Bam Adebayo to start NBA All-Star Game in place of Joel Embiid

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo will replace Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid in the Eastern Conference starting lineup for Sunday's NBA All-Star Game, the league announced on Saturday.

Two-time defending NBA scoring champion and 2022-23 MVP Embiid has been struggling with a knee injury. He had a procedure on the lateral meniscus in his left knee on Feb. 6 that is expected to keep him out four weeks.

This marks the first time Adebayo has been an All-Star starter, in his third career appearance on the All-Star team. All three times (2020, 2022, 2023), Adebayo has been selected by coaches as a reserve. He won the skills competition as part of the 2020 All-Star weekend.

The decision to make Adebayo a starter was made by Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers, who is leading the Eastern Conference team.

A four-time All-Defensive team member, Adebayo is averaging 20.2 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.0 blocks in his seventh season with the Heat, who drafted him out of Kentucky with the 14th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Two previous Miami Heat stars were injury replacement starters in the All-Star game. Anthony Mason replaced Grant Hill in 2001 and Chris Bosh replaced Rajon Rondo in 2013.