LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo had to put on their general manager hats before taking to the court for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game in Salt Lake City.
While this is the sixth edition of the annual event, which sees two captains picking their teams rather than the West and East conferences facing each other, Sunday marked the first time the draft took place immediately before the game a la playground approach.
It added another layer of intrigue to the whole process, and the captains – who were in their position because they got the most fan votes – would choose among the reserves first before moving on to the starters.
Here’s a look at the results, which prompted numerous reactions on social media:
reserves
1. Damian Lillard, Team Giannis
2. Anthony Edwards, Team LeBron
3. Jrue Holiday, Team Giannis
4. Jaylen Brown, Team LeBron
5. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Team Giannis
6. Paul George, Team LeBron
7. DeMar DeRozan, Team Giannis
8. Tyrese Haliburton, Team LeBron
9.Pascal Siakam, Team Giannis
10. Julius Randle, Team LeBron
11. Bam Adebayo, Team Giannis
12. De’Aaron Fox, Team LeBron
13. Domantas Sabonis, Team Giannis
14. Jaren Jackson Jr., Team LeBron
Appetizers
1. Joel Embiid, Team LeBron
2.Jayson Tatum, Team Giannis
3. Kyrie Irving, Team LeBron
4. Yes Morant, Team Giannis
5. Luka Doncic, Team LeBron
6. Donovan Mitchell, Team Giannis
7. Nikola Jokic, Team LeBron
8. Lauri Markkanen, Team Giannis
The draft’s most amusing moment came when Antetokounmpo attempted to pick Ja Morant during the reserve section, despite the Memphis Grizzlies star being a starter.
Other notable moves included James drafting former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate Kyrie Irving and Nikola Jokić, who was late in the draft although he could be on track to win the league MVP for a third straight season .
But the rosters are now set, and Team LeBron will look to continue their All-Star Game dynasty and go 6-0 overall in this draft format.
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