Wembanyama Makes First All-Star Team as NBA Reveals 2024 Reserves

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Victor Wembanyama, the 21-year-old phenom, was named to his first NBA All-Star team Thursday night, headlining the list of 14 reserves selected for the league’s midseason showcase on Feb. 16 in San Francisco.

Wembanyama, who is averaging 24.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, and leading the league in blocks for the second consecutive season, narrowly missed a starting spot in the Western Conference behind Nikola Jokić and LeBron James. However, he was a unanimous choice among coaches to lead the West reserves. The seven reserves in each conference were selected by a vote of the league’s coaches, following the fan, media, and player voting that determined the five starters.

Joining Wembanyama from the Western Conference were guards Stephen Curry and Anthony Edwards, forwards Kawhi Leonard and Lauri Markkanen, center Alperen Şengün, and forward Jaren Jackson Jr. This marks the 11th selection for James Harden, the 10th for Anthony Davis, the third for Edwards, and the second for Jackson. Wembanyama, Şengün, and Markkanen earned their first All-Star nods.

In the Eastern Conference, the reserves included forwards Jayson Tatum and Pascal Siakam, guards Tyrese Haliburton and Jalen Brunson, and guards Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Tyler Herro. Damian Lillard secured his ninth selection, while Jaylen Brown earned his fourth, Siakam his third, and Garland his second. Evan Mobley, Cade Cunningham, and Herro were first-time selections.

The Cleveland Cavaliers, with Garland, Mobley, and starter Donovan Mitchell, were the only team to place three players on this year’s rosters. The Boston Celtics (Brown and Tatum), Los Angeles Lakers (Davis and James), Oklahoma City Thunder (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren), and Phoenix Suns (Devin Booker and Kevin Durant) each had two players selected.

This year’s All-Star Game will feature a new format, with the 24 All-Stars divided into three teams of eight players each. The winning team from the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday night will also participate. Coaches Mark Daigneault of the Thunder and Kenny Atkinson of the Cavaliers will lead two of the teams, with assistants from their staffs handling the third.