Some of the biggest names and most exciting players in NBA basketball failed to be voted among the starters for the 2023 All-Star Game. But don’t worry, fans of Joel Embiid, Ja Morant and many other stars clearly deserve midseason recognition in Salt Lake City.
The league unveiled the All-Star Game reserves for both conferences Thursday night, with one of the MVP favorites the Philadelphia 76ers and the Memphis Grizzlies superstar leading a stellar group of players who reflect both the league’s current landscape and how it is poised to evolve in the future.
The NBA’s 30 head coaches all selected reserves, the league asked them to select two guards, three interior players and two wild cards from the Western and Eastern Conferences.
Steph Curry, Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Zion Williamson and Nikola Jokic received the most votes of all and will start for the West. Kyrie Irving, Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum, Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo will be in the quintet for the East.
James and Antetokounmpo, as the players with the most votes in each conference, will serve as team captains for the second time in four seasons; they will not pick their rosters until just before the start of the All-Star Game, a change from previous years when teams were outlined before All-Star Weekend.
Without further ado, here are the 2023 All-Star Game NBA reserves:
Western Conference
Backcourt: Ja Morant, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Damian Lillard
Frontcourt: Domantas Sabonis, Lauri Markkanen, Paul George, Jaren Jackson Jr.
Eastern Conference
Backcourt: Tyrese Haliburton, Jrue Holiday, Jaylen Brown
Frontcourt: Joel Embiid, Bam Adebayo, Julius Randle, DeMar DeRozan
Read also: LeBron after the match against the Knicks: “Today the players decided it.”
