We are about a month away from the NBA All-Star weekend. As we get closer to the exciting three days of events in Chicago. We are learning a lot about the league, players, and personalities around it. Let’s take a look at the lessons of NBA All-Star weekend.
First, fans still know the King is the King. There was a time where Luka Doncic, the Dallas Mavericks superstar, was leading the Western Conference All-Star Fan voting. However, with all the incredible performances we have seen from Luka in his sophomore year. The king’s reign is not up yet.
All-Star Fan Voting is over in a little over a week, with the deadline on January 19 and LeBron James has passed Luka to return to be one of the top two votes holders in the league. As of now, we have Team Giannis versus Team LeBron. Sound familiar? It should, as these two were captains last year. Although Luka’s MVP Rookie season and explosive sophomore year have put him on the map as a top player in the NBA, for now, the King is still the King and the prince, Giannis is still right there with him.
Second, Stephen A. Smith continues what I call, his ‘glo up’. Stephen A. Smith has always been a popular name amongst sports fans. Most times it is just for his controversial points made on First Take. However, as of late. He is growing his career to be more than just the face of First Take and an even bigger personality.
Although he is still stirring up a conversation with his points on ESPN, like his recent Rooney Rule point calling out the NFL for having only three black head coaches across the league. We now see him emerging as more of a social media presence and reaching the next generation. That is evident with his growing social media presence posting behind the scenes videos, attending games, gifs, and memes showing off his personality.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsGuess who is coaching in the All-Star Celebrity Game!!!! ??? pic.twitter.com/fatFdy0cNK
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) January 10, 2020
The ‘glo up’ continues with his recent selection as the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game Head Coach. Stephen took to Twitter Friday morning sharing that he is coaching against ESPN analyst, Michael Wilbon. In a comical 70 second video. He explains how he will be inspired in the coaches box-like “Pat Riley, Gregg Popovich, Larry Brown, Phil Jackson” as he looks to emulate them All-Star weekend.
Although he claims he will NOT get a technical foul, we can expect his loud and over the top antics to be entertaining. So what do you think, can we expect a technical?
Next, it is obvious from this year, that it is not all about talent when it comes to voting. Some players get more love for fewer minutes. What does that mean? Look at Boston Celtics’ Tacko Fall and Lakers’, Alex Caruso. They are not top players or starters on their respective teams. Both come off the bench playing 10-15 minutes in the occasional game. However, both have been two of the higher recognized players by fans.
As of January 10, 2020, Fall has the sixth-highest amount of votes for the frontcourt in the East over players like Bam Adebayo of Miami and teammate Gordon Hayward. Two players who are having a better season and play bigger roles on their respective teams. In the west, Caruso is also at number six. But for guards, above talents like Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell and Devin Booker of the Phoenix Sun.
Caruso and Fall are both players that have been reported to get home fans on their feet simply upon entering the game. They are a fan favorite and show that when it comes to all-star weekend its not all about talent. They have each been voted for over 500,000 times so far with 10 days remaining in voting.
Finally, the next generation is HERE. Due to injury, this year there won’t be Klay Thompson or Kevin Durant playing after season-ending injuries in the 2019 NBA Finals. Steph Curry is still out after getting surgery on his left hand. Joel Embiid just suffered a gruesome dislocated finger earlier this week that required surgery to fix. Anthony Davis had a scary fall in the Lakers game versus the Knicks, Tuesday night.
Although an MRI reported it to fortunately just be a bruise that will sideline him for a few games. It is still unsure if that may end up being longer with him sitting out of the All-Star events out of precaution. Kyrie Irving is working to get back from the shoulder injury that sidelined him for 25 games coming into Friday. He reported he is working to get back into practice within the next week or so.
All of these injuries mean the next generation is here! The NBA All-Star lineup will feature a handful of players in their first or second year including Luka Doncic, Trae Young, and Ja Morant. We are also seeing the rise of the next generation of players under the age of 25 such as Brandon Ingram, Pascal Siakam, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, D’Angelo Russell, and more.
It is an exciting time in the NBA, as we are seeing the rise of a lot of players and teams. With the All-Star break approaching fast marking the halfway point of the regular season. This should be the beginning of potential roster changes. Players working back from injury and the final push to the playoffs.
The fun and games of NBA All-Star 2020 kick off February 14 in Chicago featuring musical performances by Chance the Rapper, Common, and Taylor Bennet. There will most likely be some sort of recognition or celebration for Vince Carter. Who with the new year, became the first player to play in the league across four generations, as well as the history of the NBA in Chicago including the 1990’s Bulls and Michael Jordan. There will, of course, be the usual schedule of events including the Slam Dunk Contest, Skills Challenge, Rising Stars, Three-Point Shootout, Celebrity All-Star Game, and All-Star Game.
