Boston Celtics guard Kemba Walker voted All-Star Starter

Boston Celtics guard Kemba Walker was voted in as a starter for the 2020 NBA All-Star Game. This is Walker’s fourth straight All-Star appearance and second in a row as a starter.

Walker joins Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young in being voted in as guards for the Eastern Conference. Walker was third among Eastern Conference guards in the Fan vote, behind Young and Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving. He was first in the Player and Media voting.

In his first season with the Celtics, Walker is averaging 21.7 points, 5.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game. Walker’s shooting numbers are at nearly career-highs across the board at 44.3%/39.0%/86.3%. Walker’s play has been a big part of helping the Celtics to the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference, and the NBA’s third-best scoring differential.

The 29-year-old Walker signed with Boston this summer after eight seasons with the Charlotte Hornets. Upon signing with the Celtics, Walker expressed admiration for the team’s history, young talent and ability to compete for championships. Signing with Boston brought Walker back to the New England region after he starred on the collegiate level for the University of Connecticut Huskies.

Walker becomes the 145th All-Star selection in the history of the Boston Celtics. It’s also the fifth straight year Boston’s starting point is an All-Star, as Walker joins Irving and Isaiah Thomas in that honor.

Walker now becomes part of the All-Star starter draft pool. The All-Star teams will be drafted by Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Eastern Conference’s top fan vote-getter, and LeBron James, the Western Conference’s top fan vote-getter. The two captains will choose from the other eight starters first, before moving on to fill out their rosters from among the reserves.

All-Star reserves will be voted on the the NBA coaches and those selections will be announced next Thursday, January 30th. Both Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum remain in the mix to be added to the 2020 NBA All-Star game by the coaches. Tatum finished fifth in cumulative voting among Eastern Conference frontcourt players, while Brown finished ninth among Eastern Conference guards.

The 2020 NBA All-Star game will be played in Chicago on Sunday, February 16th.