The first voting return for the 2023-2024 NBA All-Star in Indianapolis has been announced.
Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James and Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo lead all fan votes with over two million votes each, as well as each's conference's frontcourt standings.
James and Antetokunmpo both captained last year's NBA All-Star game, and have faced off twice against each other as the leading vote getters.
James is currently tied with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with 19 All-Star nominations, and will be looking to break that record in February.
The league-leading Boston Celtics (26-7) saw each of their starters place within the top ten on the first batch of returns.
The frontcourt returns also features first time appearances from a pair of Rookie of the Year contenders in San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama and Oklahoma City Thunders' Chet Holmgren, as well as Houston Rockets' surprise breakout Alperen Sengun also placing on the list.
In terms of guards, the usual suspects of Mavericks' Luka Doncic, Bucks' Damian Lillard, Warriors' Stephen Curry, Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Pacers' Tyrese haliburton all placed within top five positions for guards.
The backcourt returns also saw first-time appearances for Celtics' Derrick White, and 76ers' Tyrese Maxey, both who are in the midst of breakout seasons for their teams.
The fan voting for NBA All-Star games always stir a fair amount of controversy amongst NBA followers. In years prior, fans have questioned the validity of the fans votes.
Perhaps the most current example of this is Washington Wizards' Kyle Kuzma, who placed ninth on the first returns. In a vacuum, the former NBA champion is putting up a career-high in points (22.8) and assists (4.3) as the first option on the Wizards, but his team currently sits as the second worst team in the league with just six wins on the season.
Notable names missing from the frontcourt returns are former NBA All-Stars Knicks' Julius Randle, Suns' Devin Booker, and Raptors' Pascal Siakam, who are enjoying career years in various statistical categories, but did not crack the top-ten lists.
As well, Raptors' Scottie Barnes, the former Rookie of the Year, who is in the midst of a Most Improved Player campaign, is not present on the list.
However, NBA fan voting only counts for 50 per cent of the decision to who starts the NBA All-Star game in Indianapolis. NBA players and a media panel account for 25 per cent each.
The starters will be officially revealed on Jan. 25 after two more rounds of returns.
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