CHICAGO — Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan became an NBA All-Star for the fifth time in his career Thursday night, joining a star-studded starting group alongside LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
After icing fourth quarters and nailing back-to-back buzzer beaters to lift the team to second in the Eastern Conference, DeRozan leads the Bulls with 26.4 points and 4.8 assists per game. His lethal midrange shooting has been a key throughout this season, while his leadership paves the path for the development of younger players.
DeRozan is the first Bulls player to be named an All-Star Game starter since Jimmy Butler in 2017.
DeRozan previously earned All-Star honors while playing for the Toronto Raptors in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018. He led the Raptors to the playoffs during each of those seasons, making the All-NBA Third Team in 2017 and All-NBA Second Team in 2018.
The Bulls have plenty of stakes left in the All-Star selection process. Zach LaVine, a 2021 All-Star reserve, was a close competitor to earn a starting spot in the Eastern backcourt and the guard is still expected to make the bench lineup. Rookie Ayo Dosunmu could also be named to the Rising Stars tournament, which features rookies, second-year players and G-League standouts.
The 2022 All-Star Game will take place Feb. 20 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio.
Full 2022 NBA All-Star lineup:
Western Conference
— Captain: LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers)
— Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets)
— Andrew Wiggins (Golden State Warriors)
— Steph Curry (Golden State Warriors)
— Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzlies)
Eastern Conference
— Captain: Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets)
— Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
— Joel Embiid (Philadelphia Sixers)
— DeMar DeRozan (Bulls)
— Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks)
