The 2021 NBA season is nearing its end, and as we reflect back on the past few months, it’s hard not to think about the stars that make this league so exciting.
From LeBron James to Steph Curry and Damian Lillard, basketball is a star-driven league, even if it is a team-based sport, and the NBA does a great job celebrating and recognizing those players with end-of-season awards.
And with all the other individual award winners having already been announced, there was only one more thing left for the NBA to reveal: the 2021 All-NBA teams.
This year there was some significant shakeup on all three teams to reflect what has been a very intriguing and unpredictable season.
First: Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, Kawhi Leonard
Second: Chris Paul, Damian Lillard, Joel Embiid, Julius Randle, LeBron James
Third: Kyrie Irving, Bradley Beal, Rudy Gobert, Jimmy Butler, Paul George
2020-21 All-NBA teams:
First: Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, Kawhi Leonard
Second: Chris Paul, Damian Lillard, Joel Embiid, Julius Randle, LeBron James
Third: Kyrie Irving, Bradley Beal, Rudy Gobert, Jimmy Butler, Paul George
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 16, 2021
At a glance, LeBron James not making the All-NBA first team is pretty usual to see, even if he is 36-years-old. No doubt, that hurts his campaign for being the best player in the world.
The NBA’s Most Improved Player, Julius Randle, has made his first All-NBA team, no doubt an impressive and unexpected feat given his history in L.A. and New Orleans.
As for possible snubs, Russell Westbrook, Ben Simmons, and Jayson Tatum are all names who didn’t make it this year after making it last season. Do they deserve a spot?
Whatever your opinion on the matter, all the players who made the teams deserve their spots — and it will be interesting to see if they can carry over their performance through next season as well.
Below are the full results of 2020-21 All-NBA Teams:
Center Nikola Jokić, the 2020-21 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player, and two-time MVPs Giannis Antetokounmpo and Stephen Curry lead the 2020-21 All-NBA First Team.
More ➡️ https://t.co/2dPWFu5npB
The voting results for the 2020-21 All-NBA Team are below ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/TQ7thkKhDI
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) June 16, 2021
