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LeBron, Giannis headline NBA All-Star starters
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James. Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo headline NBA All-Star starters

The starters for the 2024-25 NBA All-Star Game were announced on Thursday night, and there will be a lot of familiar faces taking place in this year's game. 

Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was the league's top vote-getter for the second year in a row, while Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James extended his record of consecutive All-Star Game appearances to 21 in a row by earning a spot in the Western Conference starting five.

Joining Antetokounmpo in the Eastern Conference lineup will be Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Jayson Tatum of the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics and New York Knicks teammates Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.

Towns is in his first year with the Knicks after being acquired in an October trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Brunson getting a start in the game continues what has been a massive star turn for him since joining the Knicks. 

The Knicks signed Brunson as a free agent away from the Dallas Mavericks prior to the 2022-23 season, and he has already exceeded pretty much every expectation that followed. This will be his second consecutive All-Star Game appearance with the Knicks and his first time as a starter.

In the Western Conference, James will be joined in the starting lineup by reigning league MVP Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets), Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors. 

Starters are determined by a hybrid vote that is 50% fan voting and 25% each from fans and media. 

Oklahoma City's Mark Daigneault and Cleveland's Kenny Atkinson are the coaches for this year's team. The remainder of the rosters will be announced a week from Thursday.

This year's All-Star Game will take place Feb. 16 at Chase Center, home of the Golden State Warriors. 

Adam Gretz

Adam Gretz is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. He covers the NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA. Baseball is his favorite sport -- he is nearly halfway through his goal of seeing a game in every MLB ballpark. Catch him on Twitter @AGretz

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