The NBA All-Star Weekend honors some of the best players in the league by culminating with a game that pits the top players against one another. LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks are leading this year’s teams and selecting their teammates through a selection process.

On Sunday, February 19, the event is scheduled to begin at 8:00 p.m. ET (4 am Nigerian Time). As is customary, the game will feature the league’s top players. It’s fascinating to note that both teams will be competing for charitable causes. Team Giannis will compete for Raise the Future, while Team LeBron will represent Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah. The game is anticipated to raise more than $750,000 in total funds for the Utah community.

Unfortunately, there are a few prominent absences from the actual game, including Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and Zion Williamson, who are all sidelined due to injuries. 

LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo are the team captains, while their respective coaches are Joe Mazulla of the Celtics and Michael Malone of the Nuggets. The complete rosters for the big game are shown below.

STARTERS FOR EASTERN CONFERENCE

Coach: Joe Mazzulla and staff – Boston Celtics, Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks, Kyrie Irving – Dallas Mavericks, Donovan Mitchell – Cleveland Cavaliers, Kevin Durant – Phoenix Suns (Out due to injury), Jayson Tatum – Boston Celtics

STARTERS WESTERN CONFERENCE

Coach: Michael Malone and staff – Denver Nuggets, LeBron James – Los Angeles Lakers Nikola Jokic – Denver Nuggets, Stephen Curry – Golden State Warriors (Out due to injury), Luka Doncic – Dallas Mavericks, Zion Williamson – New Orleans Pelicans (Out due to injury)

RESERVES FOR EASTERN CONFERENCE

Jaylen Brown – Boston Celtics, Joel Embiid – Philadelphia 76ers, Demar DeRozan – Chicago Bulls, Julius Randle – New York Knicks, Jrue Holiday – Milwaukee Bucks, Tyrese Haliburton – Indiana Pacers, Bam Adebayo – Miami Heat, Pascal Siakam – Toronto Raptors (Injury replacement)

RESERVES FOR WESTERN CONFERENCE

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder, Damian Lillard – Portland Trail Blazers, Paul George – Los Angeles Clippers, Lauri Markkanen – Utah Jazz, Ja Morant – Memphis Grizzlies, Jaren Jackson Jr. – Memphis Grizzlies, Domantas Sabonis – Sacramento Kings, Anthony Edwards – Minnesota Timberwolves (Injury replacement), De’Aaron Fox – Sacramento Kings (Injury replacement)

PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT FOR 

Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks: Even though it’s not always pretty, Giannis is still regarded as the best player in the world. Khris Middleton, Antetokounmpo’s co-star, has been in and out of the lineup all season, which has led to more shooting and less efficient scoring for the star. It’s astonishing that Giannis is having a “down” year after averaging 31 points, 12 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game on 58.8 percent true shooting (his lowest since his second year), but that’s the situation right now..

Nikola Jokic – Denver Nuggets: It’s time to acknowledge the possibility that Nikola Jokic is the best player currently playing. The two-time MVP winner is guiding the Denver Nuggets to the top record in the West and is perhaps even having a better season this time around. On a true shooting percentage of 70%, Jokic averages 25.1 points, 9.9 assists, and 11 rebounds a game. Even though he’s taking fewer shots this season, when he decides he wants to make a basket, he still scores as quickly as any superstar of this generation. He is still among the best passers of all time, and this year, his playmaking feels as significant as ever. Since Larry Bird, no NBA player has won three consecutive MVP awards, but Jokic feels like the favorite right now.

LeBron James – Los Angeles Lakers: LeBron James is appearing in season 20. Have you heard that he shattered the scoring record for the NBA? Not bad for a forward who passes first, I suppose. Even though he is no longer the best player in the NBA, LeBron is having another fantastic individual season. His stats of 30.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 7 assists are outstanding as always.

Catch the game and the rest of the weekend’s exciting activities on ESPN, Canal Plus and NBA TV.