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via Imago

via Imago

The anticipation for the NBA All-Star game is bubbling. We are back to the vintage land of classics. The best of the West will take on the best of the East. Headlining the Western Conference is LeBron James, the captain and the recipient of the second most votes during the poll. His nemesis, Kevin Durant, will accompany him and along with the greatest shooters of all time, Stephen Curry.

The three can be considered All-Star royalty in some sense. James, who will be playing a record 20th All-Star game, has won three All-Star game MVPs. KD and Curry combine for another three. The trio combines for a gargantuan 45 All-Star selection. It is one of the most accomplished and celebrated three-man squads that has ever graced the NBA floor. But have they done it before?

This year will be the first for LeBron James, Durant, and Curry

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LeBron James has been in the NBA the longest. Over his career, he has played with over 85 teammates in the All-Star game. The 39-year-old shared the court with KD during the Olympics in 2012 and a few All-Star games. Curry has never played international basketball with the King. The one time we saw them together was during the All-Star game in 2022. The Baby Face Assassin rained down threes all night long and won his first and only All-Star Game MVP that season.

However, even though each of them has competed and battled for over a decade with one another, they have never been All-Star game teammates. At times it was because they played for different conferences. This was the years when James played for the Miami Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the East while Curry and KD were with the conference rivals and eventually teammates or the Golden State Warriors.

USA Today via Reuters

In more recent times, the opportunity never presented itself. With the introduction of the All-Star draft six years ago, James has always been one of the top two vote-getters. The Slim Reaper shared the captain’s stool with the Lakers forward twice and Curry was the captain once. It only left a three-season window, but there was no way Giannis Antetokounmpo was letting two of the world’s most renowned NBA superstars team up with LeBron James.

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Finally, the wait is over. For the first time in their careers, they will play on one side – the West. Kevin Durant and LeBron James are part of the starting rotation alongside SGA, Luka Doncic, and Nikola Jokic. Stephen Curry was surprisingly left off in the voting but was given a ticket as a reserve.

READ MORE: LeBron James vs Stephen Curry – Who has a Better All-Star Record? Stats, MVPs, Other Contests Participated in, and More

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The game will be played in Indiana at the home of the Pacers, the Gainbridge Fieldhouse on February 18th. The unprecedented will turn into reality. Arguably the three most influential players of this era will play together for the first time in their careers. The excitement is rushing, and the days are being counted.

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