2023 NBA All-Star Draft - Team LeBron Vs Team Giannis

For the first time ever, the NBA All-Star Game will feature a draft format. Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo will select their teams live on stage 30 minutes before kickoff.

Team LeBron selected Philadelphia 76ers superstar center Joel Embiid and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum. Team Giannis selected another Eastern Conference star: Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam.

LeBron James

Team captains LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo will select their teams ahead of the 2023 NBA All-Star Game at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City. As top vote getters in their conferences, both James and Antetokounmpo have the privilege of selecting players from a pool of 22 players divided into starters and reserves.

Since 2018, the NBA has utilized a draft format for their All-Star Game, where team captains select their teams prior to play. This is an unprecedented move that should add even more anticipation and intrigue to this historic event.

On Friday and Saturday, the NBA will hold their annual All-Star weekend in Utah before the All-Star Game itself takes place Sunday night at Vivint Arena. Additionally, an NBA All-Star Draft will take place close to the stadium prior to the big event.

Before the draft, each team captain will select their starters and reserves and have the opportunity to trade players with opponents before the game. This provides players with a chance to compete against their peers while also giving league's top stars an opportunity to showcase their abilities under duress.

In addition to the draft, both teams will play for charitable causes. Each team starts the game with a $150,000 donation and the winning team donates an additional $750,000 to their chosen charity.

The 2023 NBA All-Star Draft will be broadcast live on TNT and hosted by NBA analyst Ernie Johnson. This event showcases the top players in the league, with each taking turns selecting their team.

LeBron James will be the first captain to select his team, having the option to select Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo - currently the top scorer in the NBA - from among many other talented players.

He will then have the exclusive right to select Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic from among a host of other players. This is an incredible chance for LeBron to acquire some of the top players in the NBA and make a statement at the All-Star Game.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo has made the All-Star Game each of the last four seasons, but he never served as captain until this year. After being named team captain for both conferences, he got to draft his team right before the All-Star Game began.

In this format, captains select their reserves first and then their starters. They also get the first picks in each conference if they have more votes than their opponents. Finally, both teams play a high-stakes charity game that raises $750,000 for their charities.

On Sunday at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Team Giannis emerged victorious 184-175. Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum set the All-Star Game scoring record with 55 points to lead his side to victory.

This was the inaugural All-Star Game where captains draft their teams prior to play, leading to some interesting subplots in gambling circles: books have had Team LeBron listed as three point favorites to win despite not having team rosters -- based solely on James' record as a captain.

Prior to this season, James had an impressive 5-0 record as captain and chose Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid as his first pick among starters. It was a wise choice for someone who is having such an outstanding year; however, James could have easily gone with a more renowned prospect instead.

Next, Antetokounmpo selected Damian Lillard over Jrue Holiday, surprising LeBron. He then took Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and DeMar DeRozan with his reserve selections; however he eventually ended up getting Ja Morant as well.

Antetokounmpo eventually found a player to assist him with scoring goals; Luka Doncic is currently enjoying an incredible season.

He also selected Nikola Jokic, who is having another remarkable season. A two-time MVP and excellent defender, Jokic also has great offensive capabilities and superior court vision.

Antetokounmpo is an exceptional athlete, but he also demonstrates great kindness and generosity towards the community. He donates part of his salary to various charities like Filathlitikos Foundation and Raise the Future; further demonstrating his passion for aiding kids in need.

Boston Celtics

The NBA All-Star Draft is an exhilarating event that allows fans to watch players select their team members. It also serves as an opportunity for players to make some trash talk and engage in friendly banter with teammates ahead of Sunday's All-Star Game, scheduled to take place.

Captains LeBron James (West) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (East) will select their teams from a pool of 24 players, which includes the top vote-getters from each conference. They will draft their starters first and then reserves.

Both teams will take part in a schoolyard style draft that promises to be more entertaining than usual. The draft process will be streamed live and begin approximately 30 minutes before the All-Star Game commences.

After captains LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo drafted their teams, the league decided that they should select reserves before selecting starters. This prevents any embarrassing situations where someone is picked last - for both the league and players alike.

When it came time to select starters, Antetokounmpo had the first pick and selected Damian Lillard over Jrue Holiday - an unexpected move by James. Following that selection, he selected Anthony Edwards and Jaylen Brown.

Jayson Tatum of the Celtics was selected with the second pick by Antetokounmpo and played an integral role in Team Giannis' win over James' squad. Tatum scored an All-Star Game record 55 points to secure victory and earn MVP honors.

James made some surprising selections, such as passing over Kyrie Irving for his first pick and instead choosing Joel Embiid. Furthermore, he allowed the rumor mill to run wild by selecting Luka Doncic with his 19th overall selection.

He also added some familiar faces to his roster, taking Jaren Jackson Jr. and Paul George both of whom expressed an eagerness to collaborate with him on the team.

Antetokounmpo took his time selecting Ja Morant in the reserve draft because he wasn't eligible yet. Nonetheless, he eventually got his man. Additionally, Paul George joined them - a former Laker who told reporters he'd rather be on Team LeBron than Team Giannis if they win.

Denver Nuggets

This season, the Denver Nuggets have been one of the best teams in the NBA. They average the most points per game and boast the third-best net rating in the league - led by MVP-caliber performances from Nikola Jokic. Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon have also had impressive seasons, giving them a commanding lead in the Western Conference.

This season, Denver Nuggets teammates have displayed outstanding team chemistry. It was no shock that they took their first pick in this year's All-Star draft - making for a strong offensive unit that will likely carry them far this season.

Strangely, the starting lineup for this team was determined by fan votes. The player who garnered the most support in each conference was named captain.

James and Antetokounmpo served as captains for the All-Star draft, rotating their selections until their teams were full. Each team began with the leading vote-getter at each position before picking reserves from among those present.

Once the starting lineup was set, teams took to the court for an All-Star quarter. The team that scores the most points in each quarter will win $100,000 for their charity.

When it came time to select starters, James and Antetokounmpo chose Eastern Conference players - Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid and Celtics forward Jayson Tatum - respectively. Following that, each team took turns selecting the final available starter.

After selecting their starters, the captains turned their focus towards selecting reserves. This marked the first time in NBA All-Star history that a team would draft its starters playground style before the game began.

LeBron James surprised everyone when he didn't select Nikola Jokic with the final starter pick - yet he was the last available player. While selecting his starters, James did not realize Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen was still sitting up on stage.

The irony of it all is, he was sitting just a few stools over from Jokic!

While this may have seemed like an insult to the MVP-caliber center, it shouldn't have been taken personally. Jokic has long been considered one of the league's best players and his talent has put Denver in first place in the Western Conference with hopes of making a deep playoff run this season.