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The 2021 NBA All-Star Game was originally canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the league turned the tide and decided to host an overnight event in Atlanta on March 7 – despite the objections from a number of players who will be involved and the mayor of the city.
We won’t know the full teams until next week, but on Thursday night we learned about the starters. Here’s a look at the 10 players who were chosen by a combination of votes from fans, media and other players. LeBron James and Kevin Durant were named captains because of being the primary voice holders in each conference.
Once the reserves are announced on February 23, LeBron and Durant will meet again on March 4 to host the annual All-Star Draft. Again, actual teams will not be broken down by conference lines. Instead, LeBron and Durant will choose their team’s playstyle.
Western Conference
Eastern Conference
There has been a bit of drama this year in the determination of the Western Conference starters. When the votes of all the different groups are counted, each player ends up with a weighted score, and this year Luka Doncic and Damian Lillard have finished tied. Doncic ended up getting the starting spot because he won the tiebreaker, based on the fan vote.
In addition to the actual game, the league includes the All-Star Saturday night events in one day. The skills challenge and 3-point contest will take place before the game, while the Dunk contest will take place at half-time. Additionally, the league has announced that it will pay tribute to Kobe Bryant during the All-Star Game by again incorporating his jersey number – 24 – in determining the final target score.
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