2022 NBA All-Star starters announced, with LeBron James chosen for 18th straight time

By Ben Morse, CNN

Updated 1049 GMT (1849 HKT) January 28, 2022

LeBron James reacts during the second half of a game against the Brooklyn Nets.

(CNN)The starters for this year's NBA All-Star Game were announced on Thursday, and there were some familiar faces along with some new ones.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was named as the captain for the Western Conference team, the 18th time he's been named to the All-Star team, tying Kobe Bryant for second place all time behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who has 19.It also means that the 37-year-old has been a captain in each of the five years the NBA has used the current system to pick its teams. James will be returning to Cleveland for the All-Star Game, which takes place on February 10, the city where he began his NBA career in 2003 and where he won a title in 2016. James in action during the first half of a game against the Miami Heat.James is joined by Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins as starters for the West. Read MoreIt is Curry's eighth selection to the All-Star Game, while for reigning NBA MVP Jokic, it is the Serbian big man's fourth selection. Morant and Wiggins will both be making their debuts, with Morant having a breakout season with the ascendent Grizzlies while Wiggins has played a big part in the Warriors' excellent season. Wiggins described finding out he was a starter as «mind blowing.»«I was taking my pregame nap and my girl and daughter woke me up and told me: 'You are a starter, you are a starter.' I thought I was dreaming for a second. I was like, 'What is going on?' It was a good way to learn that I made it to the All-Star, and I am