NBA All-Star starters announced, Kobe Bryant says he won't play

The NBA revealed the starters for the 2014 NBA All-Star Game on Thursday night.

Starters for each conference are determined by fan voting that wrapped up on Jan. 20. Fans were able to vote via an online ballot or through social media.

Per the TNT broadcast, here are the starters by conference:

Western Conference
G - Steph Curry
G - Kobe Bryant
FC - Kevin Durant
FC - Blake Griffin
FC - Kevin Love

It's worth noting that Bryant is presently injured and has expressed a desire to see younger players get the opportunity. On Thursday, he said he does not intend to play in the game. The NBA can force him to and threaten a two-game suspension, but Bryant could circumvent such an action by playing limited minutes, thereby keeping another player out of the game. It seems unlikely the league would go that route, especially considering Bryant's injury status.

Bryant explained his thought process:

"With all due respect to the fans that voted me in, I certainly appreciate that, they know how much I appreciate that, but you got to do the right thing as well. My fans know you got to reward these young guys for the work that they've been putting in."

Should Bryant (or any player) be injured for the All-Star Game, the league will name a replacement to the roster but the starting decision is up to the coach of each team.

Eastern Conference
G - Dwyane Wade
G - Kyrie Irving
FC - LeBron James
FC - Paul George
FC - Carmelo Anthony

Perhaps most surprising of all the returns was Durant nearly edging James. James had 1,416,419 to Durant's 1,396,294, a gap of just over 20,000.

The remainder of the rosters will be announced on Jan. 30 and are selected by coaches voting. Each coach votes for seven reserves in their conference and can not vote for their own players. As with injured starters, any reserves who end up injured are replaced at the discretion of the league.

The 2014 NBA All-Star Game emanates from New Orleans on Sunday, Feb. 16.