In an increasingly globalized NBA, Team LeBron is 5-0 in All Star 2022

February represents a very important month for the NBA. They usually start with the trade deadline and his multiple last-minute trades, like James Harden’s to the Philadelphia 76ers this season, and then focus on the all-star. The weekend of stars takes place in Cleveland and will have as its main course the game between Team LeBron vs. Team Durant (Sunday 8:00 p.m.). Likewise, it will feature a milestone in the history of the event: four of the ten headlines are not from the United States, confirming the globalization of the NBA.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks; Greece; Nigerian ties), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers; Cameroon), Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets; Serbia) and Andrew Wiggins (Golden State Warriors; Canada) will be the four starters in the All Star Game. Embiid and Wiggins at the Team DurantAntetokounmpo and Jokic in the Team LeBron. Two other international players were chosen as substitutes: Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks; Slovenia) will play in the Team LeBron and Rudy Gobert (Utah Jazz; France) will do the same in the Team Durant.

To put it in context, the NBA has a system for electing holders for the All Star Game through a percentage of the vote of the fans, another from the coaches and also from the press. Instead, the reserves are chosen by the coaches of each team.

For this edition, Lebron James he was the most voted player by the public; however, the most striking stands out among the international players chosen by the fans. Of the top 10, four were non-US and that held up until the final pick, demonstrating the globalization of the league and the creation of stars representing other nations. 20 years ago, it was very difficult for an international player to have the status of Antetokounmpo (MVP of the last finals) or Nikola Jokic (last MVP of the regular season). Today it is a reality and everything indicates that they will continue importing talent with a single objective: showtime.

Ideal format to ensure the show

And if we talk about spectacle, the NBA It has been in charge of ensuring it through a format that it has been repeating since 2020. With these adjustments, the league ensures competitiveness until the end, since they also have charitable purposes in favor of the city in which the game is organized. All Star Game.

• The first three quarters will be “individual” competitions: each quarter will start 0-0 and will be played for 12 minutes, looking for a winner for each quarter.
• The winner of each of the first three quarters (that is, the one with the most points) will receive a charity sum for the entity chosen by each of the teams.
• As the fourth quarter begins, the clock will go off and the scoring goal will be set. How? Adding the accumulated team with the most points after those three quarters, and adding 24 points to that number. Why that number? Because it is in representation of #24 that Kobe Bryant immortalized with his jersey.
• Once the scoring goal is set, the two teams will play a final quarter to reach that number, with whoever does it first being the winner of the All-Star Game.

Team LeBron will look for 5-0

From 2000 to 2017, the Western Conference won 12 All Star Games, while the East only did it six times. Given this, the NBA decided to equate the teams by electing captains. These, by means of a Draft, select their squad with players from the East and the West and with that they compete in the all-star. This format was applied in 2018 and since then only one player has been captain in all the games played with this system, we are talking about Lebron James.

The Los Angeles Lakers star has captained the Team LeBron since 2018 and I will look for his fifth consecutive win in 2022. He has faced teams captained by Giannis Antetokounmpo (2019 and 2020), Stephen Curry 2018) and Kevin Durant (2021 and 2022).

Due to his great interference in the teams that he has integrated in the NBA, LeBron has a great reputation for choosing and managing schools. It is thanks to this ability that he has managed to bring together the best teams available to succeed in the ASG. In 2022 he has not been the exception, since he will share a team with Stephen Curry, Giannis, Nikola Jokic and DeMar DeRozan.

TEAM LEBRON

HEADLINES

• LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers).
• Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks).
• Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors).
• DeMar DeRozan (Chicago Bulls).
• Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets).

SUBSTITUTES

• Jimmy Butler (Miami Heat).
• Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks).
• Darius Garland (Cleveland Cavaliers).
• James Harden (Philadelphia 76ers).
• Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz).
• Chris Paul (Phoenix Suns).
• Fred VanVleet (Toronto Raptors).

TEAM DURING

HEADLINES

• Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers).
• Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzlies).
• Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics).
• Andrew Wiggins (Golden State Warriors).
• Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks).

SUBSTITUTES

• LaMelo Ball (Charlotte Hornets).
• Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns).
• Rudy Gobert (Utah Jazz).
• Zach LaVine (Chicago Bulls).
• Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks).
• Dejounte Murray (San Antonio Spurs).
• Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves).

The NBA will present a new trophy to the MVP of the All Star Game

The MVP trophy All Star Game will once again bear the name of Kobe Bryant. For this edition, however, the accolade will feature details that have dual meanings for both the All-Star and Bryant’s legendary career, including the following:

• Base: The eight-sided base represents the eight decades of the All-Star Game of the NBA and it’s a nod to Bryant’s number 8. The 18 stars around the trophy represent Kobe’s 18 All-Star selections. The 2-inch base height is a nod to Kobe’s 2002 All-Star MVP.
• Level 1: The 24 stars represent each All-Star present at the game and Bryant’s number 24. The 7-inch height is a nod to his 2007 All-Star MVP.
• Level 2: The 10 stars represent Kobe’s Team USA All-Star and jersey number 10 holders. The 9-inch height is a nod to his 2009 All-Star MVP.
• Level 3: The five stars represent the lineup of a team from the NBA and Bryant’s five championships. The 11-inch height is a nod to his 2011 All-Star MVP.
• Level 4: A single star represents when Bryant won the Maurice Podoloff Trophy for MVP of the NBA 2007-2008. The final star’s 2-inch height represents Bryant’s two Bill Russell trophies as Finals MVP. NBA (2009-2010).