Would LeBron James ever vote for himself to start in an NBA All-Star Game? Well, the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar will soon have the opportunity to do just that if he pleases.
For the first time, NBA players and basketball media will join fans in voting for the starters for the 2017 NBA All-Star Game, the league announced Monday.
Previously, only fans voted for the starters for the Eastern and Western Conference teams. This time, the fan vote will make up 50% while the current players and a panel of basketball media will count as 25% each.
“Players and media will be able to complete one full ballot, featuring three frontcourt players and two guards from both the Eastern and Western Conference,” the NBA said in a press release. “Players may vote for their teammates or themselves.”
Voting for the 2017 NBA All-Star Game begins at 11 a.m. ET on Christmas Day. Fans can submit one full ballot each day through NBA.com, the NBA App, Twitter, Facebook and Google search, as well as via Sina Weibo and Tencent Microblogs in China.
For Facebook and Twitter, fans can use the hashtag #NBAVOTE plus the player’s full name or handle.
Voting will end on January 16 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Starters will be announced on TNT, which, like CNN, is owned by Time Warner, on January 19 at 7 p.m. ET.
The Eastern Conference and Western Conference All-Star reserves, which are selected by NBA head coaches, will be announced on January 26.
The 2017 NBA All-Star Game — the 66th in league history — will be held February 19 in New Orleans at Smoothie King Center.