Watch all the action from the 2020 NBA All-Star Weekend live on Sky Sports
Friday 7 February 2020 10:47, UK
Captains LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo selected their teams for the 2020 NBA All-Star Game in Chicago, and one side will have a distinct Los Angeles flavour.
James not only selected Los Angeles Lakers team-mate Anthony Davis No 1 overall for his team, but he also picked the Los Angeles Clippers' Kawhi Leonard. Add in his selection of Los Angeles-area native James Harden of the Houston Rockets and it leaves only his remaining pick of Luka Doncic, from the Dallas Mavericks, as the only player without a tie to the LA area.
Antetokounmpo, the Milwaukee Bucks superstar and reigning NBA MVP, went with more of an East Coast flavour, selecting the Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid No 2 overall. He also picked the Toronto Raptors' Pascal Siakam, the Boston Celtics' Kemba Walker and the Atlanta Hawks' Trae Young.
James and Antetokounmpo drafted the NBA All-Star Game team rosters from the pool of players voted as starters and reserves in each conference. The two captains made 11 picks each - four starters and seven reserves - without regard to a player's conference affiliation or position.
During the draft, the eight remaining starters (aside from James and Antetokounmpo) were selected in the first round. The 14 reserves were chosen in the second round.
James, the top overall finisher in fan voting, was awarded the first pick in the first round. Antetokounmpo made the first pick in the second round. The captains alternated picks in each round until all players in that round had been selected.
Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers); Ben Simmons (Philadelphia 76ers); Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets); Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics); Chris Paul (Oklahoma City Thunder); Russell Westbrook (Houston Rockets); Domantas Sabonis (Indiana Pacers).
Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks); Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler (Miami Heat); Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz); Kyle Lowry (Toronto Raptors); Brandon Ingram (New Orleans Pelicans).
There are a number of changes to this year's All-Star Game format. Teams will compete to win each quarter for their designated charities. And when the third quarter ends, 24 will be added to the score of the team that is leading and the first team to reach that number in an untimed fourth quarter will be declared the winner.
The No 24 represents one of the numbers worn by former Laker Kobe Bryant, who was killed in a January 26 helicopter crash along with 13-year-old daughter Gianna, as well as seven others.
Team LeBron will wear No 2 in honour of the number Gianna Bryant wore on her youth team, while Team Giannis will wear No 24 in honour of Kobe Bryant. Both teams will also wear patches honouring the crash victims.
The 69th NBA All-Star Game will take place in the early hours of Monday, February 16 (1am) at the United Center in Chicago, live on Sky Sports.
NBA All-Star 2020 will reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories in nearly 50 languages on their televisions, computers, mobile phones and tablets.
