Utah Jazz: Mike Conley to play in NBA All-Star Game

The wait is over.

Mike Conley, in his 14th NBA season, will make his All-Star debut on Sunday in Atlanta.

Conley will replace Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns, who suffered a sprained left knee. Booker was scheduled to participate in the All-Star Game as an injury substitute for Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers.

With Conley joining two All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, it will be the first time since John Stockton, Karl Malone and Mark Eaton were All-Stars in 1989 that Jazz will have three players representing the team in the NBA All-Star Game . Quin Snyder, the first Jazz coach to lead an All-Star team since Frank Layden did in 1984, will coach Team LeBron.

Along with Mitchell, Conley will play for Team Durant, while Gobert will be on Team LeBron. In addition, Conley will replace Booker in the 3-point competition that will be held before the game on March 7 at TNT.

The Skills Challenge and the 3-point contest start at 4:30 pm, and the All-Star Game starts at 6:00 pm.

Conley and the other Jazz players were disappointed when the veteran guard was left out of the All-Star reserve list that was named on February 23.

“It was a tough day for me, as well as something to celebrate for them,” said Conley at the time. “It is unfortunate, but this is how my career has been and I am grateful to have the teammates I have, the coaching staff and the support around me to keep me stuck and focus on what we are doing.”

His teammates immediately went to social media to congratulate him on Friday.