Jayson Tatum was named an Eastern Conference All-Star on Thursday night, becoming the second-youngest Celtic in franchise history to receive the honor at age 21 (Antoine Walker in 1998 was the youngest).
“Definitely is an honor,” Tatum said. “I am extremely blessed and grateful. Third year to make the All-Star team it is a surreal feeling. I’m just very excited and it is a dream come true.”
Tatum is in the midst of a career season for the C’s averaging career-highs in points (21.5 ppg), rebounds (6.9 rpg), assists. (2.9 apg), steals (1.4 spg), blocked shots (0.8 bpg) and minutes played (34.0 mpg).
Tatum will be joined at All-Star weekend by fellow Celtic Kemba Walker who was voted in as a starter. Other reserves for the East that were voted on by coaches around the league include Miami Heat center/forward Bam Adebayo and forward Jimmy Butler, Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry, Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton, Indiana Pacers forward Domantas Sabonis, Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons.
The Western Conference All-Star reserves include Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert and guard Donovan Mitchell, New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić and Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard.
The 14 All-Star Game reserves were selected by the NBA’s 30 head coaches. The coaches voted for seven players in their respective conferences – two guards, three frontcourt players and two additional players at either position group. They were not permitted to vote for players from their own team.
Gobert, Ingram and Mitchell from the Western Conference and Adebayo, Sabonis and Tatum from the Eastern Conference comprise the six first-time NBA All-Star selections among reserves. With 2020 NBA All-Star Game starters Luka Dončić, Pascal Siakam and Trae Young also making their All-Star debuts, this marks the first time in 10 years that at least nine players are first-time All-Star selections in the same season.
LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo will draft the NBA All-Star Game rosters from the pool of players voted as starters and reserves in each conference with the roster being announced next Thursday night.
Each captain will choose 11 players to complete a 12-man roster. The 2020 NBA All-Star Draft rules include:
- The eight starters (aside from James and Antetokounmpo) will be drafted in the First Round.
- The 14 reserves will be drafted in the Second Round.
- As the top overall vote-getter among fans, James will have the first pick in the First Round (Starters). Antetokounmpo will have the first pick in the Second Round (Reserves).
- The captains will alternate picks in each round until all players in that round have been selected.