It’s been a good couple of days for Hamilton’s finest.
Less than 24 hours after he set a new career-high of 54 points in a win, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was named an NBA All-Star starter for a second consecutive year.
The league announced its full list of 2024-25 All-Star starters on Thursday night, and it was no surprise that the Canadian was amongst the elite group.
Gilgeous-Alexander is having a terrific season, averaging 32.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.1 blocks through 42 games. He appears to be an MVP front-runner to this point as the 26-year-old leads the league in scoring and ranks third in steals, all while spearheading a juggernaut Oklahoma City Thunder squad.
OKC is tied for the best record in the NBA at 36-7, and it boasts the league’s sixth-ranked offence and top defence.
The Thunder star will start in the West backcourt alongside Stephen Curry, who will be making his 11th appearance. Joining the duo will be LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, who extended his record with a 21st consecutive selection.
The Milwaukee Bucks superstar has averaged 31.5 points (second in the NBA), 12.0 rebounds (sixth), 6.0 assists and 1.4 blocks (tied-16th). The now nine-time All-Star is also one of just nine players to attempt over 20 shots a game and leads all of them with a 60.5 field goal percentage.
Antentokounmpo has been an All-Star starter in each of the nine years he’s been selected. He’s now led all vote-getters for a third consecutive season, taking that mantle from James after he held that distinction for seven straight years (2017-2023)
Here’s the full list of starters for both conferences.
Backcourt:
• Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks — second selection)
• Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers — sixth selection)
Frontcourt:
• Karl-Anthony Towns (New York Knicks — fifth selection)
• Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks — ninth selection)
• Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics — fifth selection)
Backcourt:
• Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors, 11th selection)
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder, third selection)
Frontcourt:
• Kevin Durant (Phoenix Suns, 15th selection)
• LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers, 21st selection)
• Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets, seventh selection)
Starters were selected based on voting comprised of fans (50 per cent), current NBA players (25 per cent) and a panel of media members (25 per cent). The seven reserves for each conference will be selected by head coaches later on.
The 74th edition of the All-Star game will be hosted by the Golden State Warriors and take place on Feb. 16 at the Chase Center. The NBA will try yet another new format for the exhibition event this year, featuring a mini-tournament with four teams and three games.
Each team will consist of eight players. The 24 NBA All-Star selections will be divided evenly amongst three teams, with the rosters drafted by TNT commentators Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith on Feb. 6. The fourth team will be the winning squad from the championship game of the Rising Stars showcase — an event comprised of top first and second-year players along with G League standouts — and will be led by WNBA legend Candace Parker.
For each matchup of the three-game tournament, the winner will be the first team to reach or surpass 40 points.
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