Los Angeles Lakers superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis are not only two of the best, but also two of the most popular players in the NBA today. That is often seen every year when NBA All-Star voting occurs as LeBron is almost always at the top of the list while Davis isn’t too far behind.
Both will likely be representing the Lakers when the NBA All-Star Game takes place in February. Davis is having arguably his best season as a member of the Lakers while James continues to defy all reason with how good he remains in his 22nd NBA season.
Surprisingly, however, LeBron actually isn’t the leading vote getter as the NBA released its first fan vote returns. James and Davis are third and fourth, respectively, amongst Western Conference frontcourt players trailing Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets and Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns:
Nikola Jokić and Giannis Antetokounmpo lead their respective conferences in the first fan returns of #NBAAllStar Voting presented by AT&T.
Fans account for 50% of the vote to decide All-Star starters. NBA players and a media panel account for 25% each.
Next fan update: 1/9. pic.twitter.com/OoIIa3S3fn
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) January 2, 2025
Jokic leading the way is a bit of a surprise as, while most consider him the best player in the NBA today, he has never been the most popular player. He definitely isn’t the most popular player amongst L.A. fans as he has given the Lakers fits over the past couple of seasons.
As it currently stands, James, Durant and Jokic represent the frontcourt in the West with Shai Gilgious-Alexander and Luka Doncic being the guards. In the East, Giannis Antetokounmpo is the leading overall vote getter in the entire NBA and is currently followed by Jayson Tatum and Karl-Anthony Towns in the East frontcourt. LaMelo Ball and Donovan Mitchell represent the guards.
Of course, this year the NBA is changing the All-Star format with players being split into three teams of eight along with a fourth team being made up of the Rising Stars Challenge winner. There will be a tournament format with two semi-final games up to 40 followed by the two winning teams meeting in the Championship.
You can vote James, Davis and your other favorite players to the All-Star Game HERE.
Lakers valued as third most valuable NBA franchise
The Lakers remain one of the most popular and valuable franchises in the NBA and all of American sports. Sportico recently released its latest franchise valuations and the Lakers are near the top of the list.
The Lakers are currently valued at $8.07 billion, ranking third amongst NBA franchises trailing only the Golden State Warriors ($9.14 billion) and the New York Knicks ($8.3 billion).
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