The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Durant selected to start in NBA All-Star Game
01.17.2013 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 17, 2013
NEW YORK - Former University of Texas star and current Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant was voted a Western Conference starter for the 2013 NBA All-Star Game, the league announced on Thursday night. It will mark Durant's fourth all-star appearance and his third consecutive start.
Durant was the top vote-getter among Western Conference frontcourt players in the NBA All-Star Balloting program presented by Sprint Update. He is joined in the starting lineup by Kobe Bryant (Lakers), Chris Paul (Clippers), Kevin Garnett (Lakers) and Blake Griffin (Clippers).
This will mark Durant's third consecutive nomination as a starter and fourth appearance overall. During last year's All-Star Game in Orlando, Durant was the game's Most Valuable Player after recording a game-high 36 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals in 38 minutes.
Durant has helped lead the Thunder to a NBA-best 31-8 record this season while averaging 28.7 points (3rd in the NBA) and 7.5 rebounds in 39.2 minutes per game. Additionally, the sixth-year forward is averaging career-highs in assists (4.2), steals (1.56) and blocks (1.31) and is on pace to join Larry Bird as the only players in NBA history to average 28-plus points while shooting better than 50.0 percent from the field, 90.0 percent from the free throw line and 40.0 percent from the three-point line.
The 62nd NBA All-Star Game will be played at Toyota Center in Houston on Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013.
Durant and legendary UT guard Slater Martin are the only Texas Exes to start an NBA All-Star Game. Martin made seven consecutive NBA All-Star rosters from 1953 to 1959. His first four All-Star appearances came as a member of the Minneapolis Lakers (1953-54-55-56), before he made three additional rosters as a member of the St. Louis Hawks (1957-58-59). Martin earned a place in the All-Star Game's starting lineup a total of five times in his seven appearances (1954, 1956, 1957, 1958 and 1959).
Reserves will be announced on Jan. 24 with former Longhorn LaMarcus Aldridge (Trail Blazers) being a strong candidate to earn a spot for the Western Conference. Aldridge is currently the fifth-leading scorer in the West with 20.6 points per game.
