New Orleans striker Zion Williamson can now be called the NBA All-Star, and only three other players in the sport’s 70-year history made it there when they were younger.
Williamson is one of the top four All-Stars, all revealed on Tuesday night, when the league announced reservations for the March 7 game in Atlanta. Joining him as fellow All-Star newcomers: Jaylen Brown of Boston, Julius Randle of the Knicks and Zach LaVine of Chicago.
Chris Paul of Phoenix is an All-Star for the 11th time, and James Harden of the Nets is one for the ninth consecutive year. The rest of the reserves include Ben Simmons of Philadelphia, Jayson Tatum of Boston and Nikola Vucevic of Orlando of the Eastern Conference, along with Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers, Paul George of the Los Angeles Clippers, Utah teammates Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, and Portland’s Damian Lillard from the Western Conference.
“It’s definitely an honor,” said Mitchell.
Team captains LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets will choose their teams next week, with the lineups to be revealed on March 4. and a media panel.
Reserves were chosen through voting by league coaches.
“You do the best you can,” said Orlando coach Steve Clifford. “It is not easy.… Every year is difficult, and when you look at this year in the East, there were several guys who are worthy to participate. So it is difficult every year.”
Trae Young from Atlanta, an All-Star last season, is not this year, despite having an average of 26.9 points coming in on Tuesday, the maximum among the unselected. Miami strikers Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler were not eliminated, nor was Phoenix’s Devin Booker.
“Devin Booker is the most disrespected player in our league !!!! Simple as that, ”James tweeted.
Mike Conley from Utah – someone the NBA Jazz leader desperately wanted to see get there for what would have been the first time – also missed the chance.
“For a guy like him, who has done so many things in his career, on and off the ground, he deserves it,” said Mitchell of Conley.
No coach agreed. There is still a chance for Conley, because Davis will likely lose the game because of an injury. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will choose any injury substitutes; a player eliminated will be replaced by another player from his respective conference.
Williamson is 20 and only Kobe Bryant, James and Magic Johnson were younger in their All-Star debut. There were six other 20-year-olds chosen for the previous All-Star Games, but they were all closer to their 21st birthday at the time than Williamson is now.
Randle is the best player for the Knicks, who is trying to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2013. Brown has an average of 25.5 points, the best of his career, for Boston. And LaVine has been to the All-Star weekend several times, winning two dunk competitions and an MVP award in the Rising Stars game. But this will be your first time in the All-Star game itself.
James and Durant will choose from eight other starters for their teams when the draft takes place: Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee, Bradley Beal of Washington, Stephen Curry of Golden State, Luka Doncic of Dallas, Joel Embiid of Philadelphia, Kyrie Irving of Brooklyn, Nikola Jokic of Denver and Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers.