Tag: All-Star Game

Derrick White’s father Richard relishing his son’s All-Star candidacy, season

“He deserves to be listed in there,” said the elder White.

Like many NBA fathers, star Boston Celtics point guard Derrick White‘s dad Richard is proud of his son and thinks he ought to be an All-Star. Unlike a lot of NBA dads, Richard White has the data behind his claim. “It’s pretty wild,” said the elder White to The Athletic’s Jared Weiss in a recent interview. “He deserves to be listed in there.”

“Whether he gets there or not is immaterial,” White added. “At the end of the day, the votes are going to come in, and he’s going to be somewhere in the top 10. It would be a nice thing or whatever. But in the grand scheme of things, it’s not going to change who he is.”

Still, as with his son, it’s the results of the games that matter most — as well as what happens between the games.

“That’s pretty cool to get to that point where he’s showing his personality, he’s interacting with fans and signing stuff. Those are things that as a parent make you proud,” he explained.

“You’re doing easy things that don’t really take a lot from you, but the look and joy on kid’s faces — people will say my son met your son, and he’s got this big ol’ smile. That as a parent is just, wow.”

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

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Modest gains for Celtics starters in third returns for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game fan vote

All five Celtics starters made an appearance in the vote once again, with at least two looking like near-locks to get a nod.

The third round of 2024 NBA All-Star fan voting returns is out, and for the Boston Celtics, some small gains were to be had with the status quo from the last round more or less maintained. All five Celtics starters made an appearance in the vote once again, with at least two looking like near-locks to get a nod.

In the East frontcourt returns, Jayson Tatum remains the top Boston vote-getter with 3.7 million votes. That was good enough for a third-place finish, well behind Giannis Antetokounmpo (4.3 million) and less than 10,000 votes behind Joel Embiid while being well ahead of Jimmy Butler (1.3 million).

After Butler is Jaylen Brown with just under a million votes, with Kristaps Porzingis following him with 567,036 votes, about 20,000 ahead of Bam Adebayo.

In the backcourt, Derrick White came in seventh with 515,882 votes, well behind Jalen Brunson (about 1 million) and with a good lead over LaMelo Ball (441,646 votes). Jrue Holiday was next with 407,126 votes, well ahead of DeMar DeRozan.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

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Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

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Rockets’ Alperen Sengun holds at No. 6 in All-Star fan voting

In the NBA’s final interim voting update, Rockets center Alperen Sengun remains sixth in 2024 All-Star fan votes among Western Conference frontcourt players.

Among Western Conference frontcourt players, Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun remains sixth in 2024 All-Star fan voting, according to Thursday’s voting update from the NBA.

Sengun is the only Houston player in the top 10 of fan voting for either frontcourt or backcourt players in the West.

The frontcourt players ahead of Sengun are future Hall of Famers: LeBron James and Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers; Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets; Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns; and Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Sengun is within approximately 24,000 votes of Leonard for fifth place; that gap has narrowed in recent updates.

The fan vote accounts for half of the voting that will eventually determine 2024 All-Star starters. Players make up 25%, as does a panel of media members. Since only three frontcourt players start, Sengun is a longshot to earn that honor. He already trails Durant — third in frontcourt fan voting — by more than two million votes.

However, Sengun could still qualify as a reserve. All 30 NBA head coaches are given a ballot to select three frontcourt players, two backcourt players, and two wild-card picks from each conference.

If selected, a reserve could become a starter this year, should one of the starters be injured or choose not to participate. The 2024 NBA All-Star Game will be held on Feb. 18 in Indianapolis.

Just 21 years old and in his third NBA season, Sengun is averaging 21.5 points (53.6% FG), 9 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.2 steals in 32.3 minutes. As a team, Houston (19-21) is slightly overachieving relative to its win-loss record expectations, and that could bolster the All-Star case for its best player during a breakout campaign.

Fan voting for 2024 NBA All-Stars continues through Saturday, which makes this the last update until final totals are revealed later this month. Details on how to vote are available here.

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Shams: Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama set to participate in All-Star Week’s Skills Challenge

Wemby is reportedly going to play in the 2024 All-Star Skills Challenge as well as the Rising Stars contest.

While it does not seem especially likely that San Antonio Spurs wunderkind rookie forward Victor Wembanyama will be suiting up to play for the West in this year’s NBA All-Star game, the Frenchman is reportedly set to take part in All-Star Week events just the same.

Wemby is reportedly going to play in the 2024 All-Star Skills Challenge as well as the Rising Stars contest per recent reporting from The Athletic’s Shams Charania. The former No. 1 pick will not be the first big man to take part in the Skills Challenge as it has been won by the likes of Minnesota Timberwolves forward Karl-Anthony Towns and Miami Heat big man Bam Adebayo in the past.

But he is uniquely talented even for a big and especially for a rookie, which should add plenty of intrigue to an otherwise mediocre event that tends to be overshadowed by the dunk contest and 3-point shootout.

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Celtics lose 2026 NBA All-Star Game to Los Angeles Clippers; could 2027 be the year?

Boston has not hosted an All-Star game since 1964.

If the Boston Celtics host an NBA All-Star game any time soon, they will have to wait at least a year longer than they were hoping. Per The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the honor Boston hoped to have as their own fell to the Los Angeles Clippers as the Clips inaugurate their new arena, owner Steve Ballmer’s new Intuit Dome.

Now, with the Indiana Pacers hosting this season’s All-Star Week, and the Golden State Warriors the next, the nearest season the Celtics could host All-Star Week would be 2027. This would be a season after they had formally applied to host an All-Star Game now being awarded to the Clippers. It is not unusual for the league to assign such honors to teams which have recently built new stadiums or renovated old ones.

And while Boston technically falls into the latter category, it is a relatively minor renovation of an arena the Celtics rent and do not own, unlike Ballmer’s new, state-of-the-art arena.

While this news will likely please many in the media unhappy with the trend of holding the event in cold-weather cities, Boston has not hosted an All-Star game since 1964.

It is long overdue, Adam Silver and Co. — let’s make it happen for 2027.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Second round of NBA’s 2024 All-Star Game fan vote sees Boston improve their odds of multiple nods

The returns are a good sign that the Celtics will finish with at least two All-Stars, with three looking quite plausible and the remote odds of four All-Stars a bit more realistic, if still unlikely.

The Boston Celtics saw their stars make some headway in the second round of 2024 All-Star fan voting returns, released by the league on Thursday. In those returns, Jayson Tatum held steady at third overall in frontcourt voting with 2.9 million, just behind Joel Embiid (just shy of 3 million) and well ahead of Jimmy Butler (1 million).

Jaylen Brown stayed in fifth place with 7.5 million votes, with a big jump for Kristaps Porzingis, who came in sixth with 434,044, about 13,000 ahead of Bam Adebayo. For guards, Derrick White improved to seventh with 399,120 votes, well behind Jalen Brunson (759,640), and about 46,000 votes ahead of LaMelo Ball.

Jrue Holiday also jumped a spot to ninth with 312,523 votes, well ahead of DeMar DeRozan (255,906).

The returns are a good sign that the Celtics will finish with at least two All-Stars, with three looking quite plausible and the remote odds of four All-Stars a bit more realistic, if still unlikely.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Rockets’ Alperen Sengun rises to No. 6 in All-Star fan voting

Among Western Conference frontcourt players, Rockets star Alperen Sengun passed Paul George of the Clippers for No. 6 in 2024 All-Star fan voting.

Among Western Conference frontcourt players, Rockets center Alperen Sengun is sixth in All-Star fan voting, according to Thursday’s voting update from the NBA. Sengun recently earned West Player of the Week honors, which boosted his candidacy.

Sengun is the only Houston player in the top 10 for either frontcourt or backcourt players. After placing seventh in last week’s voting update, Sengun jumped Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George to move up to sixth and is within approximately 100,000 votes of passing Clippers co-star Kawhi Leonard for fifth place.

The only frontcourt players ahead of Sengun are future Hall of Famers: LeBron James and Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers; Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets; Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns; and Leonard of the Clippers.

The fan vote accounts for half of the voting that will eventually determine 2024 All-Star starters. Players make up 25%, as does a panel of media members. Since only three frontcourt players start, Sengun is a longshot to earn that honor. He already trails Durant — currently third in frontcourt fan voting — by more than two million votes.

However, Sengun could still qualify as a reserve. All 30 NBA head coaches are given a ballot to select three frontcourt players, two backcourt players, and two wild-card picks from each conference.

If selected, a reserve could become a starter this year, should one of the starters be injured or choose not to participate. The 2024 NBA All-Star Game will be held on Feb. 18 in Indianapolis.

Just 21 years old and in his third NBA season, Sengun is averaging 21.6 points (54.0% FG), 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 1.2 steals in 32.3 minutes. As a team, Houston (18-18) is overachieving relative to its win-loss record expectations, and that could bolster the All-Star case for its best player during a breakout season.

Fan voting for 2024 NBA All-Stars continues through Saturday, Jan. 20, and the league’s third and final interim voting update comes next Thursday, Jan. 18. Details on how to vote are available here.

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Will Celtics’ Derrick White make the NBA’s 2024 All-Star Game?

The Colorado alum has the ideal blend of skill, smarts and experience to complement Boston’s stars.

Can Boston Celtics point guard Derrick White make the NBA’s 2024 All-Star team in a crowded Eastern Conference? After coming over in a trade from the San Antonio Spurs last February, White has gone from a luxury reserve player to an indispensable starter in Boston.

With his two-way excellence and central role on the NBA-best Celtics this season, the Colorado native makes a strong case as one of the top guards in the league this season. White is the NBA’s best defensive guard right now, and has also become a key cog on offense. He’s an efficient scorer, underrated playmaker and provides much-needed floor spacing.

The Colorado alum has the ideal blend of skill, smarts and experience to complement Boston’s stars.

The hosts of the CLNS Media “Celtics Beat” podcast linked up with Spotrac’s Keith Smith to break down his All-Star case. Check it out above!

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

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Is Derrick White the Boston Celtics’ third All-Star?

According to Bob Ryan, White deserves All-Star consideration despite facing stiff competition.

On a recent episode of their eponymous CLNS Media podcast, Bob Ryan and Jeff Goodman had high praise for Boston Celtics guard Derrick White, calling him an invaluable addition to the team.

The pair were extremely complimentary of White, who Ryan said has become “absolutely invaluable,” questioning how the Celtics were able to trade for him from the San Antonio Spurs. He also praised White’s versatility, saying he contributes in many ways like defense, 3-point shooting, and transition offense. He compared White to Celtics legend Dennis Johnson, recalling how DJ blocked 14 shots in the 1979 finals as a guard.

According to Ryan, White deserves All-Star consideration despite facing stiff competition.

Check the clip above to hear their case!

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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First round of 2024 All-Star fan voting returns in, Boston Celtics likely poised to have at least two nods

There is a realistic if somewhat unlikely path to as many as four.

The first round of fan voting results for the NBA’s 2024 All-Star Game have been tabulated and released by the league, and the Boston Celtics have a strong showing in the East returns. All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum came in third overall in the frontcourt fan vote with 1.7 million votes, behind Giannis Antetokounmpo (2.1 million) and Joel Embiid (1.8 million) and well ahead of Jimmy Butler (767,913).

Star forward Jaylen Brown came in a solid fifth with 426,589 votes, with Bam Adebayo far behind with 238, 485 votes. Kristaps Porzingis came in eighth with 197,234 votes, just behind Mikal Bridges (203,009) and a little ahead of Kyle Kuzma (178,563) to round out frontcourt players.

In the backcourt, Boston fared worse, but still registered the Stock Exchange at positions Nos. 8 and 10, with Derrick White garnering 175,940 for the former, and Jrue Holiday 145,144 votes for the latter.

It seems almost certain Tatum will make it in as a starter, and Brown as a coaches choice among the frontcourt East nods. Porzingis has a solid shot that route as well, with Derrick White perhaps having a shot as an injury replacement.

Holiday is likely going to miss this year’s All-Star game given early returns, but it is early in the fan voting and coaches may be swayed by on-court production yet, so much is still up in the air, but it seems very likely Boston will have at minimum two All-Stars.

And could realistically end up with as many as four.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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