Brooklyn Nets point guard D'Angelo Russell will make his All-Star debut this season after Commissioner Adam Silver named him as an injury replacement for Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo.
Oladipo, who suffered a season-ending knee injury on January 23, was selected as a reserve by the NBA's head coaches, his second-straight All-Star selection.
Russell has led the Nets to a 28-25 record, sitting sixth in the Eastern Conference, averaging a career-high 19.6 points and 6.4 assists this season, shooting 44% from the field, 37% from three and 81% from the free throw line.
The 6’5” playmaker leads the Nets in points per game, assists per game, starts and three-pointers made (140), the third most made by any player in the Eastern Conference.
He becomes the Nets' first All-Star since Joe Johnson in 2014.
Look who's an All-Star N:OW...
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) February 1, 2019
CONGRATULATIONS 2019 #NBAAllStar @DLoading 💉❄️ pic.twitter.com/cAJWcPUksF
The 22-year-old has emerged as the leader of the Nets' revival, taking hs game to a new level since the New Year where the Nets have gone 11-4. Through that stretch, Russell has put up 23.8 points per game and 7.3 assists.
Team captains Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James will draft their teams for the big game in a televised event on TNT on February 7 at 7 p.m. ET. The captains will first choose from the pool of eight starters before selecting from the pool of 14 All-Star reserves.
The 68th NBA All-Star Game, featuring Team LeBron vs. Team Giannis will take place at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte on Sunday, Feb 17th (Monday, Feb. 18 IST).