The NBA, after years of putting out ho-hum All-Star games defined by lackadaisical defense and repetitive possessions that end up with either a deep open triple or a thunderous jam, stumbled upon one of its greatest ideas in its history. Stripping the highest level of basketball down to its roots by separating the All-Star teams via draft was simply a stroke of genius to rekindle interest in the festivities.

In the history of the NBA All-Star Draft, however, not a single adversary has drafted a team good enough to beat that of LeBron James' – an All-Star captain since the inception of the NBA All-Star draft in 2018. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant have tried and yet they have all come up short.

But the Greek Freak has a chance to make things right in his third go-round against The King. The question now is will he be able to finally assemble a squad to dethrone LeGM?

The All-Star draft will be held live right before the game begins. Giannis Antetokounmpo will be selecting first from the reserves (instead of LeBron James picking first from the starters) in an attempt from the league to protect the players' prides. This should make the first selection in this All-Star mock draft a fairly obvious one.

Reserves

No. 1 – Team Giannis: Jrue Holiday

Every NBA fan knows just how much Giannis Antetokounmpo loves his Milwaukee Bucks teammates. As one would remember, Antetokounmpo also selected one of his teammates, Khris Middleton, first from the reserves back in 2019.

Thus, expect Antetokounmpo to shout Jrue Holiday's name out first to kick off what should be a fun live draft.

No. 2 – Team LeBron: Damian Lillard

LeBron James' every move is calculated. That's what makes him worthy of the LeGM moniker. Lillard reportedly met with James back in 2021 to discuss a potential team-up; thus, James will fuel Lillard to the Los Angeles Lakers rumors once more with this selection.

Of course, it helps that Lillard is breathing fire at the moment, so James may effectively be selecting the best player out of all the reserves.

No. 3 – Team Giannis: Pascal Siakam

Giannis Antetokounmpo has always been enamored of teaming up with those he calls his “African brothers”. Three years ago, Antetokounmpo selected Siakam with his second pick of the All-Star Draft. Thus, it is within Antetokounmpo's character to select Spicy P, even though some may debate that there are other better selections on the board. But it's the All-Star draft – there is no such thing as a bad pick.

No. 4 – Team LeBron: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Loading up on guards, Team LeBron would do very well by selecting first time NBA All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. There's always a bit of added motivation for young All-Stars to prove that they belong among the best of the best. LeBron James is here to win, and nabbing SGA with this selection goes a long way towards helping him extend his unbeaten All-Star game streak.

No. 5 – Team Giannis: Bam Adebayo

Bam Adebayo and the Greek Freak have had plenty of battles in the postseason, and Antetokounmpo definitely respects Adebayo's stellar defense. Adebayo's game may not be particularly tailor-made for the All-Star game, but Antetokounmpo should value the presence of having a swiss-army knife like the Miami Heat center at his disposal.

No. 6 – Team LeBron: Paul George

LeBron James and Paul George have had plenty of postseason battles in the past. There is definitely strong mutual respect between the two even if they currently are in-city rivals for their respective teams.

No. 7 – Team Giannis: Jaylen Brown

There's a case to be made for either LeBron or Giannis to select Jaylen Brown much earlier. Brown is in the middle of his best season as a professional, scoring 26.5 points per night for the league's best team, record-wise. However, Brown is currently dealing with a facial fracture, which could very much limit his involvement in the festivities.

No. 8 – Team LeBron: De'Aaron Fox

Beyond the obvious Klutch Sports connection, LeBron James adds an elite athlete in De'Aaron Fox whose end-to-end injection of pace should make running the transition a fun endeavor. Fox should also be eager to show out in his first NBA All-Star game.

No. 9 – Team Giannis: Anthony Edwards

Another first time NBA All-Star (and injury replacement), Anthony Edwards has stepped up in recent weeks, leading the way for a plucky Timberwolves team that has remained afloat amid Karl-Anthony Towns' injury. Edwards should also be a source of much joy in the game itself, as he could tear the roof off the building when given runway towards the hoop.

No. 10 – Team LeBron: Domantas Sabonis

After drafting three guards and a wing, James recognizes his team's need for size. And what better way to take up some space on the interior than by adding the player who has amassed the second-most rebounds this season in Domantas Sabonis. Plus, he'll get to team up with his buddy De'Aaron in this scenario.

No. 11 – Team Giannis: Tyrese Haliburton

Stacked with bigs and wings, Antetokounmpo selects Tyrese Haliburton – the second coming of the Point God. Haliburton gives Team Giannis arguably the best playmaker out of all the reserves, which makes him a good fit with all the other selections Antetokounmpo has made to this point.

No. 12 – Team LeBron: DeMar DeRozan

DeMar DeRozan's status for the All-Star game remains very much in doubt due to his leg injury. But James, after recruiting DeRozan to the Lakers in 2021, should be more than happy to add the league's midrange maestro to his squad.

No. 13 – Team Giannis: Jaren Jackson Jr.

Jaren Jackson Jr.'s NBA All-Star selection was a confusing one to some. However, being arguably the league's best rim protector certainly makes him a deserving selection. Antetokounmpo, a one-time Defensive Player of the Year award winner, should have a soft spot for perhaps the league's biggest deterrent at the hoop.

No. 14 – Team LeBron: Julius Randle

His second All-Star selection, Julius Randle has been rock-solid for the 33-27 New York Knicks. Randle's skillset, however, doesn't particularly scream All-Star material even if his production definitely makes him a deserving selection. Given how stacked the All-Star cast is, Randle should feel no shame in being the de facto final pick.

Starters

No. 1 – Team LeBron: Luka Doncic

LeBron James does not overthink things too much when it comes to the All-Star draft. With the exception of 2020 (when James drafted his teammate Anthony Davis first), James has always taken the best player available. Some may argue that other options such as Nikola Jokic (arguably the leading MVP candidate) could be better selections, but Doncic is the closest thing to a heliocentric one-man force on the perimeter the league has seen since James himself (and perhaps James Harden, one of the biggest snubs in this year's All-Star game).

No. 2 – Team Giannis: Joel Embiid

Continuing his love for his African brothers, Antetokounmpo takes Joel Embiid once again with his first pick of the starters. While this selection might be far from a guarantee due to doubts surrounding Embiid's playing status for the All-Star game, expect Antetokounmpo to stay true to himself like he's always done in his illustrious career.

No. 3 – Team LeBron: Nikola Jokic

Following the selection of Embiid, James would want someone who could match up with perhaps the league's most imposing interior presence. Nikola Jokic fits that bill. Jokic is also good for a few hilarious moments in the NBA All-Star game itself, and his sublime court vision fits perfectly alongside James and Doncic.

No. 4 – Team Giannis: Jayson Tatum

Unite the Jays! The Bucks and Boston Celtics may have an on-court rivalry brewing at the moment, but that's what makes Antetokounmpo respect Jayson Tatum even more. The best player on the league's best team at the moment, Tatum is capable of matching up against James on the perimeter to threaten The King's reign of NBA All-Star superiority.

No. 5 – Team LeBron: Kyrie Irving

Is it really a good idea for James to insert himself in what should be an interesting love triangle between him, Luka Doncic, and Kyrie Irving? For our entertainment, the answer is yes.

James didn't really try to make an effort to hide his disappointment when the Lakers failed to acquire Irving prior to the trade deadline. Teaming up with Irving allows James to, perhaps, shove Doncic out of the free agency picture and remind the polarizing point guard of what was once a fruitful partnership.

No. 6 – Team Giannis: Donovan Mitchell

Team Giannis now needs a starter to handle the ball; thus the choice lies between Donovan Mitchell and Ja Morant. Mitchell, however, is the superior choice. Not only will Mitchell's selection cause the Salt Lake City crowd to erupt for their former franchise player, Mitchell's ability to bomb from deep could be of more use to a team with Embiid and Antetokounmpo already in it.

No. 7 – Team LeBron: Lauri Markkanen

Speaking of playing to the crowd, James always delivers on that regard. Thus, The King, with perhaps a huge grin on his face as he trots to make his selection, will be selecting Lauri Markkanen, which would cause the greatest crowd pop of the night to that point.

No. 8 – Team Giannis – Ja Morant

Ja Morant's game was made for the All-Star game. A freak athlete with bounce that makes gravity question its own existence, Morant is a highlight reel come to life. With Morant and Antetokoumpo teaming up, Team Giannis will be unstoppable in transition.