The NBA has revealed the second fan vote returns for the 2021 NBA All-Star Game.
Just like in years past, fans will account for 50% of the final vote for this year's All-Star Game, the details of which are still being negotiated between the league and its players' association. The other 50% is made up by current players and a media panel, with each side accounting for 25% of the vote.
Voting began on Jan. 28 and will conclude at 11:59 p.m. ET on Feb. 16.
VOTE FOR 2021 NBA ALL-STAR STARTERS HERE!
Now, onto takeaways from the results…
The results
The second WEST returns for #NBAAllStar 2021!
— #NBAAllStar (@NBAAllStar) February 11, 2021
Do you agree??#NBAAllStar Voting presented by AT&T continues on https://t.co/WChjCTCx5b, the NBA App or on Twitter using #NBAAllStar #FirstNameLastName!
🗳️: https://t.co/2YZJEbQbn7 pic.twitter.com/u3kJSqPXE9
The second EAST returns for #NBAAllStar 2021!
— #NBAAllStar (@NBAAllStar) February 11, 2021
Do you agree??#NBAAllStar Voting presented by AT&T continues on https://t.co/WChjCTCx5b, the NBA App or on Twitter using #NBAAllStar #FirstNameLastName!
🗳️: https://t.co/2YZJEbQbn7 pic.twitter.com/1Jqtsxe5cj
Top 10 vote-getters
- LeBron James – 4,369,533
- Kevin Durant – 4,234,433
- Stephen Curry – 4,033,050
- Giannis Antetokounmpo – 3,282,478
- Joel Embiid – 3,022,105
- Nikola Jokic – 3,006,981
- Bradley Beal – 2,528,719
- Luka Doncic – 2,484,552
- Kawhi Leonard – 2,462,621
- Anthony Davis – 2,329,371
If voting ended today, fan-voted starters would be…
| Eastern Conference | Western Conference | |
| Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards | Guard | Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors |
| Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn Nets | Guard | Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks |
| Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets | Frontcourt | LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks | Frontcourt | Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets |
| Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers | Frontcourt | Kawhi Leonard, LA Clippers |
What's changed?
Though the leading vote-getters remain the same, there has been some movement within the top 10, more specifically at the very top, as LeBron James has overtaken Kevin Durant as the overall leading vote-getter by roughly 135,000 votes.
With KD and LeBron back in opposing conferences, where they end up landing in overall votes could determine who gets the first overall pick in the All-Star Draft.
Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal has strengthened his hold as the top guard in the Eastern Conference, jumping LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic to go from ninth in overall votes to seventh overall.
In the Western Conference guard conversation, Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell leapfrogged Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant while Los Angeles Lakers guard Alex Caruso has entered the top 10, replacing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The order of the top 10 in the frontcourt of the Western and Eastern Conference remains unchanged, with 36-year-old Carmelo Anthony remaining as the oldest to earn top-10 consideration and 20-year-old Zion Williamson still the youngest to get top-10 consideration.
For perspective, Williamson was six years old when Anthony made his NBA All-Star debut.
As for the East backcourt…
Fred VanVleet has entered the conversation
After no Toronto Raptors finished within the top 10 in the first fan-vote returns, fifth-year guard Fred VanVleet comes in at 10th among Eastern Conference guards, just nine days after setting a franchise record with 54 points in a win over the Orlando Magic.
The Raptors have had an All-Star in each of the last seven seasons and, thanks to a recent surge of impressive play, are well within striking range of the East's top three seeds.
Should Toronto's All-Star streak continue, VanVleet is a worthy candidate as he's posted averages of 20.4 points, 6.4 assists and 4.3 rebounds through his first 25 games this season.
The tightest races for starting spots
Similar to the first returns, the tightest races are both in the Western Conference.
In the frontcourt, Lakers big man Anthony Davis trails Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard by just under 125,000 total votes. Mavs guard Luka Doncic has built a slightly bigger advantage over Damian Lillard but still, less than 400,000 votes separate the two.
Laker nation might not be able to give AD the boost he needs to surpass Kawhi, as the media and player vote could ultimately give him the upper hand.
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