List of NBA All Star Game Captains

Last Modified Feb 5, 2024 10:53 GMT

The traditional NBA All-Star Game showcases the league's elite talent in a thrilling East vs. West matchup. Fans vote for their favorite players to determine the starting lineups, leading to fun on-court battles between the Eastern Conference and Western Conference All-Stars.

The NBA All-Star Game voting system has undergone various changes over the years to ensure fairness and fan engagement. Traditionally, fans have played a significant role in selecting the starting lineups for the East and West All-Star teams. Back then, the voting process only involved fans casting their votes online or through other platforms for their favorite players.

In recent years, the NBA has introduced a more comprehensive system that combines fan votes with those from players and media. This multi-tiered approach aims to create a more balanced representation of talent, considering not only popularity but also the actual skill and performance of players on the court.

Fans eagerly anticipate the annual All-Star Game, which has become a highlight of the NBA season. The voting system ensures that both the popular players and those who have demonstrated exceptional skills and performance have the opportunity to shine on the All-Star stage, creating a well-rounded and entertaining event for basketball enthusiasts worldwide.

NBA All-Star Game Captains

Over the years, the selection of Eastern and Western Conference captains for the NBA All-Star Game has been determined by fan voting. The two players who receive the highest number of votes within their respective conferences earn the honor of being named captains. This process not only recognizes the players' popularity but also ensures that the captains are chosen based on the widespread support and enthusiasm of fans. This adds an element of fan engagement to the selection of captains for each conference.

The All-Star Game history dates back to 1959, but the data for East and West captains specifically begin in 1975 because the NBA introduced fan voting for the first time in 1975. The East and West captains were henceforth chosen based on the highest fan votes within their respective conferences. Here is an overview of NBA All-Star Game captains from 1975 —

YearEastern Conference CaptainWestern Conference Captain
1975Bob McAdooKareem Abdul-Jabbar
1976John HavlicekRick Barry
1977Julius ErvingDavid Thompson
1978Julius ErvingDavid Thompson
1979George GervinDavid Thompson
1980George GervinKareem Abdul-Jabbar
1981Julius ErvingKareem Abdul-Jabbar
1982Julius ErvingGeorge Gervin
1983Julius ErvingMagic Johnson
1984Moses MaloneMagic Johnson
1985Moses MaloneMagic Johnson
1986Michael JordanMagic Johnson
1987Michael JordanMagic Johnson
1988Michael JordanMagic Johnson
1989Michael JordanMagic Johnson
1990Michael JordanMagic Johnson
1991Michael JordanDavid Robinson
1992Michael JordanKarl Malone
1993Michael JordanCharles Barkley
1994Shaquille O'NealCharles Barkley
1995Grant HillHakeem Olajuwon
1996Grant HillCharles Barkley
1997Michael JordanCharles Barkley
1998Michael JordanKarl Malone
1999Game Not HeldGame Not Held
2000Vince CarterShaquille O'Neal
2001Vince CarterShaquille O'Neal
2002Vince CarterShaquille O'Neal
2003Tracey McGradyKobe Bryant
2004Vince CarterKevin Garnett
2005Shaquille O'NealYao Ming
2006LeBron JamesYao Ming
2007LeBron JamesYao Ming
2008Kevin GarnettKobe Bryant
2009Dwight HowardKobe Bryant
2010LeBron JamesKobe Bryant
2011Dwight HowardKobe Bryant
2012Dwight HowardKobe Bryant
2013LeBron JamesKobe Bryant
2014LeBron JamesKevin Durant
2015LeBron JamesSteph Curry
2016LeBron JamesKobe Bryant
2017LeBron JamesSteph Curry
2018Different FormatDifferent Format
2019Different FormatDifferent Format
2020Different FormatDifferent Format
2021Different FormatDifferent Format
2022Different FormatDifferent Format
2023Different FormatDifferent Format
2024Giannis AntetokounmpoLeBron James

NBA All Star Game Captains (2018 to 2023)

From 1959 until 2017, the NBA All-Star Game followed a consistent and traditional format where the Eastern Conference stars competed against the Western Conference stars. The All-Star games over the years are known for being spirited contests, maintaining the same format throughout this extended period without any changes.

However, in 2018, the NBA All-Star Game underwent a significant transformation under the stewardship of Commissioner Adam Silver. Traditionally an inter-conference clash between Eastern and Western Conference stars, Silver sought to inject a fresh and interactive element into the event. Drawing inspiration from the NHL All-Star Game and the NFL Pro Bowl, Silver introduced a new format where two team captains would be determined based on the highest number of votes. Then these two captains would engage in a live draft to select their teams from selected All-Stars.

In this new NBA All-Star Game arrangement, a total six games were played, from 2018 to 2023. Following is the information of all those six games, along with the team scores and teams’ respective captains -

YearResultHost arena
2018Team LeBron 148 - Team Stephen 145Staples Center
2019Team LeBron 178 - Team Giannis 164Spectrum Center
2020Team LeBron 157 - Team Giannis 155United Center
2021Team LeBron 170 - Team Durant 150State Farm Arena
2022Team LeBron 163 - Team Durant 160Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
2023Team Giannis 184 - Team LeBron 175Vivint Arena

FAQ's

 LeBron James holds the record for the most All-Star appearances with 20.

 Michael Jordan has 14 All-Star appearances.

LeBron James is the all-time leader in All-Star points with 426, as of 2023.

LeBron James received the most votes in the NBA, accumulating a total of 66,722,360 votes

Giannis Antetokounmpo has the most votes for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game with 5,427,874

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