DENVER – Nuggets star center Nikola Jokic has been picked as one of five starters for the Western Conference at this year’s NBA All-Star game.
The 25-year-old big man is headed to his third straight All-Star game and will be the first Nuggets player to start an All-Star game since Carmelo Anthony in 2011.
Jokic has 25 double-doubles this season – the most in the NBA. He leads the league in PER, at 31.48, and is tied for the league lead with three games with more than 40 points. The Nuggets are currently eighth in the Western Conference, with a 15-13 record.
The Serbian native has averaged 27 points, 11 rebounds, nearly 9 assists and 1.5 steals per game so far this season, which are all career highs. Jokic is third in the league with six triple-doubles, fifth in assists and eighth in points and rebound, and has shot 57% from the field and 40% from three-point range this season.
He will start alongside LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Stephen Curry and Luka Doncic for the Western Conference.
Jokic joins Anthony, Alex English, David Thompson and Dikembe Mutombo as Nuggets who have been named to three or more All-Star games.
The game will be played on Sunday, March 7 in Atlanta.
