LeBron James and Anthony Davis will be teammates once again — not with the Los Angeles Lakers, but on “Team Shaq” in the 2025 All-Star Game.
“Inside the NBA” analysts Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley on Thursday drafted the teams for which they’re serving as honorary captains in the All-Star Game’s new format.
O’Neal picked James as the first overall choice. Smith picked Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards second overall.
“Team Chuck” has plenty of size with former MVPs Nikola Jokic (third overall pick) and Giannis Antetokounmpo along with Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns and Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama. This will be Wembanyama’s first All-Star Game.
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O’Neal added former MVPs Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and James Harden, but his most intriguing decision was to take Davis with his third selection. James and Davis won a championship together with the Lakers in 2020, but Los Angeles has struggled since, and Davis was shipped to Dallas in a stunning trade for Luka Doncic over the weekend.
NBA scoring leader Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (32.8 points per game) is on Team Chuck.
The event is shifting to a four-team tournament with a pair of semifinal games and a final. The fourth team made up of the best first- and second-year players and G League stars, will be called Team Candace and captained by WNBA legend Candace Parker.
The All-Star Game will be played February 16 in San Francisco.
