The 2023 NBA All-Star Game is just weeks away. It is slated for Sunday, February 19th in Salt Lake City, Utah. On Thursday, the league announced the All-Star starters for both the Eastern and Western conferences live on TNT and captured by ClutchPoints.

Each team is captained by their leading vote getter. Once again, LeBron James will be the captain of the Western Conference All-Stars. It is his sixth straight year as a captain. He has been named an All-Star an incredible 19 times during his 20-year career.

The Eastern Conference has a change from last year though. Giannis Antetokounmpo surpassed Kevin Durant in the last couple weeks to wrestle the captaincy away. It his his third time as captain.

This year, like most years, it was very difficult for fans to make a choice at certain positions. For instance, the front court in the Eastern Conference is absolutely stacked. Antetokounmpo, Durant, Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid are all up for a starter nod. However, only three can start with one of them coming off the bench.

Once again, Embiid is the odd man out, as Tatum and Durant will join Giannis in the starting lineup.

The Eastern Conference guards were a little easier to sort out. Embattled Nets superstar Kyrie Irving and Cavs scoring machine Donovan Mitchell will start.

Meanwhile out west, the guard position was similarly more cut and dry. Warriors point guard Steph Curry and Mavs do-it-all guard Luka Doncic crushed the voting and landed in the starting lineup. But even their front court came with a little drama.

James was of course the top vote-getter. He is followed by two-time reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic in the starting lineup. But the final spot was very close between a couple of oft-injured big men; Anthony Davis and Zion Williamson. But it was the Pelicans star, Williamson, that will get the start. It is his second time as an All-Star and starter.

The rest of the rosters will be chosen by the captains just prior to the game itself. That new wrinkle got mixed reactions online, but makes for an interesting development.