All-Star weekend arrives, as NBA heads to Salt Lake City

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer

Salt Lake City

(AP) — If so inclined, and if fellow captain LeBron James was to cooperate with his own selections, Giannis Antetokounmpo could pick Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid and Lauri Markkanen to play on his team Sunday night.

Imagine that: an AllInternational All-Star starting lineup.

It’s one of the many possibilities for this weekend’s events in Salt Lake City.

NBA All-Star weekend is almost here, with many of the principals arriving in Utah yesterday and a few more set to arrive on Friday in time for the official three-day lineup to begin.

More than 60 players from the NBA and G League will be part of the showcase — the All-Star Game on Sunday, the dunk, 3-point and skills competitions on All-Star Saturday, and the Rising Stars games for first- and second-year players on Friday.

“You can never take this for granted,” said Antetokounmpo, the Milwaukee Bucks forward who is heading to his seventh All-Star Game.

“You never know how many times more you’re going to be an All-Star. I don’t take this for granted. And by the way, thanks for all the fans who voted for me as captain. I don’t take that for granted. We have

FROM PAGE 16 had to squeeze his way through fans to get to the putting green. Fans began chanting Woods’ name when he arrived. The applause when he was announced wasn’t quite as loud, mainly because so many people were holding phones high above their heads to get a picture.

Woods played with his son in the 36-hole PNC Championship in December while riding a cart.

Previously it was The Open at the home of golf, where thousands of fans packed every hotel balcony, peaked out windows and filled every seat in the grandstand as he crossed the Swilcan bridge for likely the last time.

Woods opened with a good pitch to 4 feet for