Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Oklahoma City and Nikola Jokic of Denver were unanimous first-team All-NBA selections this season, while San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama missed joining them in that club by one vote.
Wembanyama, the Los Angeles Lakers’ Luka Doncic and Detroit’s Cade Cunningham completed the All-NBA first team, the NBA said Sunday while releasing the vote totals.
Wembanyama (99 first-team votes, one second-team vote) and Doncic (91 first-team, nine second-team) also appeared on all 100 ballots, as did Boston’s Jaylen Brown. But Brown had significantly fewer first-team nods than Cunningham, which is why the Pistons guard ended up on that top list.
Cunningham appeared on 98 ballots, with 60 first-team and 38 second-team votes. Brown got 44 first-team votes, 54 second-team votes and two third-team votes — only good enough to get him on the All-NBA second team.
Jokic made All-NBA for the eighth time, Doncic for the sixth time, Gilgeous-Alexander for the fourth time, Cunningham for the second time and Wembanyama for the first time.
Second team
Joining Brown on the second team was Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell, Houston’s Kevin Durant and New York’s Jalen Brunson.
Durant became the 12th player with 12 All-NBA selections. Leonard is now a seven-time All-NBA pick, Brunson and Mitchell are now three-time selections and Brown made it for the second time.
Third team
The All-NBA third team was Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey, Denver’s Jamal Murray, Atlanta’s Jalen Johnson, Detroit’s Jalen Duren and Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren.
All five of those players are now All-NBA picks for the first times in their careers.
A total of 12 other players got votes.
No LeBron, Steph, Giannis, or Barnes
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers was among those ineligible to get votes because he didn’t play in enough games, meaning this became just the second time in his 23-season career that he was not an All-NBA pick.
Also not eligible this year because of the 65-game rule: Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo — whose streak of being listed on every All-NBA ballot for eight consecutive years ended.
Toronto Raptors swingman Scottie Barnes was eligible this year but only received nine third-team votes.
Jokic was on every ballot for the sixth consecutive year, giving him the longest active streak in that department.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press
