LeBron leads pack in early All-Star voting
LOS ANGELES: The Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo lead their respective conferences in the first tally of fan voting for the 2019 NBA All- Star Game.
According to totals released by the league Thursday, James is the first player to get more than 1 million votes (1,083,363) for the Feb 17 showcase at the Spectrum Centre in Charlotte, N.C.
The other leading vote- getters in the West include Dal las Mavericks rookie Luka Doncic, Golden State Warriors teammates Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, and Minnesota Timberwolves guard Derrick Rose.
Antetokounmpo ( 9 91,561) is second overall in the early returns. The rest of the top five in the East are Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving, Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard, Philadelphia 76ers centre Joel Embiid and Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade.
The fan vot ing accounts for 50 per cent of the f inal determination of the 10 All- Star starters, with voting by current NBA players and a media panel each account ing for 25 per cent.
The top vote- getters from each conference will serve as team captains. They will draft rosters from the players who are named as starters and reserves, regardless of conference affiliation.
The Al l- Star draft wi l l be televised for the first time this year, revealing the order in which players are picked after such information was kept quiet last year. — Field Level Media