Thornhill’s Wiggins voted to all-star starting lineup

LeBron James will return to Cleveland as an All-Star Game captain, and Thornhill native Andrew Wiggins is headed there as a first-time selection.

MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, Warriors superstar Stephen Curry and Grizzlies youngster Ja Morant joined them Thursday as the other players voted as starters from the Western Conference.

The starters from the East were Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid in the frontcourt, along with Atlanta’s Trae Young and Chicago’s DeMar DeRozan.

Wiggins was the most surprising selection. The No. 1 pick of the 2014 draft has blossomed since being traded to Golden State two years ago.

Wiggins scored more while in Minnesota — he averaged more than 20 points in three of six seasons with the Timberwolves — but his 18.1 points are just part of his contributions to the Warriors, who entered Thursday with the league’s second-best record at 35-13. Wiggins has been lauded for his improved defence and better shot selection.

James and Durant, as the leading vote-getters in each conference, will be the captains who draft players for the rosters for the Feb. 20 game in Cleveland.

James, who began his NBA career with the Cavaliers in 2003 and led them to the 2016 championship during his second stint there, was chosen as an all-star for the 18th straight time. He has been a captain every year since the league went away from the East vs. West format.

Durant’s availability for the game is in doubt because of a sprained knee ligament. He was voted a starter for the 10th time.

Antetokounmpo was voted in for a sixth consecutive time, tying Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s franchise record for selections.

Embiid was voted a starter for the fifth straight season, the longest streak by a 76ers player since Allen Iverson was chosen seven straight times from 2000-06.

Fan ballots accounted for 50 per cent of the vote, with a media panel and current players each accounting for 25 per cent.

Morant, the No. 2 pick behind Zion Williamson in the 2019 draft, was rewarded for having Memphis a surprising third in the Western Conference. Averaging 25.8 points, 6.9 assists and 5.9 rebounds, he joins Marc Gasol as the only Grizzlies players voted all-star starters.

“Blessed & Thankful,” he wrote on Twitter in thinking his fans.

Reserves for the game, voted on by the head coaches in each conference, will be announced next Thursday.

Andrew Wiggins, the No. 1 pick of the 2014 draft, has blossomed since being traded to Golden State two years ago. His 18.1 points per game are just part of his contributions to the Warriors, as he has also been lauded for his improved defence and better shot selection