- Thread starter
- #1
TJL
Patriarch
NBA All-Star Game 2017: LeBron James, Kevin Durant Lead First Voting Results
Voting for the 2017 NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans opened on Christmas Day, and early returns featured the usual suspects in front-running positions.
As seen in the following tweet, courtesy of the game's official Twitter account, the first voting returns were revealed Thursday:
Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James leads all vote-getters, while Cavs teammate Kyrie Irving leads the Eastern Conference backcourt. Golden State Warriors superstars Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry lead the way in the Western Conference.
It's no surprise James, who is vying for his 13th straight All-Star selection, has already seized a voting edge in the East. The 32-year-old has been on a tear to start the 2016-17 season, averaging 25.8 points, 8.5 assists and 7.8 rebounds while shooting 51 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from three.
Dating back to 1946, only Michael Jordan (1988-89), Oscar Robertson (1962-63) and James (2009-10) have maintained averages of at least 25 points, eight dimes and seven boards while shooting better than 50 percent from the floor for an entire season.
Out West, Curry is ahead of the pack at this early juncture among backcourt players, while Durant leads all Western Conference vote-getters.
While Curry may not have more impressive raw numbers than Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook or Houston's James Harden, he has continued to operate as one of the league's most lethal guards on the Western Conference's best team.
Curry is averaging 24.2 points and 5.8 assists while shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 40 percent from three.
"The way he shoots the basketball coming off of curls, off the dribble, off the catch, guys flying at him, it's amazing to see," Durant said of Curry, per the Associated Press (via USA Today). "When he shoots the ball I think every shot's going in."
As a reminder, All-Star voting will function a bit differently this year. Fan participation will account for 50 percent of the total votes, while players and a select group of media members will combine to account for the other 50 percent.
The 2017 NBA All-Star Game will tip off from the Big Easy on Feb. 19. Voting is set to close Jan. 16.