LeBron joining forces with ex-teammate Irving
New All-Star format separates Warriors’ Curry, Durant.
LeBron James got Kevin Durant and reunited with Kyrie Irving in the NBA’s first All-Star draft.
Stephen Curry picked James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo, the NBA’s top two scorers, and grabbed his other two Golden State teammates in the selections Thursday.
The draft was not televised, and neither James nor Curry would reveal who they chose first when they were interviewed on TNT when the rosters were unveiled.
James was among those who said fans should have watched the proceedings, and his decision to draft Irving could have made for a must-see moment. The point guard asked out of Cleveland last summer and the Cavaliers traded him to conference rival Boston.
“Kyrie was available on the draft board, he’s one of the best point guards we have in our league,” James said. “It was an easy choice for me.”
James and Curry will be the captains Feb. 18 in Los Angeles for the first NBA AllStar Game that doesn’t use the Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference format
Rosters were selected without regard for conference affiliation from the pool of starters and reserves..
James had the No. 1 pick as a result of earning the most votes in fan balloting, while Curry had the first pick in the reserve round after the starters were selected. Curry passed on Russell Westbrook, last season’s MVP who instead ended up on Team LeBron.
James declined to say which player he chose first in the draft in an interview with TNT.
“I can’t tell you, man,” he said. “I might have to kill you if I tell you that.”
Curry will go against Durant, his Golden State Warriors teammate.
“I just tried to pick the best available players,” James said when asked about taking Irving. “And to be able to team up back with Kyrie, it’s always special. Along with Kevin Love, for us to have another weekend to bring back all the memories that we had when we were together.”
The league is hoping that trying something new will bring back some oldschool intensity that has been absent from the last two AllStar games, when the West nearly scored 200 points.
James also took the New Orleans duo of Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins. His other reserves are Cleveland teammate Love, Washington guards John Wall and Bradley Beal, LaMarcus Aldridge of San Antonio, Indiana’s Victor Oladipo and Kristaps Porzingis of New York.
After taking starters Joel Embiid of Philadelphia and DeMar DeRozan of Toronto, Curry rounded out his roster with Warriors teammates Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, Minnesota’s Jimmy Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns, Toronto’s Kyle Lowry, Portland’s Damian Lillard, and Boston’s Al Horford.
The league was widely criticized for not televising the draft, a decision that was made to protect players from any embarrassment over being chosen last.
“The fans should have been a part of this for sure, and everybody who loves the game,” James said, “but it’s the first year and I think it’s going to be pretty cool going into the future.”
Team LeBron has all five players in the game who have won All-Star Game MVP awards: James (2006, 2008), Westbrook (2015, 2016), Davis (2017), Durant (2012) and Irving (2014).