Idgaf if a Rocket player isn't "deserving", if you are a Rocket fan you want as many All-Stars on the roster as you can. If Jamaal Magloire can be an All-Star, so can Jeremy Lin.
The most entertaining players will always get the most votes. It's been like that for years. People would rather see Athletic dunks and Crazy handles from Blake Griffin and Kyrie Irving than Aldridge shooting mid range jumpers all day. Or Kevin Love shooting 3's.
except kobe is popular for what he was (a ruthless champion in the past), jeremy is popular because of his race and China voting. Generally if youre a fan of the NBA and not one player, you will vote in the best player
the funny part is that the head coaches were the ones who put him in the game, same with Okur, Chris Gatling etc
I couldn't care less what Kobe did in previous years in terms of THIS year's All Star game. Kobe was great before and he might be great again. However, right now he's NOT great on the court. Kobe isn't the best player this year. He's played a handful of games. The All Star game should be about active players, not inactive players. Lin is popular for a variety of reasons and has a wide fan base. Whatever the reasons it doesn't really matter. Some players get more votes due to playing on high profile teams or higher than average media coverage. Just look at Tim Duncan and his vote counts... if it wasn't for Coach votes how many All Star games would he have been in? If fans want to vote for Lin, I couldn't care less. That's up to them. I'm just opposed to voting in players that are NOT playing. I was opposed to Yao getting votes when he was injured. I was opposed to Rose's votes last year when he didn't suit up for a single minute last year. I'm still opposed to Kobe and Rose out of principle until they show they can stay on the court. For me, the All Star game is about voting on currently Active players you want to see in the All Star game. That rarely has anything to do with being the best player as we've seen through the years. However, it should be about players that actually, you know, PLAY.
Please don't bring the race into this. Lin is popular because he is an underdog with a great work ethic. Kobe is more popular in China than Lin. As much as I don't like Kobe, Kobe is a winner and a competitor. It is unfortunately he got injured.
Kobe's reputation precedes him so that's where he gets all the votes. Lin does seem to get tons of Facebook votes (meaning a lot of people that probably don't care too much about basketball). China is a small part of his votes....he had the full backing of China he would be up there with Kobe....just saying. The votes for Parsons and Asik are byproducts of Lin.....plain and simple.
Kobe should be taken out just like Yao and Tracy were when both had injuries that kept them out mostly the entire season. Ridiculous how fan voting is so slanted. I say you split it 50% fan voting 50% coaches voting, all the way thru.
But it wasn't during the 5 year extension. http://rockets.clutchfans.net/3407/houston-rockets-salary-cap-james-harden/ The fifth year of Harden’s extension is actually only 50% guaranteed, but it becomes fully guaranteed if Harden meets any one of several incentives that should be fairly easily attainable for him. Such incentives include making at least one All-Star team starting next season (so this season [2012-13]doesn’t count), playing a key role in the Rockets advancing to the second round of the playoffs, or meeting certain statistical marks (which are geared to avoid a ball-hogging situation in order to meet them).
4. Jeremy Lin (Hou) 358,725 You conveniently didn't mention this. Fail Rose and Kobe are popular + have more game. funny Wrong... players that are voted in usually are the best players. There are exceptions every year, but mostly, fans get it right.
great shooter, good passer, glass ankles. Can't be the best player on a championship team either - just doesn't have the game.
I didn't tell anybody to vote for anybody, your reading comprehension is poor. Also I never said that Kobe is deserving, I simply stated why hes getting a ton of votes and why Lin is also getting votes; Kobe for his fans and former championship past and Lin because he is asian
