I like how people are just screaming Chinese bias when Yao isn't even the leading vote-getter. Anyway, hoping T-Mac slips because he needs the all-star break to actually REST rather than playing. So where do we stop? Do we devalue Knicks/Lakers/Celtics votes because they have too large a following? Do we give Utah players a boost because they play in freaking Utah? Either NBA is an US/Toronto game in which we cut off all voting in other areas, or this is a global game and people anywhere can vote for whoever the hell they want. Personally I don't care either way. If people want to see Yi or a broken-down T-Mac, who cares?
this is old topic but is guaranteed to surface each year right at this time. if you ask me, ain't "having a larger following" equal more popular? ain't the allstars supposed to be those who are more popular? hey, i didn't vote for w. but if the system is constructed the way it is, should i write to the government and ask them to count the votes from the other side as 1/3? bush was having too large of a following when he beat kerry, you know.
I think those who actually watch all-star weekend and want it to be as exciting as possible would care. But you're right, it's not just a problem with international voters. Allen Iverson has no business getting voted in as a starter either. Maybe the league should take fan votes and media votes separately, normalize it, and then weight fan votes 2/3 and media votes 1/3. So you take fan voting into account, but you can still keep it a little under control for the sake of getting more deserving players onto the team.
thats just sad that yi is ahead of all those great players. The nba should pull some votes for him like they did to marbury because thats just not fair. He doesn't deserve to be an allstar and everyone here will admit that. The only person he should be ahead of on the list of forwards is beasley and im not even sure of that. I feel bad for all those working so hard to get into the game like granger. Granger deserves the spot whether he makes it or not.
You guys have to understand that there is NO PROBLEM. This is exactly what the NBA wants. Everyone's talking about who "deserves" to be there. We all have to understand that the only credential that matters in the All Star game is global popularity. Doesn't Dirk get his German fans to vote? Nash the Canadians? etc etc.. If you are globally popular, you will start. Plain and simple. Whatever the reason may be. If you are the person everyone wants to watch, even if it's because you have a goofy haircut, then you deserve to be here. You are NOT forced to vote a certain way, nor are you told that you have to choose the people whom you think are the best players. That's just not what is, and I believe that the NBA is partially responsible for not making that extremely clear. What you guys are talking about is totally different and I agree there should be such a game - one where the best NBA players compete against each other. But this is not that game, not matter how bad you want it to be. Sorry Durvasa, this is not specifically directed at you, just at the general "ooh I'm so disgusted" responses in the thread. Makes no sense to me whatsoever.
I don't think having the "best" players would make things more exciting. Exhibition games aren't exactly the real thing. I can go with a weighted system like the pro-bowl. But I think Stern wants it like this. And in the end, NBA is after all "entertainment". That's what brings in the money. I know as basketball fans it's hard to admit, but basketball as a spectator sport is about having people watch. If people want to watch certain players more than others, said players are valuable for things like the all-star game.
It is amazing after all these years people still don't understand how this thing works. The all-star game is a global popularity contest,not the best-basketball-players-in-the-world contest.You got the all-nba teams for that.Why is it so hard to understand that Yi is more popular than Bosh,and a broken T-mac is more popular than paul,globally? I am sure bosh and paul will be in the all-star game anyway,Yi and probably Tmac will not.For those of you who voted for CB4 and CP3 will still see them play in the all star game,you still got the "exciting" game you want to see.So what exactly are you guys complainning about,that there are some other players are more popular than your favorite players? You guys are acting like the international fans will not see the actual all-star game,they just vote for the sake of it.But the truth is they will see the game,and they have the rights to vote the players they want to see.Last time I check the all-star games have more than 1 or 2 players in it.A broken Tmac in the all-star game dose not make a Lebron dunk less exciting,you can still enjoy the all-star game even there are 1 or 2 players you don't like to watch.
To me, in a game where defense is discouraged and flashy play is encouraged i can understand Allen Iverson being there. Obviously he isn't the second best guard in the east but it is at the very least entertaining. I honestly can not fathom anyone feeling that a gimpy Tracy is more deserving OR entertaining than Chris Paul. So...do they just not watch the game? or do they not care, thinking that Wade, Lebron, and Dwight are exciting enough?
tmac is already in if he keeps 2nd also, um no why? yeah lets play another game for tmac when he could be resting
There is no way that T-Mac accepts the starting spot. I do think that getting a starting nod would def do a lot for his confidence though. The man is obviously fighting to come back from surgery, and I believe that being voted into the ASG as a starter could do a world of good for his confidence. He will know that not only are the fans still there, but that they back him 100 percent. That has to mean something, and he may even use the ASG as his welcome back party. As rockets fans how could we not want this?
If only TMac can make this play....... <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Cd_8NF9wmoo&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Cd_8NF9wmoo&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
You actually raise a good point here. With so many Chinese basketball fans these days it shouldn't be much of a surprise that they would support their countrymen. The NBA is full of international players who probably have strong followings in their home countries. Some may be up for voting in people like Scola, Ginobli, Nowitski, Nash, etc. and some just may not care. It seems China's strong sense of pride in their country moves the people to vote for Yao or Yi. These other international players ought to start some grassroots campaign to get themselves invited to the All-Star party. Just where are all of those Argetinian Scola/Ginobli fans? Also, if your too obsessed with basketball to follow another sport named baseball you might be missing out on the fact that the All-Star game and end of season awards, like the Gold Glove, are hardly based in reality. The All-Star game in baseball is the same type of popularity contest that it is in basketball and the Gold Glove awards are handed out based more on offensive numbers than defensive ones. All of this is just par for the course.
Why do we need him in the game - it's an embarrasment and he takes up the roster spot of a deserving player. And please enough with the " That's who the fans want to see" argument. If you've seen him play this year, you don't want to see anymore.
Everybody should stop voting for Yi to embarrass the league and allstar,meanwhile himself.How the hell could he possibly be ahead of Bosh but putting up terrible performance down the stretch. Playing averaging almost 17 mins(Just from the stats I've seen the last few games)per game and shooting terrible from the field.There ain't no way he should make the ALLSTAR team.Chinese votes?Damn,I just got fed up with all that bull**** sayin' Yi's progressing and he's gettin' better and better and he's promising and would be prominent? The way I see it right now,he's just nowhere near the ELITE player. T-Mac should be removed from that list as well,damn,look at how he played on the court and what he said when interviewed,damn right,he's not 100% healthy back,but he said he just changed the way he played and wanna be a facilitator for our team,so SG didn't step on the gas and fill the gap of scoring,puting Skip ahead to take the ball finishing at the rim?WTF?He would be a starter if he could do 70% things that Old Mac could do.Well,that's just a dream,the Old Mac's long gone.
It's a popularity contest for the starting lineup , if you are popular you are in. If the NBA wants the best players is they should just reduce the numbers of players on the ballot , and put only those who deserve to be there in.
