HOUSTON – The reigning NBA MVP James Harden was voted in as a starter for the 2019 NBA All-Star Game.
Harden has been an All-Star in all seven of his seasons with the Rockets. He has the third most All-Star selections in team history, trailing only Hakeem Olajuwon (12 times) and Yao Ming (eight times).
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It's the third straight year Harden has been voted a starter. He also replaced Kobe Bryant in the starting lineup in both 2014 and 2015.
Harden finished first among Western Conference guards in voting by media, second by players, and third by fans.
Fans accounted for 50 percent of the vote, while current players and a panel of basketball media accounted for 25 percent each.
The starters were announced Thursday. Five players from the Western Conference and five from the Eastern Conference were named starters. The two NBA All-Star Game team captains will draft the rosters from the pool of players voted as starters and reserves in each conference, making their selections regardless of conference affiliation. The captains will be LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, who received the most fan votes in their respective conference.
The reserves will be named on Jan. 31, with the player draft taking place Feb. 7.
Harden has been on an incredible run recently, scoring 52.5 points per game over his last five games and 43.1 points per game over his last 21 games. He was named player of the month in December when he averaged 36.4 points and 7.9 assists per game.
He is averaging 36.3 points, 8.3 assists, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.11 steals for the season. Michael Jordan (1988-89) is the only player to have averaged at least 30.0 points, 8.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.00 steals in a single season.
Harden would be the first player to have averaged at least 33.0 points in a season since Kobe Bryant’s 35.4 ppg in 2005-06. Only three players have averaged at least 36.0 ppg in a single season.