NBA All-Star Voting 2022: Conclusions From First Fan Vote Returns To Decide Captains, Starting Lineups

The NBA revealed the first fan votes for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game on Thursday.

As in years past, fans will account for 50% of the final vote for this year’s All-Star Game. The other 50% is made up of current players and a media panel, with each side representing 25% of the vote.

Voting began on December 25 and will conclude at 11:59 p.m. ET on January 22.

The 71st NBA All-Star Game will take place Sunday, February 20 at 8 pm ET.

VOTE FOR YOUR NBA 2022 ALL-STARS HERE!

Now, to the conclusions of the results …

The results

The 10 most voted

1. Stephen Curry – 2,584,623
2. Kevin Durant – 2,360,435
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo – 2,145,835
4. LeBron James – 2,018,725
5. Nikola Jokic – 1,649,809
6. DeMar DeRozan – 1,487,598
7. Joel Embiid – 1,236,060
8. Paul George – 1,072,591
9. Andrew Wiggins – 933,335
10. James Harden – 892,065

If the voting ended today, the headlines voted by the fans would be …

The closest races for starting positions

The second starting guard spot in the Eastern Conference is the closest race, where James Harden (892,065 votes) barely beats Trae Young (862,878 votes). The difference of 29,187 votes is the smallest margin between the incumbents.

The Western Conference has two close votes: one for last place in the frontcourt and the other for last place in the backcourt.

The battle for the position on the back track is the second closest race, with Luka Doncic (787,690 votes) beating Ja Morant (669,033 votes) by 118,657 votes. In the frontcourt, Paul George (1,072,591) surpassed Andrew Wiggins (933,355) for the third starting position by a difference of 139,236 votes.

Also receiving votes

Every year, there seem to be unexpected names making their way onto the fan vote list. Derrick Rose is a mainstay in this section, receiving 232,501 votes this season.

There were a few others who stood out, like Lakers forward Carmelo Anthony (319,128 votes) and Nets center LaMarcus Aldridge (111,318 votes).

It’s also worth noting that potential first-time All-Stars like Morant, Wiggins, Deandre Ayton and Anthony Edwards made the top 10 in their respective positions in the West. The same goes for LaMelo Ball, Tyler Herro, Darius Garland, Fred VanVleet, Jarrett Allen, and Miles Bridges in the east.

MORE: Who are this year’s potential first-time All-Stars?

Klay Thompson and Kyrie Irving are in the top 10

Two names that should have caught your eye on the voter list are Thompson and Irving.

Irving just made his debut on Wednesday, yet he has already racked up 267,929 votes, which is good for sixth place in the East. That’s more votes than players like VanVleet and Garland, who have been fantastic for their respective teams all season.

Thompson has yet to speak for the Warriors (although his debut is just around the corner, he is expected to return Sunday) and he scored 367,743 votes, which is good for fourth place in the West. He received more votes than superstars on top teams like Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Donovan Mitchell.