Giannis Antetokounmpo Drafted Ja Morant As An All-Star Reserve Even Though He Is A Starter

The NBA tried to do something new with its All-Star Draft ahead of 2023’s edition of the game. While it’s not unusual for the two captains to pick their teams for the game, the league had LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo take the stage in Salt Lake City and draft their teams live ahead of the festivities, with TNT’s Ernie Johnson serving as the host of the whole thing.

It’s a fun idea and one that adds a really fun element to the proceedings, but with new things come mistakes, and Antetokounmpo made one heck of a mistake as he picked his squad. After selecting Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday with his first two selections, Antetokounmpo said he was excited to pick “one of the most exciting rising stars, superstars in the league right now.” This led to him selecting Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, but there was one problem: Morant is a starter and therefore wasn’t eligible to be selected.

Antetokounmpo went on to select Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with his third pick, and in fairness, he also fits the bill as an exciting, rising star and a superstar. Everyone seemed the find the whole thing hilarious, in large part because, well, it was extremely funny.