by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni
Many of the usual suspects will headline this year’s NBA All-Star game in Orlando.
Though the game will take place in Florida, with the Dwight Howard drama gloomily and awkwardly hanging over the festivities, there will be a heavy L.A. presence on the court.
The NBA has details on the starting lineups for the mid-season showcase:
Joining Howard in the Eastern Conference starting lineup at the forward position are the Miami Heat’s LeBron James (1,360,680), the 2006 and 2008 All-Star Game MVP, and the New York Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony (1,041,290). The starters for the East at guard are the Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Rose (1,514,723) and the Heat’s Dwyane Wade (1,334,223), the 2010 All-Star Game MVP.
[Kobe] Bryant, who joins Hall of Famer Bob Pettit (1956, 1958, 1959 and 1962) as the only four-time All-Star Game MVPs in NBA history, is joined in the Western Conference starting backcourt by the Los Angeles Clippers’ Chris Paul (1,138,743). The Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kevin Durant (1,345,566) and the Clippers’ Blake Griffin (876,451), making his first All-Star Game start, are the starting forwards. The Lakers’ Andrew Bynum, a first-time All-Star, gets the nod at center (1,051,945). This marks the first time since 1997 (Houston’s Hakeem Olajuwon and Charles Barkley, and Seattle’s Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton) that two pair of teammates have been voted to start for one conference.
We should know who the reserves are soon enough, and teams with the two best records in each conference by February 15th will send their coaches to the big game.
Dwight Howard led all players in fan voting (1,600,390), followed by Kobe Bryant (1,555,479). The NBA All-Star Game takes place on February 26th.
