The first round of All-Star voting results are out! James ranks third in the West! The King of Votes is still him!
As new talents emerge in the NBA, older stars gradually fade from the league. Even former poster players cannot change this fate; they just fade out more slowly.
The highly anticipated NBA All-Star Game is getting closer. On January 3, 2025, Beijing time, the NBA officially announced the first phase of the 2025 All-Star voting results, with Giannis Antetokounmpo as the top vote-getter and LeBron James ranking third among Western Conference frontcourt players.
Giannis' popularity is undeniable. Despite being in a small market, his personal strength is impressive, especially after winning the NBA championship and MVP this year. He is now the top vote-getter in the Eastern Conference and the entire league.
It's worth noting that Giannis was also the top vote-getter in both the Eastern Conference and the entire league in last year's first-round All-Star voting, which shows the high level of his skills and popularity. Giannis has a good chance of winning the top vote-getter again this year, as the All-Star selection is primarily based on popularity, unlike the regular-season MVP voting rules.
Looking at last year's top vote-getter, LeBron James, he is only third among Western Conference frontcourt players in this year's first-round voting. The King is indeed getting older, but he still has the skills. The league is now dominated by young players, and this transition is reasonable. If LeBron were to remain the top vote-getter every year until retirement, that would be unusual.
Of course, this is just the first round of voting, and the final results will change.