2021 NBA All-Star Voting: LeBron James, Kevin Durant Lead 2nd Round of Ballots
LeBron James and Kevin Durant continue to lead the way in NBA All-Star voting after the second round of returns was released Thursday.
The Los Angeles Lakers star has amassed 4,369,533 votes thus far, pushing him past Durant for the most votes among all players. Durant's 4,234,433 votes lead all Eastern Conference players. Stephen Curry and Bradley Beal are the top vote-getters among guards in each conference.
In the first round of voting released last week, there was a three-way race for the top spot between Durant, James and Curry. They were the only stars who had received at least two million votes at that point and had leads of at least 550,000 votes at their respective positions.
This time around, they are the only players with more than four million votes. Curry has the largest lead of any player with 1,548,498 more votes than the No. 2 guard in the Western Conference, Luka Doncic.
It's not a surprise to see Durant, James and Curry still in prime position to start the All-Star Game. They have arguably influenced this era of basketball more than any other players in the league right now. All three are having excellent seasons and belong in any discussion of 2020-21 MVP favorites.
Durant also has the narrative of coming back from an Achilles rupture, which has historically been a catastrophic, career-altering injury. The 10-time All-Star is averaging 29.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists with a career-high 44.9 percent three-point percentage.
The frontcourt in the Eastern Conference is absolutely loaded at the top. Durant leads the group that also includes reigning two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum.
Things aren't too shabby in the West frontcourt, either. James is at the top of a group that includes Nikola Jokic, Kawhi Leonard and Anthony Davis.
Davis has played well so far this season, but the way he's being used by the Lakers has put a dent in his stat line. The 27-year-old is on pace to average his fewest points per game (22.3) since 2013-14 and rebounds per game (8.6) since his rookie season in 2012-13.
That has allowed players like Jokic and Leonard to have more impressive stats that play better on an All-Star ballot. This isn't to suggest either player would be unworthy of their current standing in the voting results. Jokic belongs on the same MVP tier as James and Curry.
The most exciting race is shaping up to be among the Eastern Conference guards. Beal led the first round of voting, but the Nets duo of Kyrie Irving and James Harden were both within 260,000 votes of the Washington Wizards star.
In the second round of voting, Beal has increased his lead on Irving to 427,000 votes. Harden is only 274,626 votes behind his Brooklyn teammate.
Beal leads the NBA in scoring with 32.8 points per game. Irving and Harden are playing well and, along with Durant, run the most exciting offense in the NBA. Irving is averaging a career-high 27.9 points.
In 13 games with the Nets, Harden is averaging 23.3 points and 11.2 assists.
The NBA All-Star Game is scheduled to be played in Atlanta on March 7. Fan voting runs through Feb. 16, with starters announced two days later. Reserves will be announced on Feb. 23.
