LeBron James facing Gobert, in 2018. -
Mark J. Terrill / AP / SIPA
Captains of their team for Sunday's All-Star Game, LeBron James and Kevin Durant made their choice of starters and substitutes for their team on Thursday.
The first called for the west Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee), Stephen Curry (Golden State), Luka Doncic (Dallas) and Nikola Jokic (Denver).
The second, for the east, took successively Kyrie Irving (Brooklyn), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia), Kawhi Leonard (Clippers), Bradley Beal (Washington) and Jayson Tatum (Boston).
Little moment of laughter, then, when the time came to announce the 14 substitutes for each camp.
Rudy Gobert, who will participate in his second All-Star Game in a row, then saw the names of the thirteen other reservists scroll before being finally chosen by LeBron.
"In video games, nobody took Utah"
“LeBron said he needed size.
He has Rudy Gobert who is 2.25 m (2.16 m in reality) and he takes Domantas Sabonis who is 1.85 m (2.11 m in reality)!
", Noted, live on the TNT channel, the former star Charles Barkley, causing the hilarity of Shaquille O'Neal also on the set, as well as that of James live from Los Angeles.
The star of the Lakers engaged in explaining his choice.
He defended himself from any bad intention, not without chambering the Jazz, the franchise of Gobert.
“There is no disrespect towards Jazz.
But you have to understand it, it's like in video games.
No one took Utah as a kid.
As big as they are, we never took Karl Malone and John Stockton to video games.
Never, ”he said with a laugh.
Focused on Sunday alone, instead of the traditional three-day weekend, this year's All-Star Game will still feature dunk contests, three-point shots and the skill challenge.
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