On Sunday, the NBA rolled out a new format for the mid-winter classic. The NBA All-Star game is set to take place in mere minutes as Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will participate in his first-ever NBA All-Star game.
This year, along with their Draft style twist, the NBA rolled out a new wrinkle to this welcomed addition. Since the league did away with the Western Conference verse Eastern Conference format, the draft has always been held weeks before the event on TNT. This year, the two captains will select their squads half an hour before the contest. So it was left a mystery to fans and media who would make up Team Giannis and Team LeBron.
Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was selected by team Giannis in the 2023 NBA All-Star Draft, getting set for his NBA All-Star game debut.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is ready to make his NBA All-Star debut and predictably showed up in style. A fur coat, a Louie bag, and a lot of swag for the max contract point guard.
📍HE'S HERE.@shaiglalex | #NBAAllStar | #TeamWass pic.twitter.com/JhRuBB3Cul
— Wasserman Basketball (@wassbasketball) February 19, 2023
The Oklahoma City Thunder fanbase sat eagerly waiting to find out who would select Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with the reserves being the first names off the board, another change from the traditional draft format, and it was team Giannis that grabbed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The Oklahoma City Thunder point guard will join forces with Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday, DeMar DeRozan, Pascal Siakam, Bam Adebayo, and Domantas Sabonis, off the bench for team Giannis.
The starters for team Giannis will be Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Ja Morant, Donovan Mitchell, and Lauri Markkanen.
Stay tuned to Thunderous Intentions for more coverage of tonight’s NBA All-Star game and the rest of the season for the OKC Thunder which appears to be in for an exciting ending.