NBA All-Star captains will pick teams playground style, just before tipoff

The NBA is taking its updated All-Star format to the next level.

The league and the NBPA announced on Tuesday that captains will select their teams from a pool of All-Stars in a pregame draft just before tipoff — just like on the playground The draft will take place at 7:30 p.m. ET at Salt Lake City's Vivint Arena. The game is scheduled to tip at 8 p.m.

It sounds like LeBron James and likely Giannis Antetokounmpo will have to look players in the eyes as they go unpicked late in the process.

The pregame draft is an update to the All-Star format the league adopted in 2018. Prior to that year, the game always pit Eastern Conference All-Stars against Western Conference All-Stars. Starting in 2018, the highest vote-getter in each conference was elected captain, and the captains then picked the teams. But they did so in a studio segment broadcast on TNT weeks before the game.

James has been a captain in each season of the new format. He's also built a 5-0 record with the teams he's selected He was the overwhelming vote-getter in the Western Conference over Stephen Curry in the latest round of voting announced on Jan. 19. Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, held a slight edge in the East over Kevin Durant, who's been sidelined with a knee injury since Jan. 9.

Captains and starters as selected by fans will be announced on Thursday.

James will face pressure to select Los Angeles Lakers teammate Anthony Davis if Davis is selected and healthy enough to play. He's been sidelined with a foot injury since Dec. 23. Meanwhile, nobody likes to get picked last, especially in front of a crowd.

This should be fun and could provide some in-game motivation for players fresh of a late draft selection.

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