Andrew Wiggins and Ja Morant will be in the starting lineup for their All-Star Game debuts.
The first 10 participants of the 2022 NBA All-Star Game were announced on Thursday night. From midseason classic veterans like LeBron James and Kevin Durant to newcomers Ja Morant and Andrew Wiggins, feelings of gratitude and pride were flowing fast and furiously via social media once they heard the news. It’s James’ 18th consecutive appearance in the NBA All-Star game and fifth consecutive team captaincy, but that hasn’t diminished the four-time NBA champion and MVP’s gratitude for the honor.
Gloria’s son! God’s Plan! #ThekidfromAKRON👑 #Blessed🙏🏾 https://t.co/AqZPlhdhPB
— LeBron James (@KingJames) January 28, 2022
Kevin Durant joins LeBron as a repeat team captain after earning the most votes in the Eastern Conference. The Brooklyn Nets superstar is already looking forward to answering questions about his “GM skills” when it comes to picking his squad this year.
.@KDTrey5 is ready to reload.
"Last year I thought I picked the best team in All-Star Game history, but we laid an egg when the game started. … This year, if i"m the captain, it's going to be a lot better. … I need to redeem myself. My GM skills are being questioned." pic.twitter.com/pd7Veko87S
— Boardroom (@boardroom) January 28, 2022
Breakout Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant soaked in the news he would start in his first All-Star Game with his family, and added heartfelt thanks to his supporters for good measure.
Blessed & Thankful 🙏🏽 My Fans, I Appreciate You. 🖤
To Memphis, Murray State, Da Gang, Organization, Couldn't Do It Without Y'all. 🐻🐎
To MBNO, ™️ . We Got More Work To Do.
Love Yall 🤞🏽
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) January 28, 2022
Enjoyed The Announcement With Two People I Wanted To Be With 🖤😊
Granny&Grandma 🤞🏽🥰 pic.twitter.com/RG8CfjhsrN— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) January 28, 2022
Sixers center Joel Embiid addressed his fifth consecutive All-Star Game before Thursday’s win over the Lakers, proclaiming his intent to take home All-Star MVP honors.
76ers star Joel Embiid is ready to dominate in Cleveland.
Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young’s offensive wizardry saw him make the starting lineup as well, and he offered up both thanks and a reminder that this is already the second All-Star appearance for the 23-year-old.
TRULY BLESSED!!!
See you in Cleveland❄️
2X ✌🏽🌟🌟 pic.twitter.com/GzvWk3QPcC— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) January 28, 2022
The Chicago Bulls have enjoyed a special season due in large part to newcomer DeMar DeRozan. The team broke the news that its star guard had been named an All-Star starter during the flight to San Antonio, with Zach LaVine making the announcement over the plane speaker system.
Zach broke the news of DeMar's All-Star announcement on our team plane ❤️ pic.twitter.com/AFcW9ShWrm
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 28, 2022
Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins was all smiles after discovering he, too, was named an All-Star starter. The former No. 1 pick happily admitted, “I thought I was dreaming for a second” while being congratulated by various members and staff of the franchise.
“I thought I was dreaming for a second.”@22wiggins is officially an #NBAAllStar 👏 pic.twitter.com/vK6hc7jFyE
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) January 28, 2022
Two-time Kia MVP and defending NBA champion Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t feel the need to say much after earning yet another All-Star nod. Instead, he simply posted the facts with some grateful emojis on his Instagram story.
