Two former Duke Basketball superstars, Jayson Tatum and Brandon Ingram, were named to their first career All-Star Games for their respective teams.
Former Duke Blue Devils in the NBA All-Star Game has been a common occurrence but this All-Star Game will be extra special as two former Blue Devils will be making their first All-Star Games.
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum and New Orleans Pelicans young superstar Brandon Ingram were voted into the mid-season NBA showcase.
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In his third season in Boston, Tatum is averaging career bests across the board with 21.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 43.6 percent from the floor and 37.2 percent from 3-point range.
Last season during NBA All-Star Weekend Jayson Tatum won the Taco Bell Skills Challenge and scored 30 points to help the Team USA defeat the Team World in The Rising Stars Challenge.
Brandon Ingram is in his fourth season in the NBA but first with the Pelicans after being traded from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Pelicans in the Anthony Davis blockbuster deal this offseason.
Davis was also selected to the All-Star Game and will be a starter as both Ingram and Tatum will be reserves in the game.
Ingram is also averaging career bests with 24.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists per game on 46.9 percent shooting from the floor and 40.2 percent from 3-point range.
Brandon Ingram did take place in the Rising Stars Challenge at All-Star Weekend in his first two seasons in the NBA in 2017 and 2018,
LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo will serve as the captains for the two teams and draft their teams from the pool of players selected to the game on Thursday, February 6 on TNT at 7:00pm EST.
The NBA All-Star Game will take place at the United Center in Chicago on Sunday, February 16 at 8:00pm EST and TNT will televise the game.