For the first time in nearly a half-century, the Knicks have two All-Star starters.
Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns were both named on the Eastern Conference squad for the Feb. 16 game in San Francisco, the NBA announced.
The other East starters are predictably and deservedly Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum and Donovan Mitchell. The West starters are Nikola Jokic, Steph Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
The previous two Knicks to start in the same All-Star game were Clyde Frazier and Earl Monroe in 1975.
For Brunson, it’s a second All-Star selection after debuting last season.
The Knicks captain is averaging 26 points and a career-high 7.3 assists.
New York (29-16) is third in the East and on pace to win 53 games.
For Towns, it’s a fifth All-Star selection but first as a starter.
It was more difficult to start in the West in recent years with Jokic, James, Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Anthony Davis.
But Towns is also enjoying his best rebounding season with a conference-leading 13.9 per game.
He’s averaging 25.1 points — his most since 2019-20 — and is now the first Knicks All-Star center since Tyson Chandler in 2013 (Kristaps Porzingis was a power forward in 2018).
