By Josh Liddick, Sports Talk Philly editor 
He came up a little bit short last season of even making it, but this year is a different story for Joel Embiid. The Sixers' center has been named an All-Star starter for the 2018 NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles.
Embiid, the second-year player, finished in third for fan voting among Eastern Conference players with 1,285,587 votes, the third-most media votes (66), and the fourth-most player votes (94).
Embiid becomes the first Sixers player to be named to the All-Star Game since Jrue Holiday in 2013 and the first starter since Allen Iverson in 2010.
.@sixers C @JoelEmbiid is team’s first @NBAAllStar Game starter since Hall of Famer @alleniverson in 2010-11. Team’s first AS selection since @Jrue_Holiday11 in 2012-13.
— Sixers Stats (@SixersStats) January 18, 2018
The dream of Embiid becoming an all-star starter was almost tarnished as New York Knicks' forward Kristaps Porzingis finished pretty close to Embiid in the final voting. In fact, Porzingis did beat out Embiid in the player voting, 100-94. However, the fan votes, which accounted for 50-percent of the final vote, helped Jo-Jo get the nod.
This year's All-Star Game is set up a lot differently than past years, as this year, there will be no Eastern and Western Conference teams. The teams will be picked by two captains in a pick-up game situation.
The captains will be Cleveland's LeBron James and Golden State's Stephen Curry.
The other starters named for the Eastern Conference along with Embiid and James are Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo, Boston's Kyrie Irving, and Toronto's DeMar DeRozan.
NBC Sports Philadelphia's Jessica Camerato had a chance to speak with the Sixers' All-Star prior to the team's divisional game with the Boston Celtics on Thursday night.
Joel Embiid reacts to being named an All-Star starter: pic.twitter.com/Rtt3NflAsn
— Jessica Camerato (@JCameratoNBCS) January 18, 2018
Embiid's selection is very well deserved for the play he has had this season, as he is one of the main reason's for the Sixers being 20-20 halfway through the season.
He's averaging almost 24 points, 11 rebounds, and two blocks in 31 games this season.
