Lebron James and Kevin Durant draft squad for 2021 NBA All-Star Game

LeBron Team: Drafts Giannis Antetokounmpo # 1 overall; Stephen Curry, Luka Dončić and Nikola Jokić complete the starting lineup; Durant Team: Drafts Kyrie Irving # 2 overall; Joel Embiid, Kawhi Leonard, Bradley Beal and Jayson Tatum complete the starting lineup; Team LeBron will play for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund; The Durant team will play for the UNCF (United Negro College Fund).

Los Angeles Lakers captains LeBron James and Brooklyn Nets captains Kevin Durant have selected the teams for the 2021 NBA All-Star Game, which will be played on Sunday, March 7 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The Team LeBron and Team Durant rosters were revealed last night during TNT‘s presentation of the NBA All-Star Draft (https://bit.ly/3eb16H5).

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo was selected by James with the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA All-Star Draft. Joining Antetokounmpo and James as Team LeBron starters are Golden State Warriors goalie Stephen Curry, Dallas Mavericks goaltender Luka Dončić and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić. Team LeBron’s reserves are Portland Trail Blazers goaltender Damian Lillard, Philadelphia 76ers goaltender Ben Simmons, Phoenix Suns goaltender Chris Paul, Boston Celtics goaltender Jaylen Brown, LA Clippers forward Paul George, Indiana Pacers forward Domantas Sabonis and Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert.

Nets goalie Kyrie Irving was drafted by Durant with the second overall pick in the NBA All-Star Draft. In addition to Irving, Durant selected 76ers center Joel Embiid, Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, Washington Wizards goaltender Bradley Beal and Celtics forward Jayson Tatum as starters. Tatum, voted for the NBA All-Star Game as a reserve, was drafted with the starters replacing Durant, who is unable to play in the game.

The reservists drafted by Durant are Nets goaltender James Harden, Suns goaltender Devin Booker, New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, Chicago Bulls goaltender Zach LaVine, New York Knicks forward Julius Randle. , Orlando Magic Center Nikola Vučević and jazz guard Donovan Mitchell. Lakers forward Anthony Davis, unable to play in the NBA All-Star Game, was assigned to Team Durant because his replacement (Booker) was selected by Team Durant.

NBA All-Star 2021 will take place on one night, featuring the Taco Bell^® Challenge and MTN DEW skills^® 3-point competition starting at 1:30 a.m. CAT on March 8. The 70^e The NBA All-Star Game kicks off at 3 a.m., with AT&T Slam Dunk taking place at halftime. NBA All-Star 2021 will reach fans in 215 countries and territories in more than 50 languages.

In the NBA All-Star Draft, James and Durant compiled the squad rosters from the pool of players voted as starters and reserves at each conference. Both captains selected the starters in the first round and the reservists in the second round, making their choices regardless of a player’s affiliation or position in the conference.

As the top fan vote finalist, James was awarded the top pick in the first round. Durant made the first pick in the second round. The captains alternated the picks each round, with Durant getting the final two picks in the first round, which had nine players instead of eight due to the addition of Tatum.

As part of the NBA All-Star Game format (https://on.nba.com/38c0hKm), the two teams will compete against each other to win each quarter for their respective beneficiaries. Team LeBron will play for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and Team Durant will play for UNCF (United Negro College Fund), both organizations providing scholarships to pursue higher education for university and college students historically. black.

A total amount of $ 1.75 million will be paid to the two organizations. Each organization will receive an initial contribution of $ 500,000. At the end of each of the first three quarters, an additional $ 150,000 will go towards organizing the leadership team – a total of $ 450,000 for those three quarters. The remaining $ 300,000 will go towards organizing the team that wins the NBA All-Star Game. The winner of the NBA All-Star Game will be the first team to reach or surpass the final target score.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will select the replacement for any player unable to participate in the All-Star Game, naming a player from the same conference as the player being replaced. The player designated as a replacement will join the team that drafted the replaced player. If a replaced player is a starter, the head coach of that team will appoint a new starter from his team’s reserve pool. Jazz Head Coach Quin Snyder will lead Team LeBron and 76ers Head Coach Doc Rivers will lead Team Durant.