Luka Doncic named 2024 All-Star starter

 Luka Doncic named 2024 All-Star starter

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Luka Doncic will start the 2024 NBA All-Star game, the NBA announced on Thursday. This will be Doncic’s fifth straight All-Star game appearance and fourth time voted in as a starter.

The four All-Star starts is a Mavericks franchise record. Doncic finished with the seventh-most votes overall and the most votes for guards across both conferences, finishing ahead of his backcourt mate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from the Thunder.

Doncic finished second in both player and media votes for West guards, just behind Gilgeous-Alexander.

According to Mavericks PR, Doncic joins LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Isiah Thomas, and Anthony Davis as the only players to earn five All-Star appearances before their 25th birthday. Doncic turns 25 in February after the year’s All-Star game. Dirk Nowitzki is the only other player in Mavericks franchise history to make five or more consecutive All-Star appearances. Doncic is now also second in Mavericks history in total All-Star appearances, behind Nowitzki’s 14.

Despite the Mavericks recent three-game losing skid, the team is still in strong playoff position at 24-20 entering Friday night’s matchup with the Atlanta Hawks, with Doncic having another brilliant season. He’s averaging a career high 33.6 points, along with 9.3 assists, and 8.5 rebounds per game. He’s shooting a career high 37.3 percent from three on a career-high 10.4 attempts per game.