In his first full season with the Phoenix Suns, Kevin Durant has been named an NBA All-Star Game starter, his 14th career appearance in the game.
Durant is averaging 29.1 points on 52.9% shooting and 45.5% 3-point shooting, 6.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.2 blocks in 37 games for the 26-18 Suns. Phoenix is currently in fifth place in the Western Conference.
Durant becomes the Suns’ first All-Star starter since 2010, when both Steve Nash and Amar’e Stoudamire got starting nods. He is the 11th player in NBA history to reach 14 All-Star appearances.
Due to injuries, Durant has not played in the All-Star game since 2019, when he was named MVP of the game.
Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, LeBron James (captain), Durant and Nikola Jokic are the five starters in the West.
The voting criteria for starters consisted of fans (50%), media (25%) and players (25%). Durant finished in third place among the Western Conference frontcourt for all three.
The NBA named Durant the Western Conference Player of the Week Monday. Durant has been a crucial piece on both sides of the floor for the Suns’ current seven-game win streak.
The rest of the All-Stars will be released one week from today, so we will see if Devin Booker can get in then. Coaches pick the reserves, which will consists of two backcourt players, three frontcourt players and two wildcards per conference.
The 2024 NBA All-Star Game will take place in Indianapolis on Feb. 18.
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