"Victor Wembanyama earns spot in All-Star Game as reserve players are revealed"
Victor Wembanyama, hailing from San Antonio, has been selected for his inaugural appearance in the NBA All-Star Game as one of seven substitutes representing the Western Conference.
The reserves for both conferences were announced on TNT on Thursday evening.
Wembanyama, who was the top pick in the 2023 draft and also won the 2023-24 Rookie of the Year award, currently boasts an average of 24.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, and a league-leading 3.9 blocks per game in 39 starts for the Spurs this season.
He is among six players who will be making their debut in the All-Star Game, alongside Jalen Williams of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Alperen Sengun of the Houston Rockets from the Western Conference, and Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons, and Tyler Herro of the Miami Heat from the Eastern Conference.
The remaining reserves for the Western Conference include Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves (third selection), Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers (10th), James Harden of the Los Angeles Clippers (11th), and Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies (second).
The other reserves for the Eastern Conference are Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics (fourth), Pascal Siakam of the Indiana Pacers (third), Darius Garland of the Cavaliers (second), and Damian Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks (ninth).
The NBA's head coaches voted for the All-Star reserves. The 10 starters, determined by fan, media, and player voting, were announced last week:
--LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers)
--Kevin Durant (Phoenix)
--Stephen Curry (Golden State)
--Nikola Jokic (Denver)
--Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City)
--Jalen Brunson (New York)
--Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland)
--Jayson Tatum (Boston)
--Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee)
--Karl-Anthony Towns (New York)
Cleveland, currently leading in the Eastern Conference, is the only team with three All-Stars - Mitchell, Garland, and Mobley.
The NBA All-Star Game will now be a four-team tournament, with two semifinal games and a final. As a result, the "starter" designation is more of an honorary title than a practical one.
There will be four teams consisting of eight players each, with one team being the champions of the Rising Stars Game. The other three teams will be formed by dividing 24 All-Star selections among them in a draft that will take place in early February. Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kenny Smith will serve as honorary general managers and team namesakes.
The Rising Stars team, which will feature the best first- and second-year players and G League stars, will be named Team Candace in honor of WNBA legend Candace Parker.
The All-Star Draft is scheduled for February 6th, and the All-Star Game will be played on February 16th in San Francisco.
