Giannis Antetokounmpo has been named a starter for the 2018 NBA All-Star Game, receiving the most player votes and tying in most media votes, the league announced on Thursday.
The Greek Freak received the most player votes (226), tied for the most media votes (99) and was second in fan voting (2,530,211), being the second fan favorite after LeBron James, according to the NBA official website.
Antetokounmpo will be a starter in the All-Star Game for the second consecutive season. The 67th NBA All-Star Game will take place on Sunday, Feb. 18, at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.
In his fifth NBA season, the Milwaukee Bucks forward is second in the NBA in scoring at 28.2 points per game while averaging career-highs in rebounds per game (10.1) and field goal percentage (.546).
The Greek player is one of only five players in the NBA this season averaging at least 20.0 points and 10.0 rebounds a game, and is on pace to join Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only players in Bucks history to average at least 28.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists for a season. He is also the first Buck since Marques Johnson (1979-80) to be named a starter in two straight All-Star Games.
Under a new All-Star Game format, the leading vote-getters from each conference (LeBron James and Stephen Curry) will now choose the rosters from the pool of players voted as starters and reserves. Joining Antetokounmpo, Curry and James as starters in the 67th All-Star Game are DeMarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis, DeMar DeRozan, Joel Embiid, Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
