Where is NBA All-Star 2023?

Where will NBA All-Star 2022 take place? – > Cleveland The 70th NBA All-Star Game is slated for Sunday, Feb.20, 2022 in Cleveland at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, home of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavaliers previously hosted NBA All-Star in 1997, when the NBA celebrated its 50th anniversary, and in 1981. The NBA will host several events at venues throughout the city, including The Wolstein Center at Cleveland State University and Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland. Where will NBA All-Star 2023 take place? > Salt Lake City The 71st NBA All-Star Game will take place at Vivint Smart Home Arena, home of the Utah Jazz, on Sunday, Feb.19, 2023. This will mark the 30th anniversary of the 1993 NBA All-Star Game played in Salt Lake City. NBA All-Star on-court events will tip off on Friday, Feb.17 at Vivint Smart Home Arena and will culminate with the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb.19. Additional programming for fans of all ages will take place at venues throughout the city, including the Salt Palace Convention Center and Huntsman Center on the University of Utah campus. Where will NBA All-Star 2024 take place > Indianapolis The 72nd NBA All-Star Game, which was originally scheduled for Feb.12-14, 2021 in Indianapolis will now be held there on Feb.16-18, 2024. Public health conditions prevented the Pacers, the NBA All-Star Host Committee and the NBA from appropriately planning and executing fan-focused All-Star activities in Indianapolis that were envisioned for this February. The 2024 NBA All-Star Game will take place at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, home of the Pacers, on Sunday, Feb.18, 2024. Plans for a revised NBA All-Star 2021 will be announced at a later date. “While we are disappointed that the NBA All-Star Game will not take place in Indianapolis in 2021, we are looking forward to the Pacers and the city hosting the game and surrounding events in 2024,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “I want to thank Herb Simon, Steve Simon, Rick Fuson and the entire Pacers organization as well as the NBA All-Star 2021 Host Committee and the community of Indianapolis for working with us to reschedule our All-Star activities.” Take a look at the history of NBA All-Star locations and game results of each NBA All-Star Game.

Who made NBA All-Star 2023?

NBA All-Star Weekend schedule and how to watch STARTERS: LeBron James (captain), Joel Embiid, Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic. RESERVES: Anthony Edwards, Jaylen Brown, Paul George, Tyrese Haliburton, Julius Randle, De’Aaron Fox, Jaren Jackson Jr.

Who are the NBA All-Star alternates for 2023?

Who are the alternates for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game? The starters for the NBA All-Star Game 2023 have already been announced and tonight the league announced the reserves prior to the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Memphis Grizzlies game. The 14 players were chosen entirely by the coaches.

The starting five’s will be backed up by seven extra players from each conference and will be selected prior to the game through the NBA All-Star Draft, In the Eastern Conference, Joel Embiid and DeMar DeRozan received their sixth All-Star Game invite; Jaylen Brown, Bam Adebayo, Jrue Holiday and Julius Randle were invited for the second time.

The only first-timer in the Eastern Conference was Tyrese Haliburton,

• There were some surprises out of the Eastern Conference as James Harden of the Philadelphia 76ers; Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat; and Pascal Siakam of the Toronto Raptors were left off the squad.
• The Western Conference substitutes will be Ja Morant, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Domantas Sabonis, Lauri Markkanen, Damian Lillard and Paul George.
• Anthony Edwards has had an All-Star worth campaign just like De’Aaron Fox has, but neither were picked by the NBA coaches.

Will LeBron be an All-Star 2023?

LeBron, Giannis headline 2023 All-Star starters LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo are named captains as the All-Star Game returns to Salt Lake City for the 1st time since 1993.

What city is the 2024 NBA All-Star?

INDIANAPOLIS — Many Hoosiers looking to score NBA All-Star weekend event tickets were left disappointed and empty handed on Monday. “I ain’t going to cry over it. You can’t cry over spilled milk, but I would have loved it, and I still would love some,” said Sumeka Jones.

Lucas Oil Stadium will host “All-Star Saturday Night” on Sunday, February 18. Tickets went on sale this afternoon for Hoosiers only. “Since I live here now, I was trying to see if I could get them for here,” said Jones. The excitement is in the air as Hoosiers prepare for the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend making its way to Indianapolis.

But Hoosiers hopes of scoring early tickets were crushed in a matter of minutes. “I think those who want tickets are going to have to find them from some other recourse,” said Doug Stafford. The first round of tickets went on sale at 2 p.m. Monday afternoon for the State Farm All-Star Saturday night events.

It’s very likely the bots did capitalize on the tickets and unfortunately right now, that is the way of the world,” said Stafford. In about 20 minutes more than 10,000 tickets sold. “I’m a day late, a dollar short. In reality, I’m a few minutes short. But regardless, I won’t be able to get tickets unless I purchase them from somebody selling them online at an inflated price,” said Stafford.

Tickets that were supposed to be as low as $24 are already going for $300 on Stub Hub and other second-party sites. “Very frankly, I will not pay over the listed ticket price. I understand capitalism. I understand the person purchasing tickets and if they can convert those tickets at a higher price, that’s for some people, that’s not for me.

• I won’t be a participant,” said Stafford.
• Jones says she was trying to buy tickets for her husband to experience some of the festivities since attending the game may not be likely.
• They gave me which is a discount for me like 700 and something dollars for nosebleed,” Jones.
• Stafford says he was scoring tickets to reward some young Pacers fans he mentors.

“I thought what better time to be able to experience an All-Star game in Indianapolis and I guess I was naive in thinking I’d purchase those tickets,” said Stafford. “Yeah, it’s fine. We’ll still be in the bars, watching on TV,” said Jones. WRTV’s Amber Grigley reached out to Ticketmaster to learn more about how the tickets went so fast and if there’s any way to crack down on scalpers.

1. We have yet to hear back.
2. We’re also waiting to learn when the rest of the “All-Star Saturday Night” tickets will go on sale.
3. Ticketmaster has been in the spotlight several times in the last year as fans scrambled to get tickets to Taylor Swift and Beyonce tour dates.
4. One change that you’ll see in the coming months, Ticketmaster will let you see the total price of your tickets, fees included, up-front instead of right before you pay.

The change is part of a push from the Biden Administration to cut back on so-called “junk fees” across several industries. Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Who is in Team LeBron 2023?

Team LeBron roster

Player	Team	Overall Pick
Joel Embiid (starter)	Philadelphia 76ers	15th
Kyrie Irving (starter)	Dallas Mavericks	17th
Luka Doncic (starter)	Dallas Mavericks	19th
Nikola Jokic (starter)	Denver Nuggets	20th

Why is Steph Curry not in All-Star Game?

Steph Curry to miss All-Star Game, multiple weeks with leg injury star has suffered partial tears to his superior tibiofibular ligaments and interosseous membrane, as well as a contusion in lower left leg. Curry will miss the 2023 All-Star Game after suffering the injury in Saturday’s win over the,

1. The Warriors said X-rays for Curry were negative.
2. He is expected to miss multiple weeks,,
3. Curry had 21 points, seven assists and six rebounds before injuring his leg defending a drive late in the third quarter.
4. Any time a guy’s going to get an MRI there’s a concern level, for sure,” coach Steve Kerr said Saturday night.

“So we’ll just have to wait and see the results.” On the season, Curry is averaging 29.4 points, 6.4 assists and 6.3 rebounds. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Read more: FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience National Basketball Association Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry NBA trending Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more : Steph Curry to miss All-Star Game, multiple weeks with leg injury

Will LeBron make All-Star team?

BREAKING: LeBron James Makes NBA All-Star History On Sunday night, the 2023 NBA All-Star Game is taking place in Salt Lake City, Utah. Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is playing in his 19th straight All-Star Game. The only time the 38-year-old wasn’t an All-Star was his rookie season (2003-04).

Will LeBron be an All-Star?

A three-time All-Star MVP and four-time Kia MVP, the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James is making his 19th All-Star appearance.

Who is the NBA 1st overall prospect 2023?

Relive the best moments from the 2023 NBA Draft! • Draft Board • Prospect profiles • Team previews See below for every selection and reported trade from the NBA Draft 2023 : First Round 1. Spurs draft Victor Wembanyama (Metropolitans 92) 2. Hornets draft Brandon Miller (Alabama) 3.

1. Blazers draft Scoot Henderson (G League Ignite) 4.
2. Rockets draft Amen Thompson (Overtime Elite) 5.
3. Pistons draft Ausar Thompson (Overtime Elite) 6.
4. Magic draft Anthony Black (Arkansas) 7.
5. Pacers draft Bilal Coulibaly (Metropolitans 92) – Traded to Wizards 8.
6. Wizards draft Jarace Walker (Houston) – Traded to Pacers 9.

Jazz draft Taylor Hendricks (UCF) 10. Mavericks draft Cason Wallace (Kentucky) – Traded to Thunder 11. Magic draft Jett Howard (Michigan) 12. Thunder draft Dereck Lively II (Duke) – Traded to Mavericks 13. Raptors draft Gradey Dick (Kansas) 14. Pelicans draft Jordan Hawkins (Connecticut) 15.

Hawks draft Kobe Bufkin (Michigan) 16. Jazz draft Keyonte George (Baylor) 17. Lakers draft Jalen Hood-Schifino (Indiana) 18. Heat draft Jaime Jaquez Jr. (UCLA) 19. Warriors draft Brandin Podziemski (Santa Clara) 20. Rockets draft Cam Whitmore (Villanova) 21. Nets draft Noah Clowney (Alabama) 22. Nets draft Dariq Whitehead (Duke) 23.

Blazers draft Kris Murray (Iowa) 24. Kings draft Olivier-Maxence Prosper (Marquette) – Traded to Mavericks 25. Grizzlies draft Marcus Sasser (Houston) – Traded to Pistons 26. Pacers draft Ben Sheppard (Belmont) 27. Hornets draft Nick Smith Jr. (Arkansas) 28.

Jazz draft Brice Sensabaugh (Ohio State) 29. Pacers draft Julian Strawther (Gonzaga) – Traded to Nuggets 30. LA Clippers draft Kobe Brown (Missouri) Second Round 31. Pistons draft James Nnaji (FC Barcelona) – Traded to Hornets (via Celtics) 32. Pacers draft Jalen Pickett (Penn State) – Traded to Nuggets 33.

Spurs draft Leonard Miller (G League Ignite) – Traded to Timberwolves 34. Hornets draft Colby Jones (Xavier) – Traded to Kings (via Celtics) 35. Celtics draft Julian Phillips (Tennessee) – Traded to Bulls (via Wizards) 36. Magic draft Andre Jackson Jr. (Connecticut) – Traded to Bucks 37.

Thunder draft Hunter Tyson (Clemson) – Traded to Nuggets 38. Kings draft Jordan Walsh (Arkansas) – Traded to Celtics 39. Hornets draft Mouhamed Gueye (Washington State) – Traded to Hawks (via Celtics) 40. Nuggets draft Maxwell Lewis (Pepperdine) – Traded to Lakers (via Pacers) 41. Hornets draft Amari Bailey (UCLA) 42.

Wizards draft Tristan Vukcevic (Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade) 43. Blazers draft Rayan Rupert (NZ Breakers) 44. Spurs draft Sidy Cissoko (G League Ignite) 45. Grizzlies draft Gregory Jackson II (South Carolina) 46. Hawks draft Seth Lundy (Penn State) 47.

• Lakers draft Mojave King (G League Ignite) – Traded to Pacers 48.
• Clippers draft Jordan Miller (Miami) 49.
• Cavaliers draft Emoni Bates (Eastern Michigan) 50.
• Thunder draft Keyontae Johnson (Kansas State) 51.
• Nets draft Jalen Wilson (Kansas) 52.
• Suns draft Toumani Camara (Dayton) 53.
• Timberwolves draft Jaylen Clark (UCLA) 54.

Kings draft Jalen Slawson (Furman) 55. Pacers draft Isaiah Wong (Miami) 56. Grizzlies draft Tarik Biberovic (Fenerbahce Beko) 57. Wizards draft Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana) – Traded to Warriors 58. Bucks draft Chris Livingston (Kentucky) • Note: The draft order above assumes that a team with the right to swap one pick for another exercises such right only if it is favorable to do so.

Has Yao Ming been in an All-Star Game?

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame :: Yao Ming He was larger than life, and on opposite sides of the world, the man who stretched seven-and-a-half feet into space changed the face of basketball forever. Yao Ming joined the Houston Rockets in the summer of 2002, just a few months removed from having led his Shanghai Sharks to the Chinese Basketball Association championship.

Already a legend in his native China, the big center was poised to test his mettle against the best basketball players in the world. In eight NBA seasons, Yao made eight All-Star rosters, averaged 19 points and 9 rebounds, and was named to the All-NBA team five times. He was also a three-time gold medalist and three-time MVP at the FIBA Asia Championships.

Yao was a cultural and physical phenomenon with the personality to balance the demands of playing in a foreign land on the biggest stage while bridging the social, economic, and political landscapes of two very different worlds. : The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame :: Yao Ming

Who is replacing Bryce Harper in the All-Star Game?

CHICAGO — If Bryce Harper is going to play in the All-Star Game for the first time since 2018, he will have to be picked by his peers. Harper lost a runoff to be the starting designated hitter for the National League, MLB announced Thursday. In the second stage of fan balloting to determine the starters, the Dodgers’ J.D.

Martinez received more votes than the Phillies’ star slugger. The vote totals weren’t revealed, but Martinez garnered 53% to Harper’s 47%. The All-Star reserves and pitchers will be announced Sunday. Harper was selected by fans as an All-Star starter last season but was unable to play after breaking his left thumb.

He didn’t make the All-Star team in 2019 or 2021. There wasn’t a game in 2020 because of the pandemic. Martinez is having a resurgent season after signing a one-year, $10 million contract in the offseason. Entering play Thursday, he had 18 homers, an,874 OPS, and led the Dodgers with 51 RBIs.

1. Harper, meanwhile, dragged a career-long homerless drought into the Phillies’ series finale against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
2. Harper hadn’t gone deep since May 25, a span of 27 games and 122 plate appearances.
3. » READ MORE: Phillies questions at midseason “I’ve never really struggled with power in my career,” Harper said.

“I can say that. It’s not me talking great about myself. I just feel like the power will come.” Harper was the only Phillies player who advanced to the second round of the fan balloting. The reserves and pitchers are chosen by the players, managers, and coaches.

Despite his power outage, Harper was batting,278/.383/.386 through Wednesday and could garner support from voters after his speedy recovery from Tommy John surgery. The Phillies have other All-Star candidates, led by right fielder Nick Castellanos (.314/.359/.498, 24 doubles, 10 homers through Wednesday).

Zack Wheeler has a 3.76 ERA in 16 starts. José Alvarado has a 1.54 ERA and a 38.5% strikeout rate, but spent one month on the injured list. Craig Kimbrel also has been mentioned as a potential All-Star via a special selection. Under terms of the collective bargaining agreement, commissioner Rob Manfred can honor active players who have had distinguished careers.

It’s believed that he’s considering Kimbrel and Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen, both of whom recorded their 400th career saves in May. Kimbrel also has emerged as the Phillies’ primary closer, going 11-for-11 in save opportunities with a 3.94 ERA that manager Rob Thomson contends should be lower. Thomson replaced Kimbrel with infielder Josh Harrison on April 1 because Kimbrel reached his pitch limit.

Harrison allowed three inherited runners to score. “I apologized to him for it,” Thomson said. “That elevated his earned run average.”

Who picks All-Star starters?

July 2nd, 2023 The rosters for the 2023 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard have been revealed – a process that began with the starters being announced Thursday night. If you want to know how players were picked for the July 11 Midsummer Classic at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park, here is an explainer.

The pitchers and reserves for both squads – totaling 23 players for each side – were determined via “Player Ballot” choices and selections made by the Commissioner’s Office. While the way starters are chosen has evolved, the way pitchers and position-player reserves are selected is largely unchanged.

Here’s a handy FAQ to guide you through the particulars of the selection process. How are the starters selected? The nine starting position players in each league (including the DH in each league) are selected by the fans via two phases of voting. In Phase 1, fans vote on a full slate of players at each position and pick their top choice (three in the outfield) in each league at each position.

1. The top overall vote-getters in each league are awarded starting spots and skip Phase 2.
2. In Phase 2 (a.k.a.
3. The All-Star Ballot Finals), fans must select from the two finalists at each position, and the winners of these showdowns start the All-Star Game.
4. Vote totals from Phase 1 do not carry over to Phase 2.

(With Shohei Ohtani the top overall vote-getter in the AL and Ronald Acuña Jr. the top overall vote-getter in the NL in Phase 1, there was no need for a Phase 2 vote in the AL at DH, and the NL outfield was limited to four selections instead of six.) How many spots have to be filled? Finalists who don’t win the All-Star Ballot Finals at their position are not automatically added to All-Star rosters, so after the starters are selected by fans, each league has 23 spots to fill to reach a total of 20 position players and 12 pitchers per side.

• Who picks the reserves and pitchers? In short, it’s a group effort between the player ballot and the Commissioner’s Office.
• A change made in 2017 resulted in All-Star skippers no longer having a say in selections, so there’s no longer the potential for any perceived conflicts of interest.
• How many player ballot selections are there? The ballots gathered from players account for 17 players in each league – eight pitchers (five starters and three relievers), as well as one backup for each position.

What if the players select a guy already voted into the starting lineup by the fans? Next man up. The guy who was second on the player ballot at that particular position is selected as the backup. This doesn’t change the number of player ballot selections.

• The player ballot is basically used as a pecking order to fill the backup slot at each position.
• How many MLB selections are there? The Commissioner’s Office is responsible for selecting six additional players in each league (four pitchers and two position players).
• At this stage, MLB must ensure that every club is represented by at least one All-Star selection.

Is every team represented? Yes, and it is the job of the Commissioner’s Office to ensure this stipulation is accounted for with its selections. It should be noted, however, that if a player is selected to the roster and can’t participate, he does not necessarily have to be replaced by a teammate.

• How is the starting pitcher for each team determined? By the league managers.
• The announcement is made the day before the game.
• Who picks the replacements for injured players or those who decline to participate? If a fan-elected starter is unable to play, they are replaced in the starting lineup by the player on the roster who received the next most votes on the player ballot at their position.

The roster replacement is then chosen by the league. If a player-elected reserve position player must be replaced, the next in line on the player ballot becomes a reserve, unless the leaders of the player ballot have already been accounted for. If the top finishers on the player ballot are already All-Stars, then MLB can select another replacement.

Does an injured or otherwise unavailable player have to be replaced by a player from the same position? Not necessarily. Pitchers are replaced by pitchers. But on the position-player front, we’ve seen situations like infielders replacing outfielders and vice versa. Are starters who pitch the Sunday before the game allowed to participate? Initially, Sunday starters were deemed ineligible.

Then, they were allowed to make the decision themselves (albeit limited to a single inning if they opted to play). Now, clubs or players are allowed to make requests for usage accommodation if there are factors (such as an IL stint, recent surgery, innings workload or other reasons) that would affect the pitcher’s availability.

1. If an accommodation is granted, then the parties agree upon the pitcher’s status and workload availability.
2. What if a selected player gets traded to a team in the opposite league before the All-Star Game? This happened to Jeff Samardzija in 2014, when the Cubs dealt him to the A’s.
3. Samardzija was deemed ineligible to participate in the game, but was still recognized as an All-Star for the NL (he wore a generic NL jersey and All-Star Game cap for the pregame player introductions).

With the game no longer counting for home-field advantage in the World Series, it’s unclear if MLB would take as stringent a stance should a similar scenario play out. Anything else to know? Yes, Commissioner Rob Manfred has the option of making Special Selections to honor active players with distinguished careers.

Can LeBron be all time scorer?

Team USA’s two-time Olympic gold medallist broke the career NBA regular season points scoring record held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. (Picture by 2023 Getty Images) Basketball hero LeBron James is now the NBA’s all-time top scorer. The 38-year-old Los Angeles Lakers star passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in career points during a memorable game on Tuesday 7 February 2023, scoring 38 to give himself a total of 38,390 regular season points, in a 133-130 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder,

Abdul-Jabbar had held the record with 38,387 points in regular season games. Three-time Team USA Olympian and two-time gold medal winner LeBron has since continued to extend his record. He now has 38,652 regular season points at the conclusion of the 2022/23 season. He also holds the record for playoff points with 8,023 (following Game 4 of the 2023 NBA Western Conference Final postseason series against the Denver Nuggets), for a grand total of 46,675 career points according to the NBA**.** Retired great Michael Jordan is second on the playoff points list with 5,987.

In a sport where discussion rages as to who is the greatest of all time – with Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird all in the mix, two-time Olympic gold medallist James certainly advanced his cause in the conversation by surpassing Abdul-Jabbar’s regular-season total.

Why did LeBron leave All-Star Game?

Because I want to make a push to make the playoffs. I don’t want to see myself not being part of the postseason for two years straight.’ His Lakers own a 27-32 record, 13th in the Western Conference.

Where is the 2025 All-Star Game?

June 28, 2023 Updated: June 29, 2023 12:49 p.m. San Francisco has made a bid to host the 2025 NBA All-Star Game at Chase Center, league sources confirmed to The Chronicle on Wednesday.

Where will the All-Star game be in 2027?

The Magic, in partnership with the city of Orlando, will bid to have Amway Center host the 2027 NBA All-Star Weekend, according to a tourist development tax application filed with Orange County, The application is seeking $256 million in county resort tax revenue for upgrades to the 13-year-old arena over the next 10 years, stating the upgrades are required to maintain and upgrade its basic operational systems and structure.

The application, which was filed by the city of Orlando — which owns and operates Amway Center — stated: “With a competitive Amway Center primed for the future, we will be bidding on the 2027 NBA All-Star Weekend.” “These events drive positive media impressions in national and international news outlets which are a measurable driver of awareness for Orlando as a desirable and well-rounded destination,” the application added.

Amway Center, which opened in 2010, hosted the 2012 NBA All-Star Weekend. The application stated hosting the 2012 All-Star festivities “yielded an estimated $95 million of positive impact.” NBA commissioner Adam Silver estimated the economic impact on Salt Lake City, which hosted the 2023 All-Star Weekend in February, was approximately $280 million.

The league has yet to announce which cities will host All-Star Weekend in 2025 or ’26. Indianapolis will host All-Star Weekend next year. In 2012, Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant was selected as the Orlando’s game MVP. The other time the All-Star Game was hosted by Orlando, the Lakers’ Magic Johnson received MVP honors in 1992.

This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com, Email Khobi Price at khpri[email protected] or follow him on Twitter at @khobi_price,

Who is hosting NBA All-Star 2024?

Where will the 2024 NBA All-Star Game be held? – Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana will host the 2024 NBA All-Star Game. It will be the first time the game has taken place in Indianapolis since 1985. The 2024 All-Star Game is set for Feb.18, 2024.

Is Curry in the All-Star Game 2023?

2023 all star starters A two-time Kia MVP and eight-time All-NBA team member, the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry is receiving his ninth All-Star selection.

Who is the best NBA player right now 2023?

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports We lead off with 2021 Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, our No.1 player for the 2023 playoffs. One of the three finalists for regular-season MVP this year, Antetokounmpo remains as impactful as ever, an absolute force on offense and defense thanks to his unreal athleticism and physical attributes. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports Like Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant is a proven playoff performer, with two Finals MVPs under his belt to Antetokounmpo’s one, and he likewise sits as a conference-finalist favorite. But the fact Durant was a midseason acquisition for the Phoenix Suns with just eight games under his belt for his new team gave us some pause as far as predicting him to be the best player for the upcoming playoffs. Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports Despite being just 25, Jayson Tatum already has 74 playoff games under his belt and is proven at that level, even despite his 2022 Finals hiccup, where his performance simply wasn’t up to the level we had grown accustomed to from him. Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports Despite his near-MVP level play over recent seasons, Joel Embiid has yet to lead the Philadelphia 76ers even to the conference finals, something the big man will be hoping changes this postseason. If not, all of his MVP campaigning might not look so great in a few weeks. Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports With a Finals MVP now under his belt, Stephen Curry now has nothing left to prove besides improving on his already-outstanding legacy. The greatest shooter the league has ever seen and still perhaps the best guard in basketball, Curry is still a risky choice here since the Golden State Warriors, after a mediocre regular season by their standards, might have to play every series coming up without home-court advantage.

Only one team has won four series without home-court advantage on their way to a championship: the 1994-95 Houston Rockets. And only three teams have won titles by winning three series without home-court advantage: the 1976-77 Portland Trail Blazers, the 1977-78 Washington Bullets and 2003-04 Detroit Pistons.

But Curry is Curry and can lead a team to those heights, especially with the Warriors’ current supporting cast. For the latest Stephen Curry rumors, click here, Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports Two seasons removed from a trip to the Finals in which the Phoenix Suns actually held a 2-0 series lead before falling to Antetokounmpo and the Bucks, Devin Booker and Co. followed that up with an embarrassing Game 7 elimination against the Dallas Mavericks last year in the second round, something Booker will certainly want to make people forget with the team’s upcoming playoff run. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports Despite missing the early part of the season recovering from a knee injury suffered last year, Kawhi Leonard finished the season strong, performing like one of the top two-way wings with elite scoring from the midrange.

• A two-time Finals MVP, it’s going to take some heroics for Leonard to lead the Los Angeles Clippers on a deep playoff run this year.
• Even so, Leonard’s playoff track record is unimpeachable.
• He does have a troubling injury history in the postseason, too, though, something that will need to be monitored.

For the latest Kawhi Leonard rumors, click here, Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports A two-time regular-season MVP, Nikola Jokic’s success in the playoffs hasn’t been quite as strong, though a lack of a helpful enough supporting cast can be at least in part to blame for that. Jokic and Co. did reach the Conference Finals once, though it happened in the Orlando bubble.

Even so, we may end up regretting putting Jokic this low on the list. He’s taken heat for playoffs shortcomings, probably unfairly so, considering he’s the only player in playoffs history with averages of 26 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. Even if the postseason run ends early for Denver this year, it probably won’t be Jokic’s fault.

For the latest Nikola Jokic rumors, click here, Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports A high-level playoff scorer throughout his career already, Donovan Mitchell doesn’t have the same level of team success quite yet. In fact, Mitchell ranks seventh all-time in playoff points per game at 28.3 points, though he’s far from the most efficient on the list at 43.1 percen shootingt, something he’ll need to clean up if the Cleveland Cavaliers are going to make a playoff run this year. Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports If the Los Angeles Lakers want hope of another championship run, it’ll lie on the back of Anthony Davis, who looked like peak-level AD during the second half of the season, putting up 26.5 points, 13.0 rebounds and 2.1 blocks over the final 20 games of the campaign. Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports Off-court issues aside this season, Ja Morant is one of the most explosive point guards in the league, one who is averaging 28.2 points and 9.2 assists over 14 career postseason games so far. Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies will have a mighty test off the bat in these playoffs, however, faced with the monumental task of taking on the Lakers in round one. Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports One of the league’s GOATs, if not the outright greatest player in NBA history, LeBron James has nothing left to prove. Still, another title run in his age-38 season would go a long way in swaying the final detractors in the debate. Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports A proven championship sidekick, Jrue Holiday played a huge part in the Bucks’ 2021 title run thanks to his elite-level defense and his ability to make timely shots. The same will be needed out of Holiday this year if Milwaukee is to make another run at a championship, especially with Khris Middleton hobbled heading into the playoffs. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports With just 13 career playoff games under his belt, no playoff appearances since 2018-19 and postseason averages of 9.6 points and 4.8 rebounds, we’re taking a bit of a chance ranking Domantas Sabonis on this list. But we believe the All-Star big man, now in his prime, is ready for a big playoff run, as his face-up scoring, post-ups, rebounding and playmaking will be tough for playoff foes to stifle. Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports Despite no championships and just one Finals appearance, Jimmy Butler is a proven postseason performer, coming off a 2022 playoff run in which he was arguably the best player of the postseason, leading the league in playoff Wins Shares despite not even making the Finals. Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports This will be De’Aaron Fox’s first playoff rodeo, making it difficult to determine where he should sit in these rankings. On one hand, he’s an All-Star-level point guard, an elite floor general thanks to his top-notch speed, improved shooting and finishing ability near the rim.

Is bronny james going to be in the NBA next year?

Bronny James, son of LeBron, is expected to be taken in the 2024 NBA draft’s first round.