Sports

LeBron, Giannis chosen as captains for NBA All-Star Game

Published

4 years ago

January 27, 2023

LeBron James is closing in on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA career scoring record. And now, he has caught Abdul-Jabbar on another page of the All-Star record book.

James was announced Thursday as an NBA All-Star for the 19th time, the Los Angeles Lakers’ star tying Abdul-Jabbar for the most selections in league history. James — the leading overall vote-getter — will be the captain of one of the teams for the Feb. 19 All-Star Game in Salt Lake City, while Eastern Conference voting leader Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks will captain the other side.

This is the sixth year the NBA has used the captain format for the All-Star Game; James has been a captain every time and has never lost, taking a 5-0 record into this year. Antetokounmpo is a captain for the third time, after also earning that right in 2019 and 2020.

James and Antetokounmpo will pick their teams shortly before the game in Salt Lake City, a newly announced twist and a departure from past years in which the captains picked a week or two in advance of All-Star weekend.

The other eight starters they’ll be choosing from, barring any changes because of injury beforehand, are: Denver’s two-time reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, NBA scoring leader Luka Doncic of Dallas, Golden State’s Stephen Curry, Boston’s Jayson Tatum, Brooklyn teammates Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell and New Orleans’ Zion Williamson.

“I’m definitely blessed and humbled to be a part of this,” Mitchell said during the televised starters’ announcement on TNT. “To be a part of my fourth All-Star and now to be a starter, I couldn’t be happier.”

The big intrigue was the third East frontcourt spot, where Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid — No. 2 in the NBA’s scoring race entering Thursday at 33.4 points per game — was the odd man out after Antetokounmpo, Durant and Tatum were the top three in the balloting.

Starters — three frontcourt players and two guards from each conference — were selected by a combination of three different votes: fan balloting counted for 50%, media balloting was worth 25% and voting by the NBA’s players made up the final 25%.

The reserves, which are chosen by votes from the league’s coaches, will be announced Feb. 2. Among the players certain to merit strong consideration: Portland’s Damian Lillard, Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Boston’s Jaylen Brown and Miami’s Bam Adebayo.

James is 157 points away from Abdul-Jabbar’s career scoring total of 38,387 points. At his current average of 29.9 points per game, James will need just over five games to break the record – and, if he doesn’t miss any games in the interim, would be on pace to pass Abdul-Jabbar in a Feb. 7 home game against Oklahoma City.

And that means the All-Star weekend, if James passes the record beforehand, could be a celebration of his breaking a record that Abdul-Jabbar has held for nearly 40 years.

“Calculating out when it might happen, it seems at this point it’s likely to happen before our All-Star break,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said last week in Paris. “If it were to happen before our All-Star break, it seems like the All-Star Game this year, which is in Salt Lake City, may be the perfect opportunity to honor him.”

James is now tied with Abdul-Jabbar for most All-Star selections, and if James plays in Salt Lake City he will become the first player in NBA history to actually appear in 19 All-Star games. Abdul-Jabbar was selected to the 1973 game but did not play.

That’ll be just another entry on a long list of All-Star records for James. He’s the first player to be selected to 19 consecutive All-Star games — until Thursday, he shared that record with 18-time-selection Kobe Bryant, the Lakers legend who died Jan. 26, 2020, exactly three years to the date from Thursday.

If he actually starts, it’ll be James’ 19th time doing so, four more anyone else in league history; Bryant made 15 starts. The 19 starts in a row extends another All-Star record; Bob Cousy has the second-longest such streak, having started 13 straight.

James also is the career All-Star leader in minutes, points, field goals made and field goals attempted.

Related Topics:LeBron James NBA All Star

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Central Florida News

Osceola Magic Set Franchise Steals Record in 97-89 Season-Opening Win

Published

1 day ago

November 11, 2026

FNN NEWS

Osceola Magic guard JD Davison, No. 4, dribbles between Oklahoma City Blue defenders as Magic teammate No. 22 looks on.

Osceola Magic guard JD Davison (4) drives between Oklahoma City Blue defenders during opening-night action in Kissimmee, Fla. Photo by Bernie Walls / Florida National News.

Davison scores 26 points, Branham adds 23 and Osceola records 23 steals to open its season with a victory at Silver Spurs Arena.

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — The Osceola Magic opened their season with a record-setting defensive performance, collecting 23 steals and forcing 35 turnovers in a 97-89 victory over the Oklahoma City Blue on Sunday, Nov. 8, at Silver Spurs Arena.

JD Davison scored a game-high 26 points and Malaki Branham added 23 as Osceola established a franchise record for steals and matched its record for opponent turnovers. Osceola Magic

Defense drives the comeback

Oklahoma City led 31-22 after the first quarter and 44-43 at halftime. Osceola pulled even at 70 entering the fourth quarter, then outscored the Blue 27-19 over the final period.

The victory gave Osceola a 1-0 start and dropped Oklahoma City to 0-2. Zhaire Smith led the Blue with 19 points, while Christoph Tilly contributed 13 points and 10 rebounds. gleague.nba.com

Osceola’s defensive pressure helped offset Oklahoma City’s early advantage. The Blue finished just 5 of 29 from 3-point range, shooting 17.2%.

Six Magic players recorded multiple steals, led by Johnell Davis’ career-high six — one short of the franchise record. Davison collected four, Jarron Cumberland had three, and Ace Baldwin Jr., Branham and Mike Sharavjamts each added two.

Osceola Magic’s Malaki Branham, wearing a black No. 22 jersey, dribbles low while driving alongside an Oklahoma City Blue defender.

Malaki Branham leans into his drive while keeping his dribble low as an Oklahoma City Blue defender guards him during the Osceola Magic’s season opener. Photo by Bernie Walls / Florida National News.

Davison and Branham lead the offense

Davison and Branham combined for 49 points, accounting for more than half of Osceola’s scoring.

Au’Diese Toney contributed 14 points in his return to Osceola, including a late 3-pointer that helped secure the victory.

Davis provided another boost off the bench with 11 points and a career-best-tying four assists, complementing his disruptive defensive performance.

Sharavjamts makes professional debut

Sharavjamts posted a team-best plus-12 rating in 24 minutes during his professional debut. Osceola outscored Oklahoma City by 12 points while he was on the floor. Osceola Magic

What’s next for the Osceola Magic?

Following a scheduled road matchup with the Memphis Hustle on Tuesday, Nov. 10, Osceola returns to Silver Spurs Arena to host the Mexico City Capitanes on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m. Eastern. Member News

The Magic’s challenge will be to sustain the defensive pressure that helped them overcome an early nine-point deficit in the opener.

Sports

LIV Golf to begin winding down operations Nov. 9 after five years, $5 billion spent

Published

5 days ago

November 7, 2026

FNN SPORTS

LIV Golf sign in a landscaped setting in Orlando, Florida. Photo by Florida National News

NEW YORK CITY, NY (FNN SPORTS) – LIV Golf plans to begin winding down operations Monday, Nov. 9, following five years and more than $5 billion in spending.

Attorney Matthew Williams outlined the league’s plans during a bankruptcy court hearing Thursday, Nov. 5, in New Jersey. The process includes selling its remaining assets.

“We believe the wind down path is the best path,” Williams told the court.

LIV Golf confirmed the decision after a proposed restructuring deal fell through. The league said it will continue considering alternatives during the shutdown process.

Basketball

USF Women’s Basketball Opens Season With 80–54 Victory Over Furman

Published

6 days ago

November 5, 2026

NISEY LOU S.

TAMPA, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — On Monday November 2, at the Yuengling Center, the South Florida women’s basketball team opened with a successful debut undernew head coach Kristy Curry.

The Bulls established control early with a 9–0 opening run, taking a 27–12 lead after the first quarter. Furman narrowed the margin before halftime, but South Florida maintained a 46–32 advantage heading into the break.

A dominant third quarter proved decisive, as USF outscored Furman 23–9 to extend its lead to 69–41 entering the fourth.

Balanced Scoring Leads the Bulls

Stefanie Ingram led South Florida with 15 points, followed by Hannah Kohn with 13 and Kendall Puryear with 12 points and nine rebounds.

The Bulls placed six players in double figures, shot 51.6 percent from the field and controlled the boards with a 48–25 rebounding advantage.

A Winning Debut for Kristy Curry

The victory marked Curry’s first win leading South Florida after arriving from Alabama.

Ahead of the season opener, Curry expressed confidence in the program’s potential:

“I’m so excited to be here. I truly think the sky’s the limit at USF.”

— Kristy Curry, USF Head Coach, in pregame remarks published by USF Athletics.

South Florida (1–0) will face Belmont on Friday, November 6, in Nashville, Tennessee.

– Nisey Spruill is a reporter and photojournalist for Florida National News (FNN), covering major news, sports and special events across Florida and nationwide. Contact sports@FloridaNationalNews.com