NBA All-Star Game 2018
The 67th NBA All-Star Game will mark the first time that there won’t be a matchup between the Eastern Conference and Western Conference, with players being chosen by two team captains, LeBron James and Stephen Curry, regardless of the conference they play in.
With the two teams featuring the best players in the league, it is fair to expect some spectacular dunks and blocks from a more athletic Team LeBron, and a heavy dose of three-point shooting from Team Stephen.
Team LeBron
Team LeBron will reunite two of the most prolific duos of the past few year, with LeBron James playing with Kyrie Irving for the first time since the latter was traded to the Boston Celtics, and with Kevin Durant pairing up once again with former teammate at the Thunder Russell Westbrook.
Despite five members of the original team had to be replaced for injuries, Team LeBron still looks like a very solid and explosive team, with an impressive starting line-up and a top-class group of reserves.
The team captain, superstar LeBron James, is set to start his 14th straight All-Star Game, which will break a tie with Bob Cousy for the longest streak in NBA history.
With 14 starts, James will be one behind Kobe Bryant for the most overall. The three-time NBA Champion is also the leading scorer in All-Star Game history with 314 points and will be looking to increase his tally on Sunday night.
Team LeBron will be managed by Toronto Raptors’ Dwane Casey, who is probably having his best season with the Canadian franchise.
On Sunday night, Casey will coach against Toronto’s two All-Stars, DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry of Team Stephen.
Team Stephen
The team put together by Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry is less muscular and more dynamic compared with Team LeBron, with many point guards and shooting guards able to lead the action and shoot from long distance.
Besides team captain Stephen Curry, the starting line-up boasts Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, Houston Rockets’ James Harden, Toronto Raptors’ DeMar DeRozan and Philadelphia 76ers Joel Embiid.
23-year-old Antetokounmpo will start his second consecutive All-Star Game, a meteoric rise for the Greek Freak who once had to peddle goods in the streets of Greece to help his family make ends meet.
Embiid, who also competed for World Team in the Rising Stars and participated in the Skills Challenge, will become the first 76ers player to start an All-Star Game since NBA legend Allen Iverson in 2006.
At the head of this talented group of players there will be veteran coach Mike D’Antoni, who can count on the scoring ability of his star player at the Rockets, James Harden.
Harden is having a terrific season, leading the league in points per game. With four +50-point games, he is once again among the candidates for the regular season MVP Award this year.
NBA All-Star 2018 from Los Angeles will be broadcast on BT Sport 1. Coverage includes:
– Sunday evening/Monday morning, 1am: The 67th NBA All-Star Game at Staples Center in Los Angeles