Watch: LeBron James chats with Kevin Durant during the latter's first-ever All-Star game in a throwback video shared by NBA
Voting for the 2022 NBA All-Star game is over, with a third round of results for the fan vote released by the league showing LA Lakers LeBron James and Brooklyn Nets' Kevin Durant leading the way for their respective conferences. Although the final decision on who the starters will be rests in the hands of current players and media members, fans already have a good idea who will make the cut.
LeBron James now leads the NBA in the latest fan returns for NBA All-Star Voting presented by Tissot, which concludes this Saturday, Jan. 22.
Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, DeMar DeRozan and James continue to be the top vote-getters at their respective position groups. https://t.co/LBIU5BamC6
LeBron James joined the NBA ahead of the 2003-04 season, made his first All-Star appearance the following season, and has not missed any of the showpiece games since then. Durant, who was drafted in 2008, did not make the All-Star team until two seasons later, and was given a heart-warming welcome by The King.
At the time, it was the biggest basketball game ever and set a new record for having the most attendance with 108,713. Given how big it was, LeBron was on-hand to let Durant know he was part of a historic night.
At Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas, James welcomed Durant with some kind words as they stepped on the hardwood. As they awaited tip-off, the King said:
"You look good in your first All-Star game. God dang you look good. How you feel? You're part of history, your first All-Star game you get 108,000 to come see you play."
The Eastern Conference, including LeBron James, won the contest 141-139 with Miami Heat Dwyane Wade taking home the MVP award. Kevin Durant featured as a reserve, finishing with 15 points and taking home the H-O-R-S-E award.
LeBron James and Kevin Durant could be All-Star captains for the second consecutive year
Although Durant was the captain of the East during the 2021 All-Star game, he did not feature due to a hamstring injury. His starting role was filled by Boston Celtics Jayson Tatum.
For the second consecutive year, Durant will likely miss the All-Star game due to injury. He is currently out with a knee issue with no timeline for his return.
James, who is in his 19th year will be making his 18th All-Star appearance. It will also mark the fifth consecutive year he has been named captain if he stays ahead of Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry after the polls closed on January 22.
It is clear to see why both players were chosen by the fans. They have had incredible runs so far this season and have arguably been two of the best players in the league. Durant is leading the race for the scoring title with 29.3 points per game, while James is closely behind with 29.0.
With Kevin Durant being sidelined for an extended period, LeBron James could swoop in and become the scoring leader given how well he is playing. If he manages that, he would be the oldest player in NBA history (37 years) to win a scoring title, and it would be the second of his career.