NEW YORK — Five-time NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James leaped over Slovenian guard Luka Doncic and reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to lead early fan voting totals for the NBA All-Star Game released Thursday.
Los Angeles Lakers star James was more than 53,000 votes behind Dallas star Doncic for the top spot in last week's first early voting results announcement by the league.
But new totals show James with 3,359,871 votes to stand 82,001 ahead of Doncic with Greek star Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks third overall and atop the Eastern Conference with 3,259,383 votes.
Leaders from the Eastern and Western conferences will be the team captains for the 69th NBA All-Star Game, to be played February 16 at Chicago. Each captain will select from the elected pool of starters to determine an opening lineup then choose from available reserves, all regardless of conference.
Fans votes account for 50 percent of the vote to decide starters. Active NBA players and a media panel each have a 25 percent say in the matter, with voting concluding on January 20 and starters revealed three days later.
James, the NBA assists leader with 10.8 a game, sets the pace in the Western Conference frontcourt with Lakers teammate Anthony Davis second on 3,124,446 and Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers third on 2,210,539. The Clippers' Paul George is a distant fourth on 845,719.
Doncic paces the West guards on 3,277,870 with NBA scoring leader James Harden of Houston next on 2,167,269 votes for the last backcourt spot and Portland's Damian Lillard a distant third on 687,855.
Antetokounmpo leads the East frontcourt on 3,259,383 with Cameroon stars Joel Embiid of Philadelphia (1,784,211) and Pascal Siakam of defending NBA champion Toronto (1,730,763) in the other starting spots for now.
Miami's Jimmy Butler ranks fourth in the East fan frontcourt balloting at 1,400,293.
There's a three-way battle for two starting spots in the East backcourt with Atlanta's Trae Young atop the pack on 1,389,628 and Brooklyn's Kyrie Irving second on 1,351,997.
Boston's Kemba Walker is hot on their heels on 1,331,577.
Nets' Irving eyeing NBA
return as shoulder improves
Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving, sidelined more than a month by a right shoulder injury, returned to full practice on Thursday and said he hopes to see NBA action soon.
"We just see where we end up in the next few days," Irving told reporters. "Realistically, we will re-evaluate tomorrow. See how I feel tomorrow. Then go Saturday — probably another practice."
Irving, who signed with Brooklyn in July, has played in just 11 games for the Nets, averaging 28.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 7.2 assists.
He said he believed his shoulder trouble began with overuse and gradually got worse.
He hasn't played since Nov. 14, but said a meticulous rehabilitation program had been boosted by a cortisone injection he received on December 24.
On Saturday, Irving said he wasn't sure how effective the shot would be, and he hadn't ruled out surgery, but on Thursday he seemed more hopeful that an operation would be avoided.
"It gave me a great stepping stone to work my way to getting back on the floor," he said.
"Hopefully I get some game reps in addition to practice probably in the next week or so," Irving added. "It could be less than that, but I'll give myself a week."
Embiid to have surgery
for torn ligament
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid will have surgery on a torn ligament in his left hand, the NBA said Thursday.
The 76ers told reporters before the team's NBA game against the Boston Celtics that two-time All-Star Embiid has a torn radial collateral ligament of the fourth finger of his left hand.
After surgery on Friday, he will be re-evaluated in one to two weeks.
Embiid was hurt in the first quarter of a victory on Monday over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
He left the court for treatment after the finger was dislocated, but returned with it taped to score 18 points as the Sixers snapped a four-game losing streak.
He had missed practice on Tuesday and Wednesday as he consulted a hand specialist about the injury.
Philadelphia coach Brett Brown admitted the 76ers would have to adjust to the absence of the big man from Cameroon.
"All of a sudden we're just different," Brown said. "I look at this as an opportunity. This is not a woe-is-me moment, not for me, not for my players."
Embiid is averaging 23.4 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.35 blocks this season.
Thursday's game was the eighth he has missed this season. He was sidelined in October with a sprained right ankle and missed time later with a bruised hip, upper respiratory illness and for rest.
He was suspended for two games in November after a run-in with Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns. — AFP
