Carmelo Anthony and his old pal Kevin Garnett will be reunited in the Eastern Conference starting lineup for the upcoming NBA All-Star Game.
Garnett provoked Anthony into a one-game suspension last week by reportedly saying something about his wife, La La Vasquez, during the Celtics-Knicks game Jan. 7.
Anthony then confronted Garnett outside the Celtics’ locker room and on the loading dock at Madison Square Garden.
“I went, I wanted to talk to ‘KG.’ I think it was something that we both needed to get off our chests to see what really was the problem,” Anthony said Jan. 9.
“It was no altercations, it was just a word in confidence that we needed to have. We move on from here.”
The All-Star news capped a big day for Anthony, who scored 26 points as the Knicks beat the Detroit Pistons, 102-87, in London.
“It felt good out there,” Anthony, the NBA’s second-leading scorer who won a gold medal last summer with the U.S. Olympic team, told the AP. “I definitely had some flashbacks out there. Running out there on the court, just being in the O2 Arena.”
It was also announced that Syracuse will retire his jersey during a Feb. 23 game with Georgetown — six days after the 62nd annual NBA All-Star Game in Houston (Feb. 17).
Anthony and Garnett will start the All-Star Game alongside LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo.
The West starters are Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin and Dwight Howard.
Bryant earned his record 15th consecutive All-Star nod and received 1,591,437 votes to edge James (1,583,646) as this year’s leading vote-getter.
Eastern Conference Western Conference
Carmelo Anthony, New York Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers
Kevin Garnett, Boston Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City
LeBron James, Miami Blake Griffin, L.A. Clippers
Rajon Rondo, Boston Dwight Howard, L.A. Lakers
Dwyane Wade, Miami Chris Paul, L.A. Clippers
Head coach: TBD Head coach: TBD
Photo: Getty Images