His status for the Heat’s game in Toronto on Friday will likely be a game-time decision and his status for the All-Star game, also in Toronto on Valentine’s day, is also up in the air if the shoulder issues persist.
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Kobe Bryant has had an up and down season (mostly down) and the Los Angeles Lakers are light-years from playoff contention, but on Thursday the NBA announced that Bryant was the leading vote-getter for the 2016 NBA All-Star Game.
Cleveland’s LeBron James and Indiana’s Paul George will start in the East frontcourt on February 14 with New York’s Carmelo Anthony. Last year, with help on social media from Canada’s prime minister and hip-hop star Drake, Lowry made up a 100,000 vote deficit in the last two weeks of voting to pass Dwyane Wade for a starting spot. Even though he’s put up career numbers this season, averaging just under 20 points and 10 assists per game, Wall will have to get in this year’s exhibition via coach’s vote. “It would just mean that our fans appreciate the game of basketball and the way it’s played by me”.
“It is an honor to be voted as a starter for the All-Star Game, especially for one in my home arena, ” Lowry said in a statement.
Davis’ extension from his rookie-scale contract kicks in next season and carries with it a provision known as the “Derrick Rose Rule”, which would allow him to receive a max salary for a seven-to-nine-year veteran, instead of the max for a zero-to-six-year veteran in the first year of his extension. He becomes the first Warriors player to start in three consecutive All-Star Games since Rick Barry from 1974 to ’76.
Kevin Love added 18 points and 16 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who were playing their first home game since being embarrassed in a 34-point loss to Golden State on Monday in a rematch of last year’s NBA Finals.
“Obviously, I wasn’t in the league and didn’t get a chance to see (Michael) Jordan’s, but I was watching as a fan and it looked like it would be something cool to be a part of”.
Leonard made a big push in the final week to grab the starting spot, passing Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors and holding off a late run by ZaZa Pachulia of the Dallas Mavericks.
This was the fourth time Bryant led all players in voting, along with 2003, 2011 and 2013.
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This will be Bryant’s 18th All-Star appearance in his career. It is the 12th straight All-Star selection in his career, the most by a Heat player in franchise history. But Bryant has missed four games in the last month amid overlapping soreness in his right shoulder and his right Achilles.
