Duke basketball: 30 percent of All-Star starters are Blue Devils
Duke basketball products Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum, and Zion Williamson were in the starting lineup for Team Durant at the 2021 NBA All-Star Game. However, Tatum and Williamson were replacement starters that night for Kevin Durant and Joel Embiid, respectively.
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This year, the fans, media, and players voted Irving, Tatum, and Williamson to be among the 10 starters for the Feb. 19 NBA All-Star Game in Salt Lake City, the league announced Thursday night. That's the most voted-in starters from one school in the same year in the event's history.
Only six of the starters are former college players. So the trio of former Blue Devils accounts for half of them and 30 percent of all the selected starters this go-round.
Kyrie Irving, averaging 27.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.2 assists for the Brooklyn Nets (29-19), is now an All-Star for the eighth time in his 12-year pro career. This is the sixth time the 30-year-old guard has been selected as a starter.
Jayson Tatum, averaging career-highs with his 31.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4.4 assists for the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Celtics (35-15), has now made the All-Star Game for the fourth straight season. But this is the first time the 24-year-old forward has been selected as a starter.
Zion Williamson, averaging 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.6 assists for the New Orleans Pelicans (26-23), is now a two-time All-Star and first-time selection as a starter. But the 22-year-old forward remains out of action for at least two more weeks with a hamstring injury, so there's no telling if he'll be on the court in Salt Lake City.
The league's head coaches will decide on the reserves, which will be announced next Thursday. There's a chance former Duke basketball one-and-done and Orlando Magic rookie Paolo Banchero will be one of them.
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Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James and Milwaukee Bucks sensation Giannis Antetokounmpo were the leading vote-getters from their conferences; therefore, shortly before the game, they get to draft teams named after them.
In other words, we will have to wait and see if Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum, and Zion Williamson become NBA All-Star Game teammates, as was the case in 2021.
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