Where and When to Catch 2019 NBA All-Star Draft for Team LeBron vs. Team Giannis

A year ago, LeBron James and Stephen Curry picked the All-Star teams quietly on a conference call with no fanfare.

That—everyone with a pulse agreed—stunk.

Luckily, the NBA agreed to rectify the situation. The 2019 NBA All-Star draft will be televised Thursday, Feb. 7, at 7 p.m. ET on TNT, and James and Giannis Antetokounmpo will make the selections. The game will take place Feb. 17 in Charlotte.

James will get the first overall pick after he received an NBA-high 4.6 million votes. The captains will then alternate selections until every starter is taken. Giannis will get the first pick among the reserves.

Here's a quick mock draft.

2019 NBA All-Star Draft

When: Thursday, Feb. 7, at 7 p.m. ET

Network: TNT

Stream: WatchTNT

All-Star Mock Draft

1. Team LeBron: Stephen Curry, G, Golden State Warriors

Curry is a human cheat code and is particularly lethal in All-Star formats, where defense is optional until the final few minutes. He's the greatest three-point shooter we've ever seen, guys love playing with him, and he'd be a fit for either LeBron or Giannis positionally.

This should be a no brainer.

2. Team Giannis: James Harden, G, Houston Rockets

Honestly.

Need I even say anything?

3. Team LeBron: Kevin Durant, F, Golden State Warriors

A year ago, LeBron picked Kyrie Irving when no one expected him to. It would be shocking if we didn't see the same thing this time.

Durant famously rankled LeBron with his comments when he called the environment around James "toxic" last year. LeBron even publicly expressed his frustration about the comment, though he said the two hashed things out behind the scenes.

Since it's clear we'll never get to see Durant and LeBron as non-exhibition teammates, this could give us the next best (or worst, depending on your opinion) thing. 

4. Team Giannis: Joel Embiid, C, Philadelphia 76ers

Joel Embiid is the healthiest he's ever been and is almost inarguably the best center in basketball. He's a two-way force of nature, equipped with handles and shooting ability no lumbering 7-footer should have, has better passing skills than he's given credit for and perhaps possesses the league's most menacing presence in the middle. Only Rudy Gobert is in the same conversation. 

The Sixers fall apart when he's on the bench. Embiid might be the most important player in the NBA who doesn't have James anywhere in his name.

Plus, do you really want to be the guy who starts a Twitter war with Embiid for not picking him? Me neither. 

Embiid and The Greek Freak is a meme dream come true.  

5. Team LeBron: Kyrie Irving, G, Boston Celtics

The tensions between LeBron and Kyrie have cooled, to the point Irving called James earlier this month to apologize for his frustrations when they were teammates. It was a bit of a full-circle move, with Irving now tasked with leading a young group of players with their own aspirations in the same way James once had to lead him.

Their relationship is now one of mutual respect and admiration. Plus, they teamed together last year during the All-Star Game without any hiccups. Don't be surprised when LeBron wants to do a repeat.

An All-2016 Finals team? Let's get weird.  

6. Team Giannis: Paul George, F, Oklahoma City Thunder

George has been the best player on the Thunder and perhaps one of the five best in the league this season. He looks comfortable in Oklahoma City and unburdened by the weight of the free-agent decision that played on his mind throughout last year. 

George is averaging a career-high 27.0 points, 7.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists while draining a ton of threes and defending the opposing team's best wing player every night. It's possible he's the Defensive Player of the Year at the halfway mark.

The decision for Giannis comes down to PG13 and Kawhi Leonard here. I'm giving the nod to George simply because Kawhi is Eastern Conference competition, and the Greek Freak isn't much of a fraternizer with enemies. 

7. Team LeBron: Kawhi Leonard, F, Toronto Raptors

Kawhi's yearlong feud with the San Antonio Spurs apparently did nothing to hurt his popularity. If anything, Leonard is more popular than ever and has the backing of an entire country.

Leonard finished second overall in frontcourt voting behind Giannis and is playing the best basketball of his career. He's averaging 27.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists, all while hitting 50.4 percent of his shots and shooting a solid 36.8 percent from distance.

Kawhi's also a free agent this summer and is from Los Angeles. So, yes, that is James' music you hear in the background.

8. Team Giannis: Kemba Walker, G, Charlotte Hornets

Kemba's having a great season, and it's a nice story that he'll be starting in Charlotte, but he's clearly the 10th-best player among starters.

Somebody had to be last.