02/01/26 10:27:00
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02/01 10:25 CST LeBron James' All-Star selection streak is at stake, with NBA
set to announce reserves
LeBron James' All-Star selection streak is at stake, with NBA set to announce
reserves
By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Basketball Writer
LeBron James' record streak of All-Star Game selections will be on the line
Sunday evening, when the NBA releases the list of 14 players chosen as reserves
for the Feb. 15 midseason showcase event.
James is the All-Star record holder in a number of categories. Among them: his
active streak of 21 consecutive selections for the game, along with 20 All-Star
appearances and 434 points scored in those contests.
The Los Angeles Lakers star was not chosen as a starter this season in the
process that includes voting from fans, media and other players. NBA head
coaches choose the reserves and, if necessary, Commissioner Adam Silver will
select any additional players necessary for the All-Star rosters should someone
need to be replaced because of injury.
James did not play in last season's All-Star event because of injury.
This season's All-Star Game has a tournament format --- U.S. vs. The World,
with three teams of at least eight players going head to head in 12-minute
games. Each team is guaranteed two games in the round-robin event, with the
best two meeting again in a championship game.
The players chosen last month as starters: Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo,
Boston's Jaylen Brown, Detroit's Cade Cunningham, Philadelphia's Tyrese Maxey,
New York's Jalen Brunson, Golden State's Stephen Curry, the Lakers' Luka
Doncic, Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Denver's Nikola Jokic and San
Antonio's Victor Wembanyama.
The "starter" designation is a bit of a misnomer, since there will be at least
15 players who start in the All-Star Games given that there are three teams. By
NBA rule, 10 players are chosen as official "starters" and the 14 others will
be listed as "reserves."
Detroit's J.B. Bickerstaff will coach one of the teams. Either San Antonio's
Mitch Johnson or Denver's David Adelman will coach another --- that will be
decided by results of games on Sunday --- and the NBA has not revealed how the
coach of the third All-Star team will be decided.
Bickerstaff earned his nod because the Pistons lead the Eastern Conference.
Johnson or Adelman will go by having the best record in the Western Conference
among eligible coaches; Oklahoma City's Mark Daigneault coaches the team with
the West's best record, but he cannot coach the All-Star Game this year because
he coached in it last season.
The All-Star Game will be played at the Los Angeles Clippers' Intuit Dome in
Inglewood, California.
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