All-Star Game ballot to feature all player names

New York: The NBA All-Star Game ballot will feature the names of every league player for the first time in league history, NBA president of basketball operations Rod Thorn announced Thursday.

In past seasons, the ballot included the names of only 60 players from each conference, the lineup of 36 forwards and centers and 24 guards per conference being determined by a media panel.

Fans will continue to select three frontcourt players and two guards when selecting their choices for starters in the elite matchup of Eastern Conference and Western Conference standouts.

"Our players are the most exciting athletes in the world," Thorn said. "Our choice to include all NBA players is both a tribute to their skills and achievements and another way to engage our fans in the full experience of NBA All-Star by giving them every option."

The official ballot is found on the league website and all-digital voting includes options through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and NBA Game Time applications as well as Sina Weibo and Tencent Microblog in China.

Balloting for the 64th NBA All-Star Game begins on December 11. The game will be played on February 15 at Madison Square Garden, the home arena of the New York Knicks.