MVP Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić headlines the All-NBA teams announced Wednesday night alongside Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Dončić.
The three MVP finalists were named to the All-NBA first team alongside Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum.
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard and Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant were named to the second team.
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, Lakers forward LeBron James and Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis were named to the third team.
2 unanimous selections
Jokić and Gilgeous-Alexander were unanimous first-team selections with 99 out of a possible 99 votes. Dončić fell one vote shy of unanimity while securing 98 first-place votes and one second-place vote. Antetokounmpo received 88 first-place votes. Tatum tallied 65.
Jaylen Brown received the highest voting tally (50) without earning a selection followed by Paul George (16), Tyrese Maxey (16), Rudy Gobert (12), Victor Wembanyama (11) and Zion Williamson (11).
The All-NBA selection was the sixth for Jokić, who was awarded his third MVP trophy in four seasons on May 8.
LeBron James bookends All-NBA records
With his 20th All-NBA selection, James becomes the oldest All-NBA player in league history at 39 years old. He was also the youngest All-NBA selection when he made the second team in his second season at 20 years old and is the only player in league history with 20 All-NBA selections.
The selections were the first for Brunson, Haliburton and Edwards. Sabonis earns his second All-NBA selection after being passed over for February’s All-Star game.
Dončić, Edwards, Tatum and Haliburton are the All-NBA selections still remaining in the playoffs. The teams were announced before Game 1 of the Western Conference finals between Dončić’s Mavericks and Edwards’ Timberwolves. Tatum’s Celtics beat Haliburton’s Pacers in a Game 1 thriller Tuesday night in the Eastern Conference finals.
All-NBA selection means lucrative extensions
The All-NBA selections mean the promise of big money for multiple players thanks to incentives built into the league’s collective bargaining agreement. The first-team selections mean that Dončić and Gilgeous-Alexander are now eligible to sign supermax extensions during the 2025 offseason.
Per ESPN’s Bobby Marks, that means that Dončić is eligible to sign for five years and $346.4 million ($69.3 million per season), which would be the richest contract in NBA history. Gilgeous-Alexander is eligible to sign for four years and $294.3 million ($73.6 million per season).
Edwards and Haliburton are now eligible to sign lucrative extensions to their rookie contracts that would net them each an extra $41 million over the life of the contracts. They were previously eligible to sign five-year extensions starting next season valued at $204.5 million ($40.9 million AAV). Those contracts would now be valued at $245.4 million ($49.1 million AAV) over the life of the extensions.
Daniel Miller is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. His coverage spans from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis for sports enthusiasts.
