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The 2023 NBA All-Star Game draft is unique as it happened right before the game began. LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo selected their rosters during a televised segment that began an hour before tipoff.
With the first pick, LeBron selected Joel Embiid on his team. Embiid is a 6-time All-Star and will be a great addition to James' team. Team LeBron is coached by Mike Malone, head coach of the Denver Nuggets.
It's important to note that Embiid was the first pick among All-Star Game starters. LeBron and Giannis first picked reserves on their respective teams, and James' first overall pick was Anthony Edwards, who will come off the bench.
LeBron James selected Joel Embiid as a starter with the first pick in the NBA All-Star Game draft
LeBron James was once again the top vote-getter for the NBA All-Star Game. With more than 7.4 million fan votes, the LA Lakers superstar was far ahead of everyone else, which is why he was named an All-Star captain.
This is James' sixth game as captain. Prior to 2023, the 4-time NBA champion had a perfect 5-0 record in the All-Star Game as captain, including a 2-0 record against Team Giannis. He selected Embiid with the first pick as a starter in the draft, hoping to improve his record to 6-0.
James and Antetokounmpo have already played against each other in the past. In 2019, Team LeBron blew out Team Giannis, 178-164. A year later, the game was much closer as LeBron's team won by only two points.
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Considering that the 2023 NBA All-Star Game features many incredible players, we expect another interesting matchup between the best players in the league. Here are the players James picked as his reserves:
- Anthony Edwards
- Jaylen Brown
- Paul George
- Tyrese Haliburton
- Julius Randle
- De'Aaron Fox
- Jaren Jackson Jr.
Previous draft picks by LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo
Back in 2019, James selected Kevin Durant with the first pick in the draft, while Antetokounmpo picked Steph Curry. Durant ended up being the right choice as he led Team LeBron in scoring with 31 points on 10-for-15 shooting. KD also won the MVP award.
Curry had 17 points but was only 6-for-23 from the floor. The Golden State Warriors guard took as many shots as Antetokounmpo, yet the NBA All-Star Game captain scored 38 points.
James picked Anthony Davis, his teammate, with the first pick in the 2020 All-Star Game draft. Giannis also went with the big man as he picked Joel Embiid.
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While Embiid outscored Davis 22 to 22, it was the Lakers forward who scored the final point of the game to beat Team Giannis.
Guess the Lakers players!
