When the NBA announced changes to the All-Star Game format it was expected that the Cavaliers' LeBron James and the Warriors' Stephen Curry would be the two that would lead each conference in votes. This new format, featuring a draft instead of the traditional East vs. West, would surely feature the two rivals against each other once again.
However, when the first returns came back, it was Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo that led the field in All-Star Game votes. There was a chance that fans were going to break the trend. A new face could be leading the All-Star Game and it's new format.
Although there's still a chance that plays out, Antetokounmpo settled for second place in the second fan voting results that came out on Thursday. James, unsurprisingly, passed him to take the lead for most voted player in the league. Right behind him are Antetokounmpo, Celtics guard Kyrie Irving, and Western Conference's leading vote-getter Curry.
Eastern Conference:
| Frontcourt | Votes | Guards | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
LeBron James, CLE | 1,622,838 | Kyrie Irving, BOS | 1,370,643 |
1,480,954 | DeMar DeRozan, TOR | 537,168 | |
Joel Embiid, PHI | 784,287 | Ben Simmons, PHI | 397,942 |
640,928 | Victor Oladipo, IND | 385,448 | |
Kevin Love, CLE | 458,157 | Dwyane Wade, CLE | 353,273 |
Al Horford, BOS | 229,906 | John Wall, WAS | 328,215 |
Jayson Tatum, BOS | 213,499 | Isaiah Thomas, CLE | 252,552 |
Enes Kanter, NY | 159,010 | Kyle Lowry, TOR | 176,590 |
Andre Drummond, DET | 139,226 | Bradley Beal, WAS | 151,765 |
Dwight Howard, CHA | 111,768 | Jaylen Brown, BOS | 103,622 |
Western Conference
| Frontcourt | Votes | Guards | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
Kevin Durant, GS | 1,326,059 | Stephen Curry, GS | 1,369,658 |
Anthony Davis, NO | 664,687 | James Harden, HOU | 978,540 |
Draymond Green, GS | 616,730 | Russell Westbrook, OKC | 791,332 |
DeMarcus Cousins, NO | 587,835 | Klay Thompson, GS | 686,825 |
Paul George, OKC | 547,582 | Manu Ginobili, SA | 657,827 |
Kawhi Leonard, SA | 446,133 | Chris Paul, HOU | 331,522 |
Carmelo Anthony, OKC | 378,718 | Lonzo Ball, LAL | 294,197 |
Kyle Kuzma, LAL | 325,903 | Damian Lillard, POR | 266,519 |
Karl-anthony Towns, MIN | 320,884 | Jimmy Butler, MIN | 173,245 |
315,918 | Devin Booker, PHO | 162,970 |
The leading vote-getter for each conference will end up captains and drafting their own team. Besides Curry and LeBron, a few other names stand out on this list. Irving leading all guards, over Curry, is a bit of a surprise and further proves he was right to leave James' shadow in Cleveland. There's a lot of young guys receiving votes such as Devin Booker, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Victor Oladipo, Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Kristaps Porzingis.
Other notable names include Kevin Durant, leading the West in frontcourt votes, and DeMar DeRozan who is second among guards in the Eastern Conference. James Harden, seen by many as the MVP favorite so far, is second in the West among guards.
The All-Star Game starters will be revealed on Jan. 18 on TNT. With so many big names in the running to start this will be a very interesting year to say the least.
