PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) -- Fans, players and members of the media have voted Sixers center Joel Embiid into his fourth consecutive All-Star Game.
Embiid tweeted: "Cheers to being an All Star once again. Never take it for granted!!!! #TheProcess"
Allen Iverson was the last Sixer named a starter in four straight All-Star Games, gaining that recognition from 2000 to 2006.
The two head coaches in this game will come from the teams with the best record in each conference, based on games played through Sunday. So, that could include Doc Rivers.
Whether Embiid will play is something to find out. He’s been nursing back tightness recently.
Also, there have been a lot of questions about hosting the March 7 exhibition event during the pandemic.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told TNT Thursday night those are fair questions, acknowledging nothing comes without risk. The league’s best will be traveling from all over to be together in one spot.
"It begins and ends with the fans," Silver said. "This is an event our fans love to see. They love to see our players come together, but nothing comes without a controversy during a pandemic."
The All-Star Game is a 70-year tradition, the commissioner said.
"Everything’s a balancing of interests here. That’s not a particular concern."
Silver said the the "mini bubble" the league is putting together in Atlanta will be "a completely controlled environment."
He added, "Of course, not going to say that it’s not possible. It could happen that a player could spread it from one to another, but we feel pretty good about our protocols."
In conjunction with the event, the NBA and players' union are committing over $2.5 million to historically Black colleges and universities, as well as communities affected by COVID-19.
The All-Star Game is March 7 in Atlanta. Fans will find out on Tuesday if Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris will be All-Star reserves.