
LeBron James reunited with former Cavaliers teammate Kyrie Irving to take on Stephen Curry and his handpicked all-star team. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)
LeBron James and Stephen Curry drafted their teams Thursday for the NBA All-Star Game, and while we may never know if things got personal, let’s just say Curry’s strong suit is not personnel. At least that was the prevailing opinion online, where the initial consensus was that James picked a much better squad.
I would put every dollar I own on Team LeBron here. Did Steph Curry screw up and accidentally autodraft? pic.twitter.com/rA40NOJwOM
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) January 26, 2018
Unfortunately for hoops fans everywhere, not to mention anyone with common sense, the NBA chose not to televise the draft. In addition, James and Curry were apparently ordered to not divulge the order of their picks, although Kevin Durant subsequently revealed he was the first selection.
That was assumed as soon as the teams were announced, with Durant shown to be on the squad picked by James, who went first. Had James selected anyone else with his first pick, Durant would surely have been picked next by Curry, who had to content himself with eventually choosing his other two Warriors teammates, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson.
Here are the teams, with James and Curry given the honor of drafting them because they were the two top all-star vote-getters in their respective conferences:
Team James
Starters: Durant, DeMarcus Cousins (Pelicans), Anthony Davis (Pelicans) and Kyrie Irving (Celtics)
Reserves: LaMarcus Aldridge (Spurs), Bradley Beal (Wizards), Kevin Love (Cavaliers), Victor Oladipo (Pacers), Kristaps Porzingis (Knicks), John Wall (Wizards) and Russell Westbrook (Thunder)
Team Curry
Starters: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks), DeMar DeRozan (Raptors), Joel Embiid (76ers) and James Harden (Rockets)
Reserves: Green, Thompson, Jimmy Butler (Timberwolves), Al Horford (Celtics), Damian Lillard (Trail Blazers), Kyle Lowry (Raptors) and Karl-Anthony Towns (Timberwolves)
While some took note that James chose to reunite with Irving, his former Cleveland running mate who was moved to Boston after demanding a trade in the offseason, others pointed out that he also put former Thunder teammates Durant and Westbrook back on the same team. There will be plenty of time to dissect the strengths and weaknesses of the squads before the All-Star Game on Feb. 18, but the early results were not positive for Curry’s moves.
Team LeBron vs. Team Steph,
LeBron’s team getting the win. pic.twitter.com/sMgIeIEnui
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) January 26, 2018
Lebron really drafted KD & Russ on the same team. And took Kyrie, while he stole AD/Boogie.
I don’t know if Lebron is the best GM, or Curry was looking at Ayesha’s toes during the draft.
— Legendary Lakers (@goldlakerss) January 26, 2018
Steph, how’s your team gonna stop LeBron’s squad? pic.twitter.com/3JOGvo8OWH
— Cycle (@bycycle) January 26, 2018
If you think Curry team has a legimate chance against Lebron team, please delete Twitter now.
— Mavs Glizzy (@FearGlizzy) January 26, 2018
On a serious note,
Who allowed Steph Curry to pick such a garbage team? #TeamMagruder
— Cameron Magruder (@ScooterMagruder) January 26, 2018
You see how it feels Steph? To play against a stacked team lmfao…
— Cash (@CashNastyGaming) January 26, 2018
Team LeBron is about to crush Team Steph
— Kevin Parrish Jr (@KevinParrishJr) January 26, 2018
Team Steph vs Team LeBron pic.twitter.com/2LMmET5qpv
— Josiah Johnson (@KingJosiah54) January 26, 2018
In an interview on TNT, James said he liked the look of his starting five, noting that he had “some history and some chemistry” with Irving and that Durant, his 7-foot shooting guard, could “fit in any system in the world.” Curry touted his “good history” with DeRozan and Harden from playing together on Team USA, and he said he picked Antetokounmpo to keep the “Greek Freak” from dunking on him for a second straight All-Star Game.
On TNT’s “Inside the NBA,” Kenny Smith thought the teams looked “very evenly matched,” but Charles Barkley sought to differ, saying, “LeBron’s got the best team.” Shaquille O’Neal agreed with Barkley, while Smith joked about James’s squad, “The one thing we know for sure: If they lose the game, they’re going to blame it on Kevin Love.”
On ESPN’s website, a panel of experts voted 2-1 in favor of James, with Chris Herring saying: “He got the sport’s best player available in KD. He managed to quell the questions about his relationship with Kyrie Irving. He even got Cleveland teammate Kevin Love, who’s been the target of locker-room criticism. And his starting five is much better from a shooting standpoint.”
Jackie MacMullan, however, offered this assessment: “[Curry] managed to draft two Warriors (we’re assuming Durant was off the board) and still snag Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden. Score one for team harmony, in addition to impossibly versatile scoring options.”
All in all, James fared decidedly better Thursday in the court of public opinion. In fact, the most scathing criticism he took may have stemmed from the spelling on a photo of his personal roster sheet — “Porzingas” and “Westrook,” really?
— UNINTERRUPTED (@uninterrupted) January 26, 2018
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