OAKLAND, Calif. _ Ben Simmons' goal didn't elude him for a second straight season.
The 76ers point guard learned Thursday that he has been named as an Eastern Conference reserve for the All-Star Game.
The reserves, selected by the league's coaches, were announced 3 { hours before tip-off of the Sixers' game against the Golden State Warriors. The All-Star Game will be on Feb. 17 at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C.
Simmons will join Joel Embiid, who was named an Eastern Conference starter for the second consecutive season on Jan. 24. This marks the first time the Sixers had multiple All-Stars in same season since Allen Iverson and Dikembe Mutombo in 2002.
The 22-year-old Simmons is also the second player born in Melbourne, Australia, to be named an NBA All-Star, joining Kyrie Irving (2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2019).
"I think he should have been an All-Star last year," Sixers reserve point guard T.J. McConnell said. "He's proven game in and game out that he's an All-Star type player. He has a bright, bright, bright future playing in this league for a long time."
Entering Thursday, Simmons was averaging 16.7 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game. He has eight triple-doubles.
The 2018 rookie of the year was passed over as an All-Star Game injury replacement in favor of Kemba Walker and Goran Dragic last season.
Simmons, a 6-foot-10, 240-pounder, was disappointed by the snubs. "I don't really know what an All-Star is anymore," he said at the time. "I mean, if it was about win-lose, you picked (guard Goran) Dragic, obviously, and you pick Kemba, whose team is seven wins under us. It is what it is, but my stats don't lie."
Swingman Jimmy Butler was not voted an All-Star for the first time in five seasons. The Sixers acquired him from the Minnesota Timberwolves via a trade in November. He made the All-Star Game last season with the Timberwolves. Butler also was an All-Star with the Chicago Bulls the previous three seasons. Butler is a candidate to replace injured Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo.
On Jan. 24, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (West) and Milwaukee Bucks power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (East) led the 10 starters chosen in voting by fans, players, and a panel of reporters. The fans accounted for 50 percent of the vote total, with the media members and players accounting for 25 percent each.
James and Antetokoumpo will serve as team captains after finishing as the top vote-getters in their conferences.
The captains will select the rosters from the starters and reserves Feb. 7 on TNT. Each captain must pick four players from the other eight starters.
