NBA official: Thunder coach Mark Daigneault has secured All-Star coaching qualification in advance

The NBA officially announced that Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault will coach one of the four teams for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game.

On the evening of January 19th, local time, the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Brooklyn Nets 127 to 101 at home. With this victory, they are firmly at the top of the Western Conference with a record of 35 wins and 7 ties. Mark Daigneault and his assistant coaches also locked in the All-Star coaching qualifications in advance.

According to the selection rules, the final list of All-Star coaches will be determined on February 3. Daignolt and his assistant coach will each lead an All-Star team, and the other two teams will be led by the coach with the best record in the Eastern Conference and his assistant coach.

It is worth mentioning that Daignolt is the first head coach in the Thunder's history to coach the All-Star Game since Scott Brooks. He said: "I am very grateful to all the staff behind the scenes who have fought side by side with the players not only this season but also in previous seasons. This achievement was not achieved overnight, but after years of accumulation and hard work. Many people have put in a lot of hard work for this."

“I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart,” Daigneault continued. “A big thank you to the assistant coaching staff as well, many of whom have been with the club for a long time and have put in a huge amount of effort.”

The 2025 NBA All-Star Game will kick off on February 14, and the finale will be held at the Chase Center in San Francisco on February 16. This season's All-Star Game will introduce a new four-team system, with three teams consisting of eight All-Star players competing against one Rookie Game champion team, and the final champion will be determined in the competition between the four teams. The selection of the All-Star starters will still be decided by fans, active players and the media, with fan votes accounting for 50%, and active players and media juries each accounting for 25%.

The results of the third round of fan voting were announced on October 16th. The specific results are as follows:

Eastern Conference frontcourt: 1. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks) 3,489,956 votes, 2. Jayson Tatum (Celtics) 2,842,956 votes, 3. Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks) 2,455,331 votes, 4. Paul Bankero (Magic) 1,051,115 votes, 5. Jaylen Brown (Celtics) 933,090 votes, 6. Evan Mobley (Cavaliers) 480,667 votes, 7. Jimmy Butler (Heat) 454,652 votes, 8. Franz Wagner (Magic) 450,432 votes, 9. Joel Embiid (76ers) 383,805 votes, 10. Jarrett Allen (Cavaliers) 344,361 votes

Eastern Conference backcourt: 1. LaMelo Ball (Hornets) 1,908,967 votes, 2. Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers) 1,554,204 votes, 3. Damian Lillard (Bucks) 1,270,187 votes, 4. Jalen Brunson (Knicks) 1,243,385 votes, 5. Trae Young (Hawks) 705,936 votes, 6. Tyrese Maxey (76ers) 611,869 votes, 7. Cade Cunningham (Pistons) 582,617 votes, 8. Darius Garland (Cavaliers) 397,897 votes, 9. Jordan Poole (Wizards) 337,741 votes, 10. Tyler Herro (Heat) 288,579 votes

Western Conference frontcourt: 1. Nikola Jokic (Nuggets) 2,924,436 votes, 2. LeBron James (Lakers) 2,591,287 votes, 3. Kevin Durant (Suns) 2,498,843 votes, 4. Victor Wembanyama (Spurs) 2,200,173 votes, 5. Anthony Davis (Lakers) 1,906,962 votes, 6. Alperen Shinkyung (Rockets) 764,521 votes, 7. Jaylen Williams (Thunder) 459,161 votes, 8. Andrew Wiggins (Warriors) 410,011 votes, 9. Domantas Sabonis (Kings) 350,964 votes, 10. Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies) 275,731 votes

Western Conference backcourt: 1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) 2,405,404 votes, 2. Stephen Curry (Warriors) 1,793,150 votes, 3. Luka Doncic (Mavericks) 1,678,930 votes, 4. Kyrie Irving (Mavericks) 1,020,116 votes, 5. Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves) 906,215 votes, 6. James Harden (Clippers) 543,669 votes, 7. Ja Morant (Grizzlies) 430,295 votes, 8. De'Aaron Fox (Kings) 331,794 votes, 9. Devin Booker (Suns) 244,573 votes, 10. Norman Powell (Clippers) 225,556 votes