NBA: Heat guard Dragic gets All-Star call in place of Love

 Goran Dragic (#7) of the Miami Heat brimgs the ball down the court against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center on November 3, 2017 in Denver, Colorado.  Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic will replace injured Cleveland Cavaliers big man Kevin Love in the NBA All-Star Game.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver named Dragic to replace love on Team LeBron — the team captained by Cavs superstar LeBron James in the new-format exhibition.

They’ll be taking on a team captained by Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry in the All-Star Game in Los Angeles on February 18.

The two captains picked their own teams in a first for the All-Star Game, which has previously been played in an Eastern Conference v Western Conference format.

With is first All-Star nod, Dragic becomes the first player from Slovenia to earn the honor.

The 10-year veteran is averaging team highs of 17.0 points and 4.8 assists per game for the Heat, who own the fourth-best record in the East.

Love, a five-time All-Star, will be sidelined after breaking his left hand in a loss to the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday.

© Agence France-Presse