BOSTON — Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton were among 15 NBA stars to earn all-league honors on Wednesday, but their awards come with huge financial rewards.
The first, second and third teams of the NBA have been revealed before Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. Dončić, who plays in the series for the Dallas Mavericks, was named to the first team, along with Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Oklahoma City’s Gilgeous-Alexander, Denver’s NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and Boston’s Jayson Tatum.
The All-NBA Second Team selections included Minnesota’s Edwards, who also reached the West Finals, Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers, Kevin Durant of Phoenix, Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers, and Jalen Brunson of New York. The third team is Haliburton from Indiana, Stephen Curry from Golden State, LeBron James from the Los Angeles Lakers, Domantas Sabonis from Sacramento and Devin Booker from Phoenix.
Dončić and Gilgeous-Alexander will get richer thanks to what’s known in league circles as the “Jayson Tatum Rule.”
Neither player is eligible for a contract extension this summer due to length of service (six years for both players), but next year they will be. Each player must have been a member of an NBA team in at least two of the previous three seasons by the summer of 2025, a requirement to qualify for a maximum contract extension allowed..
Doncic The value of the contract extension is $346 million over five years. Gilgeous-Alexander’s deal would be $294 million over the same amount a period.
In the case of Haliburton and Edwards, the huge contracts they signed last summer will be worth about $40 million. Both signed five-year, $204 million extensions that would have increased if they earned a first-time All-NBA selection, per league rule.
Haliburton played through injuries this season to ensure he played at least 65 regular season games to be eligible for All-NBA honors.
“clearly, “We know the financial benefit for me,” Haliburton said Wednesday in Boston before the all-league picks were announced. “And I think it’s just the fruits of my labor. It would be great to see that appreciation show in my game.”
Antetokounmpo, who finished second in the NBA in scoring (30.4 points per game), made the All-NBA first team for the sixth straight season, joining only legend Jerry West, who also achieved the honor in his career.
Doncic, the league’s top scorer with 33.9 points per game and runner-up in assists (9.8), is in second place.First team For the fifth consecutive season. Dwight Howard, George Gervin, and George Mikan are the others to do it in multiple consecutive seasons.
Jokic, who is now a three-time NBA MVP after winning the award two weeks ago, and Gilgeous-Alexander, runner up To Jokić in the MVP voting, he was a unanimous selection to the first team. Dončić received 98 of a possible 99 first-team votes from a panel of writers and broadcasters who cover the NBA, while Antetokounmpo received 88 votes.
Tatum, whose Celtics lead the Pacers 1-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals, received 65 first-team votes to Brunson’s 37. This is Jokic’s fourth straight first-team selection and Tatum’s third straight.
James (39 years old) extended his league record for consecutive seasons in any NBA team to 20 teams. Durant made the All-NBA list for the 11th time in his career and this was Curry’s 10th selection..
this Last year, voters were able to make their choices unrestricted by position, a change from the past. Two guards (Doncic, Gilgeous-Alexander), two forwards (Tatum, Antetokounmpo), and one center (Jokic) ended up on the first team anyway, but in years past voters have had to decide whether Jokic or Joel Embiid would make the cut. First team. The first team in position.
That hasn’t been an issue this season because Embiid was ineligible after falling short of the 65-game threshold.
NBA awards season is now complete. Here’s a look at the other winners:
Defensive player: Rudy Gobert from Minnesota
Inexperienced: Victor Wimbanyama of San Antonio
Most improved: Therese Maxey from Philadelphia
Sixth man: Nas Reid from Minnesota
Clutch player: curry
trainer: Mark Daigneault of Oklahoma City
The All-Defensive and All-Rookie teams were also announced this week.
—Eric Nehm contributed to this story.
Required reading
(Photo: C. Morgan Engel/Getty Images)