With the NBA all-star festivities starting Friday evening, most of the Warriors’ players and coaches will take time off to recharge for the final stretch of the regular season and playoffs.
That will not be the case for the Golden State’s three all-stars Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, who will be making their 10th, sixth and fifth appearances, respectively.
What might we expect from each this weekend?
Stephen Curry: Charlotte’s Mayor
While Curry, who will play for Team Giannis, says he’ll concede all-star host duties to Hornets owner Michael Jordan and Hornets guard Kemba Walker, the Charlotte native has a hefty itinerary during his hometown visit.
In addition to charity events and brand appearances, Curry will be participating in the 2019 Three-Point Shootout, where his brother, Blazers guard Seth Curry, is set to be a participant. To prepare for his arrival, the Curry family is expected to flock to the Spectrum Center for both the 3-point contest and all-star game Sunday.
“It’s going to be fun, man,” Curry said Tuesday. “I haven’t gotten my mind there yet besides my pop calling me about ticket lists. That’s getting overwhelming.”
As for the game, Steph, who’s averaging 17 points, 6.6 assists and 5.4 rebounds in six all-star appearances, should be looking to get the MVP in his hometown, especially playing against Thompson, Durant and the rest of Team LeBron on Sunday afternoon.
Kevin Durant
Hard to believe Durant will be making his 10th all-star appearance, but the former Finals MVP will make his second straight start with Team LeBron. This year, storylines that have little to do with his on-court play are sure to be brought up during the weekend.
With national media descending on Charlotte, the former MVP will get questions about his pending free agency this summer. It doesn’t help that Durant was selected to Team LeBron and will play alongside Kyrie Irving — a player Durant has been reportedly interested in making his teammate in New York. It’s a possibility Durant denied last week.
As for the game, its always a treat to see Durant play alongside James, whether it be for an Olympic gold medal or a meaningless exhibition game in February. In the final possession of last year’s game, James and Durant combined for the game-ending defensive stop, trapping Curry in the corner, not allowing the three-time champion to get a shot up.
This year, look for Durant, who’s averaging 24.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists over his first nine all-star appearances, to pace himself in the game and cruise to a 20-point performance.
Klay Thompson
As is usually the case, Thompson will probably have the tamest all-star experience among his teammates.
For the first time in his all-star career, Thompson will not participate in the 3-point contest, electing to watch the battle of the Currys courtside. Aside from promotional events, Thompson will focus on getting through the festivities healthy.
