CGTN Sports Talk: What makes an NBA player an All-Star?

CGTN Sports Talk EP32 NBA All-Star.mp3

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The NBA has announced the starting lineups and reserves for the coming All-Star Game that will take place at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia on March 7. LeBron James and Kevin Durant will make their own teams selecting from a pool filled with the other 22 best players this season before playing against each other in the league's annual party.

The full rosters are:

Western Conference :

Starters : LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Kawhi Leonard and Stephen Curry.

Reserves : Damian Lillard, Chris Paul, Paul George, Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, Zion Williamson and Anthony Davis (who may be replaced by someone picked by Commissioner Adam Silver).

Eastern Conference :

Starters : Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Bradley Beal and Kyrie Irving.

Reserves : James Harden, Ben Simmons, Jayson Tatum, Nikola Vucevic, Zach Lavine, Jaylen Brown and Julius Randle.

Lavine, Brown, Randle and Williamson are playing the All-Star Game for the first time.

Starting lineups for the NBA All-Star Game: Top: LeBron James (L) of the Los Angeles Lakers and Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets; Bottom, L-R: Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks, Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers, Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards, Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets. Li Jingjie/CGTN

A collage showing (L-R) Zach Lavine of the Chicago Bulls, Julius Randle of the New York Knicks, Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans and Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics. Yin Yating/CGTN