The Los Angeles Lakers‘ LeBron James and the Milwaukee Bucks‘ Giannis Antetokounmpo are by far the most popular fan votes for the All-Star Game on Feb. 18 in Indianapolis.
The news comes after the third tally of votes were released on January 18 by the NBA in preparation for the annual exhibition event. Giannis has received the most votes so far with 4.3 million, ahead of LeBron who has received 3.9 million with two days before voting closes.
The All-Star headliners are decided by a combination of votes from fans (50%), NBA players (25%) and a group of journalists selected by the league (25%) and the final decisions will be announced on January 25.
The list of the most voted players in the West among forwards and centers sees LeBron followed by Serbian Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets), Kevin Durant (Phoenix Suns), Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers) and Kawhi Leonard (Los Angeles Clippers).
Among point guards and shooting guards, Slovenian Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks) is the most voted, ahead of Steph Curry (Golden State Warriors) and Shai Gilgeous Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder).
In the East, Giannis is leading the forwards and centers ahead of Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers), Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics), Jimmy Butler (Miami Heat), and Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics).
Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers) continues to lead among point guards and shooting guards, ahead of Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks), Damian Lillard (Milwaukee Bucks), and Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers).
The All-Star Game will be played on February 18 at the Indiana Pacers’ Gainbridge Fieldhouse, and it is currently scheduled to begin at 20:30 ET. It will be broadcast by TNT.
In addition, the NBA is bringing back the traditional East vs. West format for this edition abandoning the Team James vs Team Durant concept that has operated for the past few seasons.
