Jokic and Giannis continue to lead the way in NBA All-Star voting
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (29) and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (30) have maintained their positions as the top vote-getters in the latest returns for starting roles in the upcoming NBA All-Star Game, as announced on Thursday.
Antetokounmpo, who leads the league in scoring and is a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, secured the highest number of votes in the Eastern Conference frontcourt with 2,721,339. Meanwhile, Jokic, a three-time MVP known for his record-setting performances, led the Western Conference frontcourt with 2,277,723 votes.
Fan voting constitutes 50% of the decision-making process for selecting starters for the contest scheduled for February 16 in San Francisco, with the remaining 50% divided equally between a media panel and current NBA players.
The announcement of the All-Star Game starters is set for January 23.
In a notable change, the NBA has revamped the format for the 2025 All-Star Game, introducing a four-team tournament to replace the previous two-team structure. Teams will be selected by Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith, alongside the winners of the Rising Stars Challenge, who will be mentored by WNBA icon Candace Parker.
Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to lead the Western Conference guards with 1,811,050 votes, while Charlotte's LaMelo Ball remains in the top position among Eastern Conference guards with 1,490,227 votes.
Jayson Tatum of the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics ranks third overall and second in the Eastern frontcourt behind Antetokounmpo, accumulating 2,224,086 votes. New York's Karl-Anthony Towns follows in third place with 1,872,228 votes.
In the Eastern backcourt, Ball is followed by Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who leads the NBA season standings with 1,181,310 votes, and Milwaukee's Damian Lillard, who has garnered 1,019,739 votes.
In the Western frontcourt, Jokic is trailed by Phoenix's Kevin Durant with 1,983,680 votes and four-time MVP LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, who has received 1,981,529 votes, making him the all-time leading scorer in the NBA.
Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs, last season's NBA Rookie of the Year, is currently in fourth place with 1,630,948 just ahead of Lakers star Anthony Davis on 1,528,262.
In the West backcourt voting, Golden State's Stephen Curry has ascended to second place with 1,369,365 votes, surpassing Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks, who is now in third place with a total of 1,344,205 votes, trailing behind Gilgeous-Alexander.
SportsLigue