Agreed. If you look at Weibo (the chinese version of Twitter) which is one way to cast the the vote in China, most of them vote for Kobe, not Lin. His popularity in China cannot be compared to Yao, a Taiwanese not Chinese may be the reason.
It also can just lead to indifference and continued mediocrity. For example, years upon years of getting the all-star nod in a talent-bereft East has never done anything to inspire Joe Johnson to be anything but Joe Johnson.
This is what I think. If Lin and Harden get voted in, Lin should decline.... he would be standing on high ground and may get more respect from fans, coaches, and players alike. But if for some reason Harden doesn't get in, Lin will have to accept to be the lone representative and no sway Morey/Alexander will let him decline it.
Meh. The All Star game has been a popularity contest for years. As for "crazier" stats, Lin's initial breakout (most points in first 5 games in 35 years) was the Craziest set of statistics in modern NBA history. There really is NO comparison to it. Ever. And if Nash (2 games), Rubio (0 games), Amare Stoudemire (0 games), Deron Williams (poor last 2 years), and Raymond Felton (awful last season) are on the ballot, then I don't see why THIS season's stats should matter. Anyway, Lin is still 50k behind Chris Paul so unless he makes a late push in votes he won't make the starting team (voted), and it's doubtful the coaches will choose him for the 2nd team. And if Fans really want him in the all star game that badly, then who are we to argue against a system that's been in place since 1975? Yes, they've been voting players into the All Star game for 37 years. Would it make sense to remind everyone that the All Star game is not only an exhibition game, but was conceived as an exercise in Public Relations? It's designed to engage and satisfy the public AT LARGE. In other words, it's NOT an accident that Tony Parker made it into the All Star game 4x, but has never done better than 5th place in Voting. Personally, I think they should just do 3 line ups. Starters (vote + coaches), 2nd string (coaches), 3rd string (voters). That would let both the "best' players and the most popular players all go to the ASG. Then armchair analysts can stop complaining about XYZ great player being overlooked because they play in a small market, and the fans still get to see their Favorite players. You remember the Fans... they're the folks that ultimately pay the NBA to play...
I don't think Lin is allowed to decline if he's voted in. It's the same as taking a day of rest, he would probably get fined.
question: if Lin is voted in and he decided not to go for whatever reason other than injury, will he get fine or punished? Will the team be penalized? anyone?
Lin's votes from China are VASTLY overestimated by Americans (of all ethnicities). 1. Here's a clue to all Americans not of Asian descent: not all Asians are the same. Asians are completely different from Asian Americans. Taiwan and China HATE each other and have for years been ready for all-out WAR against each other (yes I'm talking the magnitude of US versus Cuba/Russia/Iraq/pick-your-enemy-depending-on-how-old-you-are). And......Lin was born in the US and never lived in Asia. 2. A clue to those in America of Asian descent: America largely views Asians as the same. Yes, that includes those Chinese and Japanese Americans who have been in the US for generations versus someone who just flew in from Hong Kong yesterday. This is especially true for those who didn't grow up around Asians, which is a big chunk of America. It has been scientifically proven that if you have not been around certain ethnicities by the age of 4, your eyes are not trained to differentiate them well.
Lin is so famous that it's kinda crazy. If he wanted to, but of course he's not that kind of guy, he could release an album, do movies, have a reality show, children's books, have tons of endorsements. He would probably wear out his welcome quick though. I've read the rumor that Dolan/MSG were not happy that Lin didn't sign with CAA. Instead he signed with Tim Duncan's agent and got his own publicist.
All we need to do is vote hardcore for James harden, He really deserves it. We should also of coarse be voting for Lin aswell and get them both in. I just think it's a shame if James Harden could possibly get passed up and not able to play.
Why? Allstars voted base on popularity, they show what people want, and now Lin got more voted, so not a big deal
Don't worry. KB8 and CP3 are more popular than Lin even with his legions of fans so people don't have to worry about any backlash.
Its been said before Its okay for Los Angeles and New York to have a big worldwide market, and to consider that a competitive ADVANTAGE for them. But Houston's worldwide market is NOT legit and NOT a competitive advantage? People poopoo about Houston not being a "free agent destination". Houston gets more player votes and attention than it can handle, and people GRIPE AGAINST it. But doesnt that boost Houston's profile as a destination ? A guy in China is maybe wearing a Kobe jersey while watching Carmelo and voting for Lin. Its a win for everyone
CP3 & Kobe are going to be the starters. Harden will be a reserve. Lin will likely be involved in the skills competition. This is probably how things will go down. Take a chill pill & stop falling for the media nonsense.
