3 Former Wildcats Selected as NBA All-Star Reserves

There are 24 players in the NBA All-Star Game. Five of them suited up for the Kentucky Wildcats. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tyrese Maxey previously secured a spot in the starting lineup. On Sunday evening, we learned three more former Cats will join them in Los Angeles.

Karl-Anthony Towns will join Maxey from the Eastern Conference. Devin Booker and Jamal Murray will represent BBN out of the West.

Murray played a pivotal role in helping the Nuggets cut down the nets at the conclusion of the 2023 season, but he’s never actually made an All-Star game until now. The Canadian has hit new career-highs during his ninth season. The 28-year-old is averaging 25.8 points per game while shooting 49.2% from the field and 44.7% from three.

This is Booker’s fifth trip to the NBA All-Star Game. After a disappointing final year alongside Kevin Durant, the sensational shooting guard has the Suns firmly in the middle of the Western Conference standings.

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Booker’s former Kentucky teammate, Towns, is the most frequent flyer to the All-Star Game from this year’s batch of Cats. His third straight All-Star Game appearance gives him six over his 11-year career. He currently leads the NBA in rebounding with 11.8 per game, while tallying 20 points per contest. Towns helped the Knicks win this year’s NBA Cup.

The Clippers’ new Intuit Dome will host NBA All-Star Weekend from Feb. 13-15, culminating with the game on Sunday night. This year, there’s more than one game. In an attempt to inject some competition into the lackluster exhibition, the NBA is putting on a round robin tournament between three teams, two comprised of Americans and one exclusively filled with international players. They will play three 12-minute games, with the top two advancing to an All-Star Championship Game. Will this format work? It’s unlikely, but at least they’re trying something new.