As if there was any doubt.
Enjoying arguably the finest season of his career, DeMar DeRozan has been voted in as a starter for the NBA All-Star Game, which takes place next month in his hometown of Los Angeles.
It’s the fourth All-Star Game selection of DeRozan’s career, and the second straight season he’s been voted in.
Making his 4th #NBAAllStar appearance… @DeMar_DeRozan of the @Raptors! #WeTheNorth #DeMarDeRozan pic.twitter.com/UhThWrz4pb
— 2018 NBA All-Star (@NBAAllStar) January 18, 2018
“Having the opportunity to play an NBA All-Star Game in my hometown is amazing, and being able to represent Toronto – my other home – makes it even better,” DeRozan said. “It’s a great honour to be selected as a starter again, and I want to thank my teammates and coaches, the fans across Canada, the media, and the entire NBA community. I appreciate your votes.”
Scoring 25.2 points per game with 4.1 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game, DeRozan is the biggest reason why the Raptors currently hold the NBA’s fourth-best record.
DeRozan finished 2nd among East guard in fan voting with just under 1 million votes (330K more than 3rd-place Ben Simmons). He also ranked 2nd in media voting (behind Kyrie), selected as a starter by 89 of 99 voters. The players had him 2nd as well.
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) January 18, 2018
Other players named to the team from the Eastern Conference include:
- LeBron James
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Joel Embiid
- Kyrie Irving
Western Conference starters are as follows:
- Stephen Curry
- James Harden
- Anthony Davis
- Kevin Durant
- DeMarcus Cousins
Despite the selection of five players from the East and five from the West, the 2018 game at Staples Center will mark the beginning of a new NBA All-Star Game format. The league will do away with East vs West teams, instead adopting something the NHL All-Star Game pioneered in 2011, with players dividing themselves into teams through a fantasy draft chosen by team captains James and Curry.
The 2018 #NBAAllStar Team Captains!#TeamLeBron#TeamStephen pic.twitter.com/EueKozEKE8
— 2018 NBA All-Star (@NBAAllStar) January 18, 2018
James (2,638,294 fan votes) and Antetokounmpo (2,530,211) were the top overall vote-getters. Curry (2,379,494) had the most of any players in the West, ahead of his Golden State teammate Durant (2,238,406).
The NBA chooses players based on the votes of fans (50%), current players (25%), and media (25%).