Stephen Curry, the Warriors’ two-time MVP and four-time NBA champion, will make his ninth All-Star appearance in Salt Lake City this February.
Curry, 34, was voted an All-Star starter for the Western Conference by a combination of fans, media and players. Among Western Conference guards, he garnered the most fan votes, second-most player votes and second-most media votes. He’ll be joined by Luka Doncic in the backcourt.
LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo led the voting, meaning they’ll serve as captains for the Western and Eastern Conference, respectively. Curry, Doncic, James, Zion Williamson and back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic will start for the West. Antetokounmpo, Kyrie Irving, Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum, and Kevin Durant are the five for the East.
Curry is averaging 29.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game. A shoulder injury sidelined him for three weeks, but Curry still ranks third in 3-point field goals made. He’s shooting 48.7% from the field and 42% from deep.
Last year, Curry won the All-Star Game MVP award when he scored 50 points and set records for 3-pointers in a quarter (6), half (8) and game (16).
Curry’s nine All-Star selections put him in company with Gary Payton, Russell Westbrook, Robert Parish, Lenny Wilkens and Dominique Wilkins. James is now tied with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most all-time with 19.
No other Warriors got enough support to earn a starting spot. Forward Andrew Wiggins was the closest to a nod because of over 2 million fan votes — fifth most among Western Conference frontcourt players. Coaches select the reserves.
Player voting totals can reveal both how someone’s peers view them and quirky idiosyncrasies. Matthew Dellavadova, for instance, received two player votes despite scoring 26 total points this year for the Kings.
Warriors rookie Patrick Baldwin Jr., who has played in 15 games, received three votes from players. Klay Thompson, meanwhile, got just four despite putting together one of the best months of his career in January. Twenty-four guards in the Western Conference received more player support than Thompson, including Jordan Poole (six player votes).