Giannis, LeBron leading in 3rd fan returns of NBA All-Star Voting

By Can Erozden

Milwaukee Bucks' Greek forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (Eastern Conference frontcourt) and Los Angeles Lakers' US forward LeBron James (Western Conference frontcourt) go on to each lead their conferences in the NBA All-Star voting before next month's All-Star Game.

In the third fan returns on Thursday, Antetokounmpo has received at least 4.3 million votes while James bagged more than 3.9 million votes, NBA confirmed on Thursday.

The NBA All-Star Voting will end on Saturday, and this year's All-Star Game starters will be named on Thursday, Jan. 25.

Denver Nuggets' Serbian center Nikola Jokic is following James in the West frontcourt as Jokic had nearly 3.5 million votes.

Jokic is chased by Phoenix Suns' Kevin Durant as the gap between Durant and Jokic is 31,642.

Meanwhile in the East frontcourt, Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid is after leader Antetokounmpo.

Second-place Embiid took 3.72 million votes but he is challenged by Boston Celtics' star Jayson Tatum, who received 3.71 million votes.

Dallas Mavericks' Slovenian star Luka Doncic had at least 3.2 million votes to keep leading the West guards' list. Doncic is followed by Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, who took at least 2.6 million votes.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder's Canadian guard, is third among the West guards with 2.3 million votes. Los Angeles Clippers' star James Harden is far behind Gilgeous-Alexander.

Indiana Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton, who is still on top of the East guard standings, bagged at least 2.7 million votes. He is still the only East guard with over 2 million votes.

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young is second with 1.8 million votes.

Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard, who is in third place, is now 85,862 votes behind Young.

Meanwhile Houston Rockets' Turkish center Alperen Sengun, an NBA player since 2021, retained his sixth spot in the frontcourt of the Western Conference as the 21-year-old received 1.34 million votes.

Sengun is followed by seventh-place Paul George. The Clippers forward took at least 830,000 votes.

The Turkish player is currently chasing a Clippers forward, Kawhi Leonard, who had nearly 1.37 million votes.

The 73rd NBA All-Star Game will be played on Feb. 18 in Indianapolis.