The NBA has announced the 2014 All-Star Game starters for the annual event held in New Orleans this February.
LeBron James of the Miami Heat was the top overall vote-getter with 1,416,419 votes. Kevin Durant finished second with 1,396,294.
James is joined in the East front court by Indiana Pacers forward Paul George and New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony. Heat guard Dwayne Wade and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving fill in the backcourt.
Durant is teaming up with Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin and Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love, along with Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry.
The 63rd NBA All-Star Weekend will be held at the New Orleans Arena and exclusively televised on TNT. NBA All-Star Balloting presented by Sprint once again used social media to drive the voting process. Fans around the world had the chance to let their voices be heard by voting through Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Washington Wizards guard John Wall, Toronto Raptors guard Demar DeRozan, Pacers center Roy Hibbert, Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh, Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap, Brooklyn Nets guard Joe Johnson and Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah are the Eastern Conference reserves.
Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul, Houston Rockets guard James Harden, Houston Rockets Center Dwight Howard, Portland Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge, Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki, Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, and New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis will be filling in for the injured Bryant.
The BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge will be the highlight of the Friday night events, along with the Sprint NBA Celebrity All-Star Game and the NBA All-Star Jam Session. The Saturday night events are highlighted by the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest, along with the Foot Locker Three-Point Contest, Taco Bell Skills Challenge, and Sears Shooting Stars competition.
Which NBA star do you think will shine the brightest to win the coveted All-Star game MVP? We know James and Durant will have a lot to say about that and we can’t wait to see the NBA’s best on the same court.
-Patrick Hazel (@pattywack25)
