NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has selected Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers as an additional member of the United States player pool for the Feb. 15 All-Star Game, the league announced.
The mid-season showcase will feature two U.S. teams and one international team, each required to have at least eight players. Leonard’s appointment raises the number of U.S. participants to 16, meeting the format’s minimum after the initial list of 24 All-Stars was released.
Now in his 14th NBA season, Leonard earns his seventh career All-Star nod. The forward previously captured All-Star Game MVP honors in 2020 and was widely viewed as one of the most notable omissions when reserves were unveiled earlier this week.
Through 36 games, the 32-year-old is registering a personal-best 27.6 points per game, ranking seventh in the league, along with 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and an NBA-leading 2.1 steals. He is shooting 49.7% from the field, 39.1% from beyond the arc and 91.3% at the free-throw line, the fourth-highest mark in the league.
Leonard has scored at least 20 points in 28 consecutive outings, highlighted by a career-high 55-point effort against Detroit on Dec. 28.
In a related note, Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks, who has represented the Dominican Republic internationally, is expected to join the World team, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Source: Hoops Rumors
