Tag: Team Giannis

Team LeBron is somehow favored over Team Giannis before the NBA All-Star teams have even been decided

Trying to predict an All-Star game is one thing. Trying to do it before the teams are decided is just wild.

For the first time since the NBA changed the format of the NBA All-Star Game to allow the voting leader of each conference to select their teams, the All-Star draft will be held directly before the game.

It’s going to make for fascinating television to see each team captain, this year LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, pick teammates right there on the spot like a schoolyard basketball game involving superstar athletes.

It’s also going to make it hard for bettors to gain an edge, not knowing how the teams stack up until right before tip-off. Unsurprisingly that didn’t stop sportsbooks from placing early odds on the game.

Team LeBron (-125) is favored over Team Giannis (+105) at BetMGM and other sportsbooks, which sounds surprising on the surface. Most people will tell you Antetokounmpo is the better player in 2023, having more recent team and individual success. Plus, James is battling a foot injury. Judging off captains alone, you would think Team Giannis should have an edge. On the contrary, DraftKings and FanDuel have them as a two-point underdog.

It begs the question how exactly they’re determining who should be favored and by how many. The answer might just be rooted in how well James has drafted. In five straight years as a captain, Team LeBron is undefeated at the All-Star Game, including wins against Team Giannis in 2019 and 2020, and wins with Antetokounmpo as a teammate the past two years against teams captained by Kevin Durant.

It’s silly to think any past success in an exhibition where players go half-speed 90% of the time will translate in the future. So this is still a coin toss if you ask me. But based on past success, it makes sense that Team LeBron is favored.

[mm-video type=video id=01gsatnc817cs182nyqv playlist_id=none player_id=01gp1x90emjt3n6txc image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gsatnc817cs182nyqv/01gsatnc817cs182nyqv-7cc5e01098ccd7bb609ee4390c0ac79b.jpg]

Frank Vogel: Chris Paul a ‘big reason’ for Team Lebron’s win in ASG

Team LeBron defeated Team Giannis 157-155 in Sunday night’s All-Star Game, the first year that the league utilized the Elam Ending.

Chris Paul was in peak form during Sunday night’s All-Star Game.

He was throwing lobs, hitting threes and even shocking social media by throwing down a two-handed slam.

But he was also playing defense (and fouling to stop fast breaks), something that hasn’t always gone hand-in-hand with All-Star Games in the past.

On Sunday, Team LeBron beat Team Giannis 157-155 in a thrilling finish (even if it did end on free throws), thanks in part of the new Elam Ending that was instituted by the NBA this year, a change that was suggested by Paul.

Team LeBron entered the fourth quarter trailing by nine, meaning they had some ground to make up to get to the target number of 157 first.

Frank Vogel, who coached Team LeBron, told SB Nation that Paul was a big part of the comeback.

“He told me early in the day that he wasn’t one of those vets that just likes to take a rest in a game like this, that he wants to come in and win a game and help our guys win a game. All the young guys throughout the course of the game, every time they made a mistake or didn’t play defense, he was yelling at them. So he got us — not only got us to the finish line but also provided great leadership and some big plays in that fourth quarter down the stretch.”

Paul scored a career-best 23 points in his 10th All-Star appearance, making a compelling case for the inaugural Kobe Bryant All-Star MVP award, which ultimately went to Kawhi Leonard.

According to SB Nation, Paul ended Sunday with a “game-high offensive rating of 192.5”. To go along with his 23 points, Paul also dished out six assists, “just 15 below Magic Johnson for the all-time All-Star Game lead”.

It was Paul’s first All-Star Game since the 2015-16 season. He said during media day Saturday that being selected to the All-Star game is “always something special” and something he “never takes for granted”.

How to Watch NBA All-Star Game, NBA Live Stream, Schedule, TV Channel, Start Time

Watch the NBA All-Star Game Live Online.

The NBA All-Star Game is a showcase of the top stars in the league, with dunks and three-point shots featured prominently throughout. On Sunday, that will be the case once again, with a tweak in the format of the game poised to make an impact on what fans can expect when basketball’s top players all meet on one massive stage.

NBA All-Star Game

  • When: Sunday, February 16
  • Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
  • TV: TNT
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

Rather than pitting both conferences against one another, the NBA All-Star Game had LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo pick their teams for the event. James drafted his Los Angeles Lakers teammate Anthony Davis first, along with Kawhi Leonard and James Harden to headline his squad. Antetokounmpo built his team around Joel Embiid, adding Pascal Siakam and Kemba Walker as key pieces to a team that is heavy on Eastern Conference talent.

Perhaps more interesting than the rosters is the format of the game itself. This year, the score of the game is being reset after each of the first three quarters. In the fourth quarter, the scores will be added together, with the leading team then needing to score 24 points to win the game. This is a combination of the Elam ending that The Basketball Tournament has made popular and a tribute to the late Kobe Bryant, whose presence will be felt throughout the festivities on All-Star weekend. With the All-Star Game typically getting more competitive in the fourth quarter to begin with, this wrinkle should make it even more intense.

We recommend interesting sports viewing and streaming opportunities. If you sign up to a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee.

How to Watch Rising Stars Game, NBA Live Stream, Schedule, TV Channel, Start Time

Watch the Rising Stars Game Live Online.

The NBA is loaded with young talent and the brightest young stars in the league will have a chance to shine in the 2020 NBA Rising Stars game. With the top picks in recent drafts teaming up with breakout stars from around the league, this game is sure to feature some exciting displays of athleticism from those with the strongest futures in the league right now.

Rising Stars Game

When: Friday, February 14

Time: 9:00 p.m. ET

TV: TNT

Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

This contest features a format that pits the United States’ rising stars against those from the rest of the world. Leading Team World is Luka Doncic, who has captured the attention of the entire league as the point guard of the Dallas Mavericks. Doncic is joined most notably by DeAndre Ayton of the Phoenix Suns and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder. With the ball distribution skills of Doncic and RJ Barrett being ideal for an exhibition game like this, Team World should get plenty of open looks.

Team USA has firepower all over the court as well since they are led by the fearsome trio of Trae Young, Ja Morant, and Zion Williamson. Young was selected as a member of the Rising Stars team, along with being named as a reserve for the All-Star Game. Meanwhile, Morant and Williamson have lived up to the hype of being the top two picks in last year’s NBA Draft, as they have looked like stars for their respective teams through the first half of the season. 

We recommend interesting sports viewing and streaming opportunities. If you sign up to a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee.

How to Watch NBA All-Star Draft, NBA Live Stream, Schedule, TV Channel, Start Time

Watch NBA All-Star Draft Live Online.

The NBA All-Star Game is set for February 16 at the United Center in Chicago, and while we know which athletes were selected, it remains to be seen who will grace Team LeBron James and Team Giannis Antetokounmpo. They are the captains for the event and will make the selections after earning the most votes from the East and West squads. 

NBA All-Star Draft

  • When: Thursday, February 6
  • Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
  • TV: TNT
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

LeBron and Giannis will alternate the first four selections. James has the first pick due to receiving the most All-Star votes. Will he select the Mavericks Luka Doncic, who is averaging nearly a triple-double per game with 28.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game or Kawhi Leonard of the crosstown rival Clippers, who led the Raptors to the 2019 NBA Championship? If Giannis drafts Leonard at No. 2, James could select his teammate Anthony Davis with his second pick of the draft. Where will Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young fall? No matter how it pans out, there is always plenty of offense to go around.

This year’s All-Star Game has a new format as well. The first three quarters will be scored as separate games. In each of the first two quarters, the winning team will receive $100,000 for its respective charity. At the four-minute mark of the third quarter, both squads will use the Elam Ending Rule, where the clock is turned off. In honor of Kobe Bryant’s passing, whoever amasses 24 points first in the fourth quarter will win. That team will win $200,000 for its charity of choice. If one team is able to win all three quarters, the amount heightens to $500,000. 

We recommend interesting sports viewing and streaming opportunities. If you sign up to a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee.

Luka Doncic says playing with LeBron in All-Star ‘would be amazing’

Dallas Mavericks All-Star guard Luka Doncic wants to play with LeBron James but he doesn’t think he will be the No. 1 pick.

Dallas Mavericks phenom Luka Doncic earned his first-ever NBA All-Star Game selection on Thursday night, as one of the 10 starters voted into the game by fans, media, and players. And of course, now Doncic has the chance to play with one of his idols during the game, Los Angeles Lakers star and All-Star Game captain, LeBron James.

Prior to Thursday night’s game between the Mavericks and the Portland Trail Blazers, Doncic told reporters what it would be like for him if he got the opportunity to play with LeBron.

“It would be amazing,” Doncic said on Thursday after learning of his All-Star selection. “Everybody knows what LeBron means to me. It would be special for me.”

However, given that LeBron’s running-mate Anthony Davis is also in the starter pool, Doncic believes he’s unlikely to get the honor of being LeBron’s No. 1 pick.

“No … I don’t think I will be,” Doncic said.

Doncic was the leader in the All-Star voting in the first set of results before LeBron James surged ahead of him and the rest of the field.

Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo will be the other All-Star captain and he will have the No. 2 pick, as well as the first selection of the reserves.

[lawrence-related id=25523,25515]