NEW YORK — Nets star Kevin Durant will not play in the NBA All-Star Game due to an injured hamstring, but he will play captain and general manager for his All-Star squad Team Durant, the New York Daily News confirmed Saturday.
Durant, who was named Eastern Conference All-Star captain for the the March 7 game by raking in more combined fan, player and media votes, will still select his team’s starters and captains against Western Conference captain LeBron James despite not actually being available to play in the game.
The NBA All-Star Draft will take place on Thursday and will air on TNT. It is unclear whether Durant will travel to Atlanta for the All-Star Game.
Durant has missed the Nets' last seven games dealing with a hamstring strain he sustained against the Golden State Warriors on Feb. 13. In a subsequent MRI, the Nets discovered their star forward would need to sit out beyond the All-Star break out of precaution for his complete injury recovery.
Durant averaged 29 points, seven rebounds and five assists per game so far this season, his first games since rupturing his Achilles in the 2019 NBA Finals as a member of the Warriors. The Nets went 5-1 in games that he, James Harden and Kyrie Irving played together. The sample size is small due to Durant’s hamstring injury and two run-ins with the NBA’s coronavirus health and safety protocol.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced Pacers star Domantas Sabonis as Durant’s injury replacement, and Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum will replace Durant as an All-Star starter.
