With NBA All-Star voting officially underway, LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo have emerged as the leaders in the second fan returns released on Thursday.
Perhaps the biggest surprise through the first two returns was the reception for Boston Celtics two-way rookie Tacko Fall. The 7-foot-5 center placed sixth in the second fan returns with 543,352 total votes, topping notable players like teammate Gordon Hayward and Bam Adebayo.
Adebayo has become one of the best big men in the NBA this season. Entering play on Sunday, the Miami Heat center is averaging 15.9 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.2 blocks in 38 games. Despite having a better season than Fall, Adebayo wasn’t bothered by the voting.
“It doesn’t bother me at all,” Adebayo said, via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “People like Tacko Fall. It’s fan voting for a reason. He’s got a lot of fans, a lot of fan base behind him.”
Fans account for 50% of the vote to determine the 10 starters for the game while a panel of media members and all current players make up the other 50% of the votes.
LeBron James has passed Luka Dončić and Giannis Antetokounmpo to lead the NBA in the second fan returns of NBA All-Star Voting presented by Google.
James has taken an 82,001-vote lead over Dončić among all Western Conference players. pic.twitter.com/4z6prfzjvk
— Cody Taylor (@CodyTaylorNBA) January 9, 2020
While Adebayo wasn’t concerned with the voting, Celtics head coach Brad Stevens recently denounced the system with Fall ahead of so many worthy players.
“I don’t love it, ” Stevens said. “I don’t love the idea when you talk about awards … not being based on what’s solely happening on the court.”
Since joining the Celtics, Fall has become one of the most popular players in the NBA due to his size and skill set. Fall has often drawn standing ovations in arenas and has even garnered “M-V-P” chants in Boston, which has certainly led to the influx of All-Star votes.
Although Adebayo is still seventh in All-Star voting, the third-year center appears to be headed toward his first appearance in the annual showcase game as a reserve after his strong start to the season.
The All-Star Game will take place on Sunday, Feb. 15 in Chicago.
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