Tag: NBA All-Star

Fans are too unserious to have more power in NBA All-Star voting

If anything, the fans probably need a little less power

Welcome to Layup Lines, For the Win’s basketball newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Have feedback for the Layup Lines Crew? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey. Now, here’s Mike Sykes

There’s always going to be a bit of controversy and disagreement when it comes to NBA All-Star voting. Someone will always think, “Player X should’ve made it over Player Y, and why on earth is Player Z there?” That’s just the nature of the beast.

But what I will say is that I think, for how the voting process goes, the NBA probably has the right formula cooking.

The league’s All-Star starters are decided by three groups: Fans, media, and players. The fan vote represents 50 percent of the tally, and the media and players get another 25 percent, respectively.

HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS: Here’s Byran Kalbrosky with more on how this all comes together

That’s where the controversy comes in this year.

LaMelo Ball is probably the biggest All-Star snub missing from the starters. Not because Jalen Brunson is a bad choice — he’s a great one. I have no problem with him starting in the game. It’s just that Ball has been the East’s leader in the fan vote by a fairly wide margin for the entire season. The fans clearly want to see him starting in this game.

The problem is that Ball placed 7th in media voting for Eastern Conference guards. He only got three votes total from the media, which is why he dropped out of the starting slot. He needed two more to become the starter.

Because of this, fans are complaining that the NBA needs to change its formula back to strictly fan voting for the All-Star game. 

I’m sorry, y’all. I love the fans. I am one. But that’s ridiculous.

I hate to break it to you, folks. But we do not deserve that sort of power. We have no idea what to do with it.

We’re talking about the same fans who nearly had Zaza Pachulia penciled in as an All-Star starter almost a decade ago during the Warriors’ prime years. A K-Pop band got Andrew Wiggins a starting nod a few years ago. Justin Bieber did the same thing for Kyle Lowry (who deserved to be an All-Star!) back in 2015.

You see what I’m getting at here, right?

As fans, we are unserious. We don’t care. More people would probably be interested in trolling the vote these days as opposed to making a serious effort to get the right players into the game.

The media vote serves as a check on any trolling. So does the player vote to a much lesser extent (because players can be trolls, too).

It might not feel perfect. If LaMelo is your favorite player, it might feel upsetting that he didn’t make it. That’s understandable.,

But trust me when I say you do NOT want to put All-Star voting solely in the hands of the fans. This is for the best.

Kevin Durant says it best

Sports documentaries are kind of boring now. There are too many for my taste, and some make me wonder, “Why does this exist again?”

Not for Court of Gold, though. Netflix created a documentary on Team USA’s Men’s Basketball team and their journey to the gold medal. Kevin Durant says in the documentary that they called themselves the Avengers. 

That’s not the best quote in the trailer, though. It follows a quote from Evan Fournier about how the French national team has 10 years of chemistry and how the NBA guys get together for three weeks and just roll the ball out there.

And that’s a fair point. But Kevin Durant had the perfect rebuttal:

“Is that chemistry going to help you when you’ve got to guard Steph?”

Guys. GUYS. That’s so perfect. Words can’t even explain. Especially considering how things ended for France.

THE DEVIL NAMED CURRY: Steph absolutely put France away in the gold medal game

Don’t know about y’all. But this doc is now must-see TV for me.

Shootaround

— Bryan Kalbrosky has the Dunk Contest participants lined up for you here

— The NBA and NFL Reddit pages have banned links from X and Meta. Blake Schuster explains why here.

— Robert Zeglinski has more on what the world looked like the last time Joel Embiid played in Denver.

— Here are more All-Star voting takeaways from Bryan.

That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks so much for tapping in with us today. Peace. Enjoy your weekend.

-Sykes ✌️

Former Duke basketball star Jayson Tatum named 2025 NBA All-Star Game starter

Former Duke basketball star Jayson Tatum has been named a starter for the NBA All-Star game for the third straight season.

Duke has a plethora of stars in the NBA, but none are more notable right now than Boston Celtics guard [autotag]Jayson Tatum[/autotag]. Coming off the heels of his first NBA championship and second Olympic gold medal in 2024, Tatum acquired yet another personal accolade on Thursday.

Tatum was announced as one of the Eastern Conference’s five starters for the 2025 NBA All-Star game, the fourth straight year he’s earned such an honor.

The nomination is Tatum’s sixth All-Star selection overall, a remarkable feat in eight career seasons, and he won All-Star MVP in 2023 after scoring 55 points.

Tatum has averaged 27.4 points per game so far this season, the fifth-highest mark in the league, and he’s on pace for a career-high in rebounds (9.2) and assists (5.5). The Celtics have a 31-14 record thus far, second in the East to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Over the summer, Tatum signed a five-year extension worth $315 million that keeps him with Boston for the long haul.

The Western Conference, Tatum’s opponent for the game, will feature some true NBA legends. Four-time NBA champions LeBron James and Steph Curry, two-time champion Kevin Durant, and three-time MVP Nikola Jokic made the West’s starting five,

Here is how fans, media, and players voted for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game

Everyone loves Giannis.

We have officially learned who will appear in the starting lineup of the 2025 NBA All-Star Game in San Francisco.

The ten starters were decided based on a blend of ballots from fans, selected media members, and other NBA players. This allows an opportunity for the players to earn an All-Star appearance based on a diverse panel of opinions from peers and experts alike.

Here is how the system currently works:

  • Fan voting rank: 50 percent
  • Media voting rank: 25 percent
  • Player voting rank: 25 percent

Those who did not get the nod in the starting lineup will still have a chance to earn an appearance based on voting from coaches.

But this is how the voting was decided among the three groups. Bold denotes an appearance in the starting lineup:

Fan voting

  1. Antetokounmpo, Giannis (MIL)
  2. Jokic, Nikola (DEN)
  3. Tatum, Jayson (BOS)
  4. James, LeBron (LAL)
  5. Towns, Karl-Anthony (NYK)
  6. Durant, Kevin (PHX)
  7. Gilgeous-Alexander, Shai (OKC)
  8. Wembanyama, Victor (SAS)
  9. Ball, LaMelo (CHA)
  10. Davis, Anthony (LAL)
  11. Curry, Stephen (GSW)
  12. Doncic, Luka (DAL)
  13. Mitchell, Donovan (CLE)
  14. Brunson, Jalen (NYK)
  15. Lillard, Damian (MIL)
  16. Banchero, Paolo (ORL)
  17. Irving, Kyrie (DAL)
  18. Edwards, Anthony (MIN)
  19. Brown, Jaylen (BOS)
  20. Sengun, Alperen (HOU)

Media Voting

  1. Antetokounmpo, Giannis (MIL)
  2. Tatum, Jayson (BOS)
  3. Gilgeous-Alexander, Shai (OKC)
  4. Jokic, Nikola (DEN)
  5. Towns, Karl-Anthony (NYK)
  6. Mitchell, Donovan (CLE)
  7. Brunson, Jalen (NYK)
  8. Wembanyama, Victor (SAS)
  9. Davis, Anthony (LAL)
  10. Curry, Stephen (GSW)
  11. James, LeBron (LAL)
  12. Edwards, Anthony (MIN)
  13. Durant, Kevin (PHX)
  14. Doncic, Luka (DAL)
  15. Garland, Darius (CLE)
  16. Cunningham, Cade (DET)
  17. Jackson Jr., Jaren (MEM)
  18. Lillard, Damian (MIL)
  19. Young, Trae (ATL)
  20. Mobley, Evan (CLE)

Player Voting

  1. Antetokounmpo, Giannis (MIL)
  2. Jokic, Nikola (DEN)
  3. Gilgeous-Alexander, Shai (OKC)
  4. Tatum, Jayson (BOS)
  5. James, LeBron (LAL)
  6. Durant, Kevin (PHX)
  7. Towns, Karl-Anthony (NYK)
  8. Mitchell, Donovan (CLE)
  9. Brunson, Jalen (NYK)
  10. Curry, Stephen (GSW)
  11. Mobley, Evan (CLE)
  12. Wembanyama, Victor (SAS)
  13. Ball, LaMelo (CHA)
  14. Young, Trae (ATL)
  15. Davis, Anthony (LAL)
  16. Edwards, Anthony (MIN)
  17. Garland, Darius (CLE)
  18. Cunningham, Cade (DET)
  19. Banchero, Paolo (ORL)
  20. Irving, Kyrie (DAL)

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Everyone forgot about Tyrese Haliburton

Hali can’t get any love?

Welcome to Layup Lines, For the Win’s basketball newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Have feedback for the Layup Lines Crew? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey. Now, here’s Mike Sykes

Happy Friday, folks! Welcome back to Layup Lines. Thanks so much for joining me today. I hope you’ve had a great week and have a fantastic weekend ahead of you.

There’s always a lot of talk around the All-Star voting. Sometimes, the results are a bit more interesting than the actual game.

We always talk about who deserves to be included and who the snubs are and how the rosters should expand and a bunch of other things we don’t mention ever again after February.

But one of the most fascinating stories from this year’s voting that I don’t see very many people talking about is the straight-up disappearance of Tyrese Haliburton.

THE BIGGEST SNUBS: Here are the biggest All-Star snubs so far

The NBA released the latest vote count for the game and the only Tyrese listed for Eastern Conference guards is Maxey. Haliburton is just…not there.

Consider where we were last season when, not only did Haliburton have at least a million votes by this point, but he was an outright starter for the Eastern Conference with 3.4 million total votes. That was more than everyone not named Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid. Today, he’s straight up not included. It’s strange to see.

At least part of it can be explained by his down-season so far. He started the year extremely slow, shooting 37 percent from the field through the Pacers’ first 15 games. The Pacers started the season slow because of his slow start and expectations were high coming into this year. When that happens, you’re bound to see a dip in popularity.

This still has to be considered strange, though. Haliburton was an All-NBA player last season. He was an All-Star and an Olympian. He made a run to the Eastern Conference Finals with the Pacers. But here we are with names like Jordan Poole (260,825 votes) and Tyler Herro (223,479 votes) being included before Haliburton.

This isn’t to disparage those players in any way. They’re fine! Well, in Poole’s case, the Wizards are not fine. But at least he’s solid. I’m just pointing out how Tyrese Haliburton seems to be a bit forgotten these days.

If he is forgotten, though, he won’t be for long. The Pacers are climbing in the standings and have won four straight games. Haliburton is also playing much better these days. Since December 1, he’s averaging 19.8 points per game while shooting 47.8 percent from the floor and 38 percent from deep on nearly eight attempts per game. His assist-to-turnover ratio is a marvelous 9.2-to-1.7. That’s All-Star-worthy stuff.

At this point, he probably won’t make the game. But if the Pacers can make another surprisingly deep playoff run? I’m sure he won’t mind if we never talk about him again.

Cleveland vs. OKC is a thing

Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

I told y’all the Cavaliers and the Thunder made the NBA’s regular season matter again.

People were into this game. According to data from ESPN, Wednesday’s showdown between the two best teams in the NBA averaged 1.87 million viewers and peaked at 2.5 million viewers. Those numbers are up 20 percent from last season in that same time slot.

That’s good. Really good. It’s something the NBA hasn’t seen a ton of over these last few seasons. Interest in the regular season has continuously waned year after year since the peak of the LeBron vs. the Warriors matchups. This bump is a trend in the right direction.

Is it a bit anomalous? Sure, I think that would be fair to say. It’s not every year that two teams who on pace to potentially win 70 games will play each other. But I don’t think it needed to be exactly that for people to be interested in this game.

We’ll see how things go next Thursday when they play again in Oklahoma City.

Shootaround

— Jimmy Butler trolling Pat Riley here is incredible. Here’s Bryan Kalborsky with more.

— Kendrick Perkins says the Suns want Jimmy Butler. Prince Grimes says that’s not a great thing for Phoenix.

— I’m so tired of hearing Tweaker, but Damian Lillard doesn’t seem to be.

— Here’s Bryan Kalbrosky with more on rising NBA Draft prospect Kasparas Jakucionis and his climb into the top 5 of this class.

That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks so much for reading Layup Lines today. We’ll chat more next week. Until then, peace. Enjoy the hoops this weekend.

-Sykes ✌️

ICYMI: How did NBA All-Star Weekend go for former Blue Devils?

ICYMI: Jayson Tatum and Paolo Banchero helped lead the Eastern Conference to a 211-186 victory in the NBA All-Star Game over the weekend.

A pair of former Blue Devils, Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Orlando’s Paolo Banchero, played in the NBA All-Star Game over the weekend and helped lead the Eastern Conference to a 211-186 victory over the Western Conference.

Tatum was named one of the five starts in the East in his fifth All-Star nod, while Banchero made the NBA’s biggest weekend for the first time in his career. Both of their teams would be in the playoffs if the season ended at the All-Star break, and Tatum’s Celtics have the best record in the league at 43-12.

On top of the two of them sharing the court with legends like LeBron James and Kevin Durant, a third former Duke player got to see the court over the weekend. Dereck Lively II helped lead his team to the Rising Stars Challenge championship.

Here’s a look at how Duke’s biggest NBA stars handled the spotlight of All-Star Weekend, from the game to everything in between.

A San Antonio Spurs-based recap of NBA All-Star Weekend

What went down at NBA All-Star Weekend that involved the San Antonio Spurs?

Rookie big man Victor Wembanyama has played well enough to be an All-Star this season, but the San Antonio Spurs haven’t played at a high enough level for him to get that selection. In turn, he wasn’t able to make the team, but he has plenty of years left and plenty of All-Star selections in his future.

Despite the fact that Wembanyama wasn’t a part of the big game, he was heavily involved in All-Star Weekend. TNT had him on the broadcast, and he was also in the Skills Challenge, teamed up with fellow number-one picks Paolo Banchero and Anthony Edwards.

The Locked on Spurs podcast recently recapped NBA All-Star Weekend from a Spurs perspective.

Wembanyama dropped an F-bomb on the TNT broadcast, and his team got swallowed up in the Skills Challenge, so it wasn’t a perfect weekend for the rookie, but it will surely be one that he will always remember.

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Sabrina Ionescu gave Bille Jean King vibes in NBA 3-Point Contest

The 3-Point Contest was reminiscent of the Battle of the Sexes between tennis legends Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in 1973.

During the 2023 WNBA All-Star Weekend, Sabrina Ionescu won the 3-point contest and shattered the record held by Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry by amassing 37 points. This set the stage for a head-to-head contest between Ionescu and Curry at the 2024 NBA All-Star Game.

This contest proved one of the highlights of All-Star Weekend. While Ionescu finished with 26 points, Curry won with a solid 29 points. However, the competition was about much more than whomever won. It was about appreciating talented players, despite their gender or league.

Shooters can shoot. Period.

It was reminiscent of the Battle of the Sexes between tennis legends Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in 1973. More than 30,000 people were in attendance at the match, which King won in straight sets — 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 — and took home the $100,000 prize money. But, much like the 3-point contest, the real prize was what it meant for women’s sports and the fight for equality, equity and inclusion.

“I don’t know what’s going to come out of it, but me and Sabrina talked about how cool of an opportunity it is to do something that’s never been done before in our game,” Curry said. “And for her to have a presence on this stage is going to do a lot to inspire the next generation of young boys and girls that want to compete and see themselves in either one of us. Wherever it goes from there, we know we can kind of plant our flag as doing something really special.”

The viewership for NBA All-Star Saturday night was the highest in four years, with an audience peak at 5.4 million viewers from 10-10:15 p.m. ET during the 3-point contest.

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NBA All-Star rosters: Here is the full list for the 2024 game (with injury replacements)

This is who will represent the West and the East in Indianapolis.

The 2024 NBA All-Star Game will return to the conference rivalry format and we now know which players will represent the East and West.

Although we already knew the starters after they were announced late last month, seven more players from each conference got the call that they will head to Indianapolis for the game on Feb. 18 as well.

The captains (LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo) remain the same as last year but this year, it is just an honorary distinction. They are denoted below in bold.

[gambcom-standard rankid=”3011″ ]

Injured places are indicated with a strikethrough for their name and injury replacements are indicated with an asterisk.

Otherwise, here’s the full list of East and West All-Stars for you to consult:

The best takes and the sharpest bets on all the hoops storylines you need to know. Sign up for our Layup Lines newsletter, hitting your inbox on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Rookie Brandon Miller eager to build on Hornets’ recent win streak

Brandon Miller and the Hornets are in the midst of their best stretch and will be looking to keep it going following the NBA All-Star break.

Brandon Miller and the Charlotte Hornets are in the midst of their best stretch of the season and look to keep it going following the NBA All-Star break.

The Hornets posted three consecutive wins over the past week by defeating Memphis, Indiana and Atlanta. Their three-game win streak is their longest of the season after defeating those opponents by an average of 13.7 points per game.

Miller has also been on a tear, averaging 22 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals on 40% shooting from 3-point range over his last 16 games. He has scored in double figures in 11 straight games and is second in rookie scoring over that stretch.

He wants to keep building on their recent run.

I know for sure we left off on a great note. We’re just going to keep building off those three wins and hopefully bring a great culture and a great atmosphere to Charlotte.

Miller was among the 11 first-year players selected to compete in the Rising Stars game on Friday. He and his team, which also included Victor Wembanyama, were upset in the semifinal round by the G League roster, who were led by Mac McClung.

The opportunity to play in the annual showcase game was a high point of the season for Miller. He enjoyed the chance to compete against and get to know some of the top up-and-coming players in the game throughout the festivities in Indianapolis, Indiana.

“I think just being around new people,” Miller said on Friday. “These are not my normal teammates, so just meeting the new guys and faces in the NBA, I think, is good for bonds off of the court. It is a great event to have for the bonding.”

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2024 All-Star Game: Lineups and broadcast info for Sunday

2024 All-Star Game: Lineups and broadcast info for Sunday.

INDIANAPOLIS — The 2024 All-Star game will feature the West playing the East on Sunday, and if you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place.

The league has returned to the traditional conference matchup after spending recent years conducting drafts. Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James were selected as captains of their respective squads.’

Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander received his first career All-Star starter nod. This comes a year after he received his first career All-Star selection.

In 53 games, he’s averaged 31.1 points on 54.6% shooting, 6.5 assists and 5.5 rebounds. The Thunder (37-17) are one game back from the first seed in the Western Conference standings.