NBA All-Star Game 2023 draft order, starters, and confirmed lineups: Who is on Team LeBron and who is on Team Giannis?
Team LeBron and Team Giannis are all set to play the 72nd NBA All-Star Game. The two captains have drafted their respective teams. The draft format was different from the previous five seasons. The captains picked the starters first and the reserves later.
The draft also took place days before the All-Star Game. However, the NBA made some intriguing changes by conducting the team selection process 30 minutes before the game. That negated the possibility of the captains picking players who would not be available for the contest.
The confirmed pool of players for the NBA All-Star Game 2023
The 2023 NBA All-Star game's injury report got stacked, with superstars Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, and Zion Williamson missing out due to injuries. Here's an updated list of players available for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game:
Who is on Team LeBron? Looking at the draft order, starters, and reserves
LeBron James selected Joel Embiid as his first pick among the starters, followed by former Cavs teammate Kyrie Irving. James added Irving's Mavericks backcourt partner, Luka Doncic, with his third pick. James added another big by taking Nikola Jokic with his final pick.
LeBron James picked the youngest player on the team as his first pick of the reserves, selecting Anthony Edwards. He added more size and shooting on the wings by selecting Jaylen Brown and Paul George next. James turned to another young player, taking Tyrese Haliburton as his fourth pick from the reserves. De'Aaron Fox and Jaren Jackson Jr. were James' final additions.
Who is on Team Giannis? Looking at the draft order, starters, and reserves
Giannis Antetokounmpo selected Jayson Tatum as the first pick among the starters, followed by Ja Morant. Antetokounmpo added more scoring to his lineup, picking Donovan Mitchell with his third pick. Giannis took home team star Lauri Markkanen with the final pick.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had the first overall pick of the reserves, and surprisingly, he went with Damian Lillard to replace Bucks teammate Jrue Holiday, who he selected second.
Giannis continued adding guards to his team, selecting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and DeMar DeRozan. Antetokounmpo finally turned bigs, adding Pascal Siakam next, followed by Bam Adebayo and Domantas Sabonis to bolster his frontcourt further.