LeBron James Leads Eastern Conference in First Returns of All-Star Voting

LeBron James is arguably the best basketball player in the world and the fans seem to agree with that notion.

According to early returns on All-Star voting, the Cleveland Cavaliers small forward leads all Eastern Conference players in fan votes with nearly 358,000 votes. His former teammate, Dwyane Wade, has the second-highest amount of votes among all East players with over 300,000 votes.

While the All-Star game has become more of a popularity contest in recent years, it’s still an honor that is cherished by many NBA players. With James almost a lock to start in the 2016 All-Star Game, it would mark his 12th consecutive appearance in the annual event.

Also notable is the fact that Kyrie Irving ranks second among all guards in the conference despite appearing in just two games prior to Christmas Day. Irving has 138,000 votes to his name and would be an All-Star starter if voting ended today.

Power forward Kevin Love ranks sixth among all frontcourt players in the East with over 92,000 votes. Love has appeared in three All-Star games during his career.

The top two guards and top three frontcourt players in each conference will be named starters, with the conference coaches selecting the reserves.

All-Star voting will run through January 18th, with the starters being announced on January 21st.