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Giannis Antetokounmpo leads all NBA players in all-star fan voting, and look who's ahead of Damian Lillard

jr radcliffe, milwaukee journal sentinel
·2 min read
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) and guard Damian Lillard (0) talk during the first half of their game against the Detroit Pistons on Dec. 16, 2023, at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.

The Bucks-Pacers rivalry isn't just restricted to the basketball floor, apparently. It extends to the (virtual) ballot box.

Oshkosh native and Pacers ascendant star Tyrese Haliburton leads all Eastern Conference guards in the first round of NBA all-star fan voting, meaning he's pacing ahead of Bucks guard Damian Lillard for the top honor.

Haliburton's 1,380,795 votes give him a big leg up on Lillard (955,751) for the top backcourt spot in the East. Trae Young of Atlanta (873,979) is third.

The Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, not only leads East frontcourt players with 2,171,812 votes, but he's well ahead of second-place Joel Embiid of Philadelphia (1,844,025) and also ahead of LeBron James in the Western Conference (2,008,645) for most votes of any player.

Antetokounmpo has led the Eastern Conference in fan voting before but has never received the most fan votes of any player.

Fans account for 50% of the vote to decide the All-Star Game starters, with NBA player voting and a media panel each accounting for 25%. The All-Star Game will take place Feb. 18 at … yep, Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, home of the Pacers.

No other Bucks players appeared in the top 10 at frontcourt or guard. Jrue Holiday, who played with the Bucks the last three years before getting traded in the offseason and now suits up for Boston, is 10th in the backcourt with 145,144 votes. Boston's Jayson Tatum is the third-leading vote getter in the East with 1,765,919 votes.

Jimmy Butler, the former Marquette University player and perennial thorn in the Bucks side, is fourth among East frontcourt players with 767,913 votes. James is followed by Kevin Durant of Phoenix and Nikola Jokić of Denver as the top three vote getters in the West.

Fans can continue voting at NBA.com, with another update due Jan. 11.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Giannis leads all players in first batch of NBA all-star fan voting