Embiid earns seventh All-Star Game selection
Center named starter for Eastern Conference team
INDIANAPOLIS — Three days after Joel Embiid surpassed one of Wilt Chamberlain’s franchise records, the center ascended another 76ers achievement board.
Embiid was named as an Eastern Conference starter for the NBA All-Star Game on Thursday, marking the seventh time he has been selected for the game. He now has sole possession of fifth place on the team’s career list for All-Star selections, breaking a tie with Hall of Famers Charles Barkley and Larry Costello.
Embiid trails Hall of Famers Dolph Schayes (12 selections), Julius Erving (11), Hal Greer (10), and Allen Iverson (eight) on the list.
“Another graduation to him,” Tyrese Maxey said. “Another thing he’s marking off the list, like you said, the legacy list. You have to appreciate him for that. I hope he really appreciates himself for that, too. He’s doing a lot of great things for this organization, for this team and for himself.
“So he’s putting himself in a lot of different conversations and a lot of debates that people are going to keep debating about for a while.”
His no-doubt selection as a starter follows what has been a superlative individual season for the reigning NBA MVP: a league-best 36.1 points per game with 11.6 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.9 blocks through 32 games.
His highlight this season was scoring a franchise-record 70 points to go along with 18 rebounds and five assists to lead the Sixers to a 133-123 victory Monday at the Wells Fargo Center. He surpassed Chamberlain’s previous Sixers record of 68 points.
Embiid will start on the East team alongside Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics, Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers, and Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks. Antetokounmpo, the leading vote-getter, will serve was the team’s captain.
The West’s starters will be LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns, Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets, Luka Dončić of the Dallas Mavericks, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder. James, as the West’s top vote-getter, is his conference’s captain.
The All-Star reserves, selected by the league’s coaches, will be announced next Thursday. Maxey is in contention for his first All-Star berth as a reserve.
“For me, I’m just happy to have consideration,” he said. “That means we are winning. That means that we are playing well. That means that we are highseeded. That means that we are accomplishing things, our goals of trying to get better every single day.
“Individual goals come with team goals. … I wouldn’t be able to have the success without my teammates, without us winning. So I appreciate it.”
Thursday’s game
Pacers 134, 76ers 122: Indiana newcomer Pascal Siakam had 26 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for his first triple-double since November 2022, to lead the Pacers.
Embiid had 31 points and seven rebounds just three days after breaking the 76ers’ franchise record with 70 points. Philadelphia had won six in a row.