Category: NBA All-Star blog

NBA All-Star blog

Jonathan Kuminga selected as injury replacement for Chris Duarte in 2022 NBA Rising Stars Game

Golden State Warriors rookie forward Jonathan Kuminga will replace injured Indiana Pacers rookie guard Chris Duarte in the 2022 Clorox Rising Stars, which will be played on Friday, Feb. 18 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.

The annual showcase of premier young talent at NBA All-Star will air live on TNT and ESPN Radio in the United States at 9 p.m. ET.

Kuminga is averaging 7.9 points and 2.8 rebounds in 14.3 minutes in 46 games this season. He ranks third among NBA rookies in field goal percentage at 50.4 percent. In his last seven games, Kuminga is averaging 15.7 points and 4.6 rebounds in 27.2 minutes while shooting 58.3 percent from the field. A 19-year-old from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kuminga was selected by Golden State with the seventh overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. He played with NBA G League Ignite in the 2020-21 season.

Duarte will not play in the Clorox Rising Stars because of a left toe injury, which he sustained in a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Feb. 13. The 24-year-old from the Dominican Republic is averaging 13.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 50 games this season. Duarte leads all NBA rookies in three-pointers made with 87.

Kuminga will replace Duarte on Team Payton, which is named for Gary Payton, one of four members of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team serving as Rising Stars honorary coaches. The other honorary coaches are Rick Barry (Team Barry), Isiah Thomas (Team Isiah) and James Worthy (Team Worthy).

Under a new format, the Clorox Rising Stars will feature four seven-player teams competing in a mini-tournament consisting of three games. The playing rosters are composed of 12 NBA rookies, 12 NBA sophomores and four elite young players from NBA G League Ignite. The team rosters are available here.

In addition, Sacramento Kings rookie guard Davion Mitchell will replace Duarte in the Clorox Clutch Challenge, a team shooting competition that will take place between Game 2 and Game 3 of the Clorox Rising Stars. Mitchell will team up with Toronto Raptors rookie guard/forward Scottie Barnes. Both players will play for Team Payton in Rising Stars.

Jarrett Allen selected as injury replacement for James Harden in 2022 NBA All-Star Game

Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen has been named by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to replace injured Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden on Team LeBron in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game.

The matchup between Team LeBron and Team Durant in the 71st NBA All-Star Game will be played on Sunday, Feb. 20 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, airing live at 8 p.m. ET on TNT and ESPN Radio in the United States and reaching fans in 215 countries and territories in 59 languages.

Allen has earned his first NBA All-Star selection. He is averaging a career-high 16.2 points, a career-high 11.1 rebounds and 1.35 blocked shots in 49 games this season. A five-year NBA veteran, Allen ranks ninth in the league in rebounds per game and 13th in blocks per game. He also ranks second in the NBA in field goal percentage at a career-high 66.5 percent and tied for sixth in double-doubles with 30.

The 23-year-old Allen is the second Cleveland player to be named a first-time NBA All-Star this season, joining guard Darius Garland, who was drafted by Team Durant. Behind Allen and Garland, the Cavaliers (35-22) have the third-best record in the Eastern Conference.

Harden will not play in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game because of a left hamstring injury. He was selected by NBA head coaches as a reserve.

Magic guard Cole Anthony has had Slam Dunk contest in mind for a long time

Magic guard Cole Anthony has been waiting for a particular opportunity for a very long time. Via the Orlando Sentinel:

Cole Anthony hasn’t forgotten his first dunk.

He was in the seventh grade — either 12 or 13 years old — when he threw down a left-handed slam for his first dunk. From there Anthony, who’s known to not lack confidence, proceeded to go for more challenging attempts.

“Immediately after that, I was trying to windmill,” he said. “From there, I was just trying to do more and more dunks.”

Anthony will have the opportunity to show off his dunking ambition and creativity in the NBA’s Dunk Contest on Feb. 19 in Cleveland as part of All-Star Weekend.

He described the opportunity as “a life-long dream of mine since before I could dunk.”

2022 NBA All-Star Weekend Slam Dunk Contest participants

Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony, Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green, New York Knicks forward Obi Toppin and Golden State Warriors forward Juan Toscano-Anderson will take flight in the 2022 NBA Slam Dunk contest on Saturday, Feb. 19 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. A first-time champion will be crowned as Anthony, Green and Toscano-Anderson are set to make their event debuts, and Toppin returns for his second appearance after finishing as the runner-up last year.

2022 NBA All-Star Weekend: 3-Point Contest participants

NBA All-Stars Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls, Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Fred VanVleet of the Toronto Raptors and Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks headline the 2022 NBA 3-Point Contest, which will take place on Saturday, Feb. 19 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.

The eight-player field for the two-round, timed shooting competition also features guard CJ McCollum of the Portland Trail Blazers (though he will reportedly soon be traded to the New Orleans Pelicans), guard Desmond Bane of the Memphis Grizzlies, guard Luke Kennard of the LA Clippers and guard Patty Mills of the Brooklyn Nets.

LaMelo Ball selected as injury replacement for Kevin Durant in 2022 NBA All-Star Game

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball has been selected by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver as an injury replacement for Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant for the 2022 NBA All-Star that will be played at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, Feb. 20, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland and air live on TNT and ESPN Radio.

Ball, who was previously selected for the 2022 Clorox Rising Stars, is the fourth-youngest player in NBA history to be named an All-Star and one of nine players with an All-Star selection before their 21st birthday. He is the first Hornets player to earn the honor since Kemba Walker in 2019.

In his sophomore campaign, Ball is averaging 19.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game in 47 games, all starts. He ranks 26th in points, 10th in assists and 17th in steals per game in the NBA this season and is also 13th in free throw percentage (.875%). Ball has posted four triple-doubles, already tying the Hornets single-season franchise record and is just one of 10 players with four or more triple-doubles on the year. The 20-year-old became the second-youngest player in NBA history to reach five career-triple doubles on Jan. 26 at Indiana.

The 2020-21 KIA NBA Rookie of the Year, Ball is just one of two players averaging at least 19.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game this season. His 12 points-assist double-doubles are tied for the fourth most among Eastern Conference guards as he has 16 double-doubles overall this season. Ball has had 12 games with 10 or more assists, ranking fifth in the East, while his 10 games with at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists ranks tied for fourth among guards in the Eastern Conference this season.

He joins Larry Johnson (1993, 1995), Alonzo Mourning (1994, 1995), Glen Rice (1996, 1997, 1998), Eddie Jones (2000), Baron Davis (2002), Gerald Wallace (2010) and Kemba Walker (2017, 2018, 2019) as the only players in franchise history to be named an NBA All-Star. Ball is just the third Hornets player to earn an All-Star selection in their second season, joining Johnson (1993) and Mourning (1994).

Ball will be among the pool of players that were selected as starters and reserves in each conference that will be drafted by LeBron James and Kevin Durant who will serve as captains after leading their respective conference in fan voting.

Dejounte Murray selected as injury replacement for Draymond Green in 2022 NBA All-Star Game

San Antonio Spurs guard Dejounte Murray has been selected as an injury replacement for Draymond Green in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game. The fifth-year Spur will make his first career All-Star appearance.

Murray is the only player in the NBA averaging at least 19.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 9.0 assists this season. The Spurs guard holds averages of 19.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, 9.2 assists and 2.06 steals. There has never been a player in NBA history that has averaged more than 19.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 9.0 assists and 2.0 steals for an entire season.

Leading the league in steals and ranking fourth in assists, Murray has 10 triple-doubles this season which is second in the league behind only Denver’s Nikola Jokić (14). The former Washington Husky has twice as many triple-doubles already this year (10) than any other player in Spurs history previously had in an entire season (5, David Robinson in 1993-94 and Johnny Moore in 1984-85).

Murray becomes the first Spurs player named to an All-Star roster since LaMarcus Aldridge in 2019. The Spurs have now had at least one All-Star selection in 41 of the 45 All-Star Games since joining the NBA in 1976, the most of any team in that span.

Joining Murray as Western Conference All-Stars are: LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers), Ja Morant (Memphis), Nikola Jokić (Denver), Andrew Wiggins (Golden State), Stephen Curry (Golden State), Devin Booker (Phoenix), Luka Doncic (Dallas), Rudy Gobert (Utah), Draymond Green (Golden State), Donovan Mitchell (Utah), Chris Paul (Phoenix), Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota).

The Eastern Conference All-Stars: Kevin Durant (Brooklyn), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia), Trae Young (Atlanta), DeMar DeRozan (Chicago), Jimmy Butler (Miami), Darius Garland (Cleveland), Zach Lavine (Chicago), Khris Middleton (Milwaukee), James Harden (Brooklyn), Jayson Tatum (Boston), Fred VanVleet (Toronto), LaMelo Ball (Charlotte – injury replacement).

The 71st NBA All-Star Game will take place on Sunday, Feb. 20 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, where there will be a celebration for the league’s 75th anniversary.

Erik Spoelstra will coach Team Durant in 2022 NBA All-Star Game

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra and his staff will coach Team Durant in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game, which will be played on Sunday, Feb. 20 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. The matchup between Team Durant and Team LeBron will air live at 8 p.m. ET on TNT and ESPN Radio in the United States and reach fans in 215 countries and territories in 59 languages.

By virtue of the Chicago Bulls’ 119-108 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers today, the Heat (34-20, .630) clinched the best record in the Eastern Conference through games played on Sunday, Feb. 6 (today). As a result, Spoelstra has earned a spot as a head coach in the NBA All-Star Game for the second time. He coached the Eastern Conference in the 2013 NBA All-Star Game.

Spoelstra is in his 14th season as Miami’s head coach and his 27th season as a member of the Heat organization. He was named the NBA Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for games played in December, marking the ninth time he has won Coach of the Month honors.

The winningest coach in Heat history, Spoelstra has led Miami to two NBA championships, five Eastern Conference championships and 10 playoff appearances. Under Spoelstra, Miami won back-to-back NBA championships in the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons.

Each head coach in the NBA All-Star Game will lead the team that includes the captain from the same conference. Spoelstra will coach the All-Star team captained by Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant.

Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams previously earned the spot to coach the All-Star team captained by Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James.

Suns coach Monty Williams will coach Team LeBron in 2022 NBA All-Star Game

Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams and his staff will coach Team LeBron in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game, which will be played on Sunday, Feb. 20 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. The 71st NBA All-Star Game will air live at 8 p.m. ET on TNT and ESPN Radio in the United States.

Phoenix (40-9, .816) defeated the San Antonio Spurs 115-110 tonight to clinch the best record in the Western Conference through games played on Sunday, Feb. 6. As a result, Williams has earned a spot as a head coach in the NBA All-Star Game for the first time. He will be the Suns’ first NBA All-Star Game head coach since Mike D’Antoni in the 2006-07 season.

Under Williams, the Suns have the best record in the NBA this season and are off to their best start in franchise history through the first 49 games of a season. Phoenix won a franchise-record 18 consecutive games from Oct. 30 – Dec. 2 and has a current 10-game winning streak. Williams was named the NBA Western Conference Coach of the Month for games played in October/November.

Williams is in his third season as Phoenix’s head coach. Last season, he guided the Suns to a 51-21 record and their first appearance in the NBA Finals since the 1992-93 season. Williams previously served as head coach of the New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans for five seasons.

Each head coach in the NBA All-Star Game will lead the team that includes the captain from the same conference. Williams will coach the All-Star team captained by Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James.

The eligible head coach of the team with the best record in the Eastern Conference through games played on Feb. 6 will coach the All-Star team captained by Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant. Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers is ineligible because he served as a head coach in the NBA All-Star Game last season.

Forward Paul Reed wins 2020-21 G League MVP and Rookie of Year awards

Delaware Blue Coats forward Paul Reed has been named the 2020-21 NBA G League Most Valuable Player and NBA G League Rookie of the Year, the NBA G League announced today. He becomes the third player to win both awards in the same season, joining Tim Frazier (2014-15) and Devin Brown (2002-03).

A two-way player with the Philadelphia 76ers, Reed (6-9, 210, DePaul) averaged 22.3 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.93 steals and 1.80 blocks while shooting 58.8% from the field and 44.4% from three-point range in 15 regular-season games with the Blue Coats. Among qualified players, Reed ranked third in the NBA G League in scoring and rebounding and tied for third in steals. He also recorded a league-high 12 double-doubles.

Among rookies, Reed was the league leader in rebounds per game and offensive rebounds per game (4.6), and he ranked second in scoring, tied for second in steals and seventh in blocks. Reed equaled a rookie season high with 35 points in Delaware’s 129-114 loss to the Oklahoma City Blue on Feb. 27, a total matched only by Raptors 905 guard Malachi Flynn.

Reed led the Blue Coats to a franchise-best seven-game winning streak to start the season, a stretch in which he averaged 22.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, 2.29 steals and 1.43 blocks. He was named the NBA G League Player of the Week for Week 1 of the season.

Behind Reed, Delaware posted a 10-5 record in the regular season and earned the fourth seed in the 2021 NBA G League Playoffs. The Blue Coats won two playoff games before losing to the Lakeland Magic 97-78 in the NBA G League Final presented by YouTube TV on March 11.

The 76ers selected Reed with the 58th overall pick in the NBA Draft 2020 presented by State Farm. Reed, who signed a two-way contract with Philadelphia on Nov. 27, 2020, has appeared in seven games for the 76ers this season.

NBA G League head coaches and general managers whose teams participated in single-site play at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla., voted for both the MVP and Rookie of the Year awards.

Rio Grande Valley Vipers guard Kevin Porter Jr., who was on assignment from the Houston Rockets, finished in second place in voting for NBA G League MVP. Raptors 905 forward Henry Ellenson finished third.

In NBA G League Rookie of the Year voting, Lakeland forward Mamadi Diakite and Canton Charge guard Brodric Thomas finished in second and third place, respectively.