Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James was the overall leader in votes when the NBA released the first returns for voting in the 2023 NBA All-Star Game. The Lakers were also represented by big man Anthony Davis being in the top three for frontcourt votes and in the backcourt with Russell Westbrook and Austin Reaves both being in the top 10.
Now, the NBA has announced the second voting returns for the All-Star Game and it is much the same in regards to Lakers players as James has maintained his overall vote lead over Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant and Davis remains in the top three for West frontcourt:
LeBron James and Kevin Durant lead their respective conferences in the second 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.
The next fan update is Jan. 19. pic.twitter.com/SEwhsuNWcE
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) January 12, 2023
Not only has LeBron maintained his lead, but he has increased it over Durant with there now being a 300,000 vote difference between the two stars. The two leading vote-getters in each conference will be team captains and choose the rosters for their respective teams. James looks locked in for the West, though Durant has just a very slight lead over the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo in the East.
Likewise, Davis is just barely holding on to his top three frontcourt spot in the West with less than a 100,000 vote lead over another player currently dealing with an injury in Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans. Fan vote accounts for 50 percent in deciding the All-Star starters with players and media accounting for 25 percent each. That could wind up being the deciding factor between Davis or Williamson being named an All-Star starter this season.
Both Westbrook and Reaves also remained in the top 10 of Western Conference backcourt voting in the same spot as the first returns with Westbrook ranking sixth and Reaves at ninth.
The only change in starters for either conference came in the frontcourt of the East with Boston’s Jayson Tatum overtaking Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid for the third spot behind Durant and Antetokounmpo.
Fan voting will continue through Jan. 21 and can be done at NBA.com/vote.
Lakers’ LeBron James names Kevin Durant as most likely to break scoring record after him
On pace to once again be an All-Star captain, James is also on pace to soon become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. An unbreakable record now about to be broken, the next question becomes who could be the next player to possibly top it.
In the eyes of LeBron himself, that player is Durant. James spoke of the ease and effortlessness with which Durant can score the ball and at each level. LeBron also mentioned the likes of Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo as younger players who could surpass it in the future, but also noted how important health will be in that equation.
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