🏀 Embiid and Wiggins Named NBA All-Star Starters

NEW YORK – Former Kansas men’s basketball teammates Joel Embiid and Andrew Wiggins were named 2022 NBA All-Star starters, the league announced on Wednesday. In a fan vote, Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers will be a starter on the Eastern Conference team, while Wiggins of the Golden State Warriors will be on the Western Conference squad. Embiid was voted a starter in his fifth-consecutive NBA All-Star game, while Wiggins is a first time all-star.

The KU duo will square off in the 71st NBA All-Star game, Sunday, Feb. 20, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. The game will start at 5 p.m. CT and be televised on TNT.

Embiid and Wiggins were teammates at KU in their only collegiate season in 2013-14, going 25-10 and winning the Big 12 regular-season title with a 14-4 league record. Embiid set the Kansas freshman rebound average record at 8.1 boards per game, while averaging 11.2 points per contest. Wiggins was an All-Big 12 First Team selection and the 2014 Big 12 Freshman of the Year where he led KU in scoring at 17.1 points per game.

Wiggins was No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft joining Danny Manning (1988) as the only other KU top selection. Two names later, Embiid was the third overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.

Embiid is in his sixth season of playing with the 76ers and his eighth season overall with the organization. The Yaoundé, Cameroon, native is averaging 28.9 points, 10.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 2021-22.

Wiggins is in his eighth season in the NBA and third with the Warriors. The Thornhill, Canada, guard is averaging 18.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 2021-22.