain while rehabbing an ankle injury.
NBA All-Star reserves will be announced on Feb. 3 and the All-Star draft will take place on Feb. 10. NBA All-Star Weekend will go from Feb. 18-20 in Cleveland. The Rising Stars game will be played on Feb. 18, leading into NBA All-Star Saturday Night on Feb. 19 and culminating in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 20 at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
