The inevitable has finally come to pass. 

Victor Wembanyama was named a reserve for the 2025 NBA All-Star game, marking the first of what should be several appearances for the 7’3 center. The San Antonio Spurs’ star was arguably good enough to make the All-Star team last year during his rookie campaign, but his team’s lowly record ultimately sunk his cause. 

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This year, the Spurs are still below .500, though they are only 2.5 games away from the last play-in spot which seems to have been enough for the West’s coaches to award Wembanyama his first All-Star spot. Statistically, the first overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft is more than worthy, with per game averages of 24.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists 1.1 steals, and a league-leading 3.9 blocks. 

Aside from Wembanyama, there are two other first-timers from the Western Conference, Jalen Williams of the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets’ Alperen Sengun. Williams’ inclusion gives Oklahoma City two All-Stars this year as he joins his teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who was voted in as a starter.

Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander are not the only two representatives of the Thunder, as head coach Mark Daigneault earned the honor of coaching the West given their conference-best win-loss record.

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The rest of the West All-Stars are familiar names–Anthony Edwards, Anthony Davis, James Harden, and Jaren Jackson Jr. Harden’s selection marks his 11th NBA All-Star nod while this is Davis’ 10th. 

There are three first-timers as well from the East: Evan Mobley of the league-leading Cleveland Cavaliers, the Detroit Pistons’ Cade Cunningham, and Tyler Herro of the Miami Heat.

Darius Garland of the Cavaliers was also named an East reserve, giving the team three NBA All-Stars (Mobley, Garland, and starter Donovan Mitchell) for the fourth time in franchise history. Head coach Kenny Atkinson will be participating as the Eastern Conference head coach as well as he has steered Cleveland to the top of the league’s standings. 

Cunningham’s selection is a meaningful one to his team too, as he is the first Piston since Blake Griffin in 2019 (Yes, I completely forgot that he was an All-Star with them too) to be named to the league’s midseason showcase.

The other East reserves are Jaylen Brown of the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics, the Indiana Pacers’ Pascal Siakam, and Damian Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks who are no strangers to the All-Star game.

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