Just like MLB, the NBA All-Star game is a joke...

playr050

Vince leads All-Star votes in East

tsn.ca Staff

12/19/2002

NEW YORK (CP) - Toronto's Vince Carter leads the Eastern Conference in voting for the NBA all-star game despite missing more than half of the season with knee injuries.

Carter has played in just 10 of 25 games, and his average of 19.2 points per game is more than five points below his career average. Still, the Raptors forward has 597,684 votes as of Thursday. The two-time all-star has been the league's leading vote-getter the past two seasons.

Kobe Bryant leads all players with 659,998 votes even though the three-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers are 10-16 this season. Bryant's 26.1 points per game average is third-best in the league.

Steve Nash of Victoria is third in Western Conference guards, with 296,114 votes. The Dallas Mavericks point guard trails Bryant, and Steve Francis of Houston, who has 415,773.

Orlando's Tracy McGrady, who leads the league in scoring with 29.3 points per game, is second in the Eastern Conference and third overall with 573,638.

Present voting totals would also have Philadelphia guard Allen Iverson, Orlando forward Grant Hill and Detroit centre Ben Wallace starting for the Eastern Conference.

Toronto's Antonio Davis is fourth in Eastern Conference centres, with 100,464 votes, while Winnipeg native Todd MacCulloch of the Philadelphia 76ers is eighth, with 52,382.

Bryant's teammate, Shaquille O'Neal, leads Western Conference centres with 480,894 votes. San Antonio forward Tim Duncan, Minnesota forward Kevin Garnett and Francis would round out the Western Conference's starting five if present voting totals hold.

Fan balloting began Nov. 14 and will continue through Jan. 12. Fans can vote at all NBA arenas, more than 1,000 retail locations and at the NBA's Web site.

The NBA all-star game will be played at Philips Arena in Atlanta on Feb. 9

KingCobra

If you think you're pissed now, wait until Yao Ming is the starting center over Shaq every year because of the huge number of chinese voters.

JoeBenson

Well, the thing that pisses me off is that it is just a popularity contest and never goes by how well the playing has played this season or is playing currently.....Hell, Remember Ripken started the All-Star game at 3rd Base over Troy Glaus, and then the pitcher serves one of for Ripken to make him look good! What a joke!

playr050

<< <i>If you think you're pissed now, wait until Yao Ming is the starting center over Shaq every year because of the huge number of chinese voters. >>



Gonna be like Ichiro, all though he was deserving in 2001, and Matsui this year in baseball. Fans of 30 different teams voting for their favorite players is different than entire countries voting for ONE player over and over.

JoeBenson

This is more of a joke than Avril Lavagne is a poser, how pathetic!!!!!!!!!!!

playr050

<< <i>Well, the thing that pisses me off is that it is just a popularity contest and never goes by how well the playing has played this season or is playing currently.....Hell, Remember Ripken started the All-Star game at 3rd Base over Troy Glaus, and then the pitcher serves one of for Ripken to make him look good! What a joke! >>



It was Ripken's last All-Star game, screw Troy Glaus, he'll never be half the player Ripken was.

Vincecarder

What? What's wrong with VC? Don't you see the crazy numbers he's putting up this season?!?!?! Guy is going for MVP this year for sure. I don't understand how you guys even question why Carter is leading the East with the stats he's putting up.....

.....Oh wait, that's in NBA 2K3 on my PS2.....my mistake.......


....Allstar game is a show, not a game. Who can probably put on one of the greatest shows in the NBA? Yea that's Carter for you. Hope he goes in the Slam Dunk competition too....that would be an allstar weekend everyone would watch, probably jump through the hoop.

Undertaker

<< <i>Who can probably put on one of the greatest shows in the NBA? Yea that's Carter for you. >>


let's see.. Steve Francis, Amare Stoudemire, Jason Richardson, Kobe, T-Mac, ..
so what you're saying is that you only have to be a good dunker to be in the All-Star game?
Why don't we put Darvin Ham in there as well? I mean gosh the man CAN dunk!

the All-Star game should indeed be a show, but the participants should be the best players in the league, not the best 'dunkers'

Undertaker

oh and btw, will Carter even play?

Vincecarder

He probably won't be able to play...but it's the thought that counts.

As for your list of guys that can dunk...yea they can dunk...but they are not Vince Carter. He may get hurt alot but he dunks like crazy.....those guys can't even come close....too bad we can't see as many when he plays because the Rap's have nobody to help him....Ah well you will probably like him more when he bolts to the Lakers to play with Kobe.

Cyphilissb

NOOOOOOOOO! Keep him, we don't want him, stay away!!!! Devil 666, mark of the beast. SATAN!!!!!!!!! DONT EVER SAY ANYTING LIKE THAT AGAIN!!!!

oh ya KOBE is leading the league in votes! Thats pretty cool.

JoeBenson

But as we can tell, all-star votes mean squat!

It's vote for your favorite player, not the best player or anything like that......Although he should be among the leaders, yes

KingCobra

LOL Cyphillis, I wouldn't want Carter on ym team either, you know he's just a few more weeks away from blowing up and saying he hates his teammates and demanding a trade, then declaring he's out for the year.

Allen

I think the Chinese votes should only count as half votes because most of them are so tiny (Except Yao, I think he was supposed to be triplets but they all ended up stacked on top of each other.)

Cyphilissb

thats not very nice to say. Its hysterical, but not very nice.