Lakers’ Kobe Bryant finishes with league-leading votes for 2016 NBA All-Star game: So much uncertainty looms over Kobe Bryant’s fluctuating health and performances.
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But fans were intent on seeing Bryant amidst the NBA’s other top stars, as he topped all other players with more than 1.8 million votes from fans. James, whose 278 All-Star points are two behind Bryant’s record of 280, is joined in the East frontcourt by the Indiana Pacers’ Paul George (711 595) and the New York Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony (567 348). “I can always explain it from an X’s and O’s standpoint, from a training standpoint, but when nights like that happen … there’s always something mystical about it, scoring that many points, that really carries no explanation”. I had some open looks.
Leonard is a first-time All-Star, overtaking Golden State’s Draymond Green in the closing weeks of fan voting for the exhibition that will be held on February 14 in Toronto.
“It’ll be a special All Star because this is Kobe’s last run, ” says the veteran Miami Heat guard via ESPN. Most or all of these players will be selected as reserves, but these are the five most egregious examples of that and the five biggest snubs for the 2016 All-Star Game starters.
“Everybody always want me to talk about it. People forget I was in the game, they’re like, ‘You were in that game?’ I’m like, ‘Oh, I was young, it’s different, ‘” Bosh said with a laugh.
“I was like, ‘Wow this is Kobe Bryant.'” Leonard recalled at Trail Blazers practice on Thursday. “They won the game but I earned his respect”.
Since 1998, Bryant has been an All-Star every season except for the 1999 All-Star Game, which was canceled because of the lockout. The Lakers would win by 18 points with Bryant scoring 81 points and walking off to a standing ovation. For a large portion of the game, the Raptors were up by double digits, and Kobe “only” had 26 points in the first half. It was his 12th All-Star nod in 13 seasons.
Kobe Bryant remembers exactly what he had to eat in the 24 hours before he scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors 10 years ago Friday.
“I look forward to hopefully being healthy and going out there and playing well”, said Bryant, a four-time All-Star MVP (2002, ’07, ’09 and ’11). “We appreciate all he’s done and we want to keep doing the game justice as we do what we do in our careers”.
“This was one of the few scoring tears Kobe has gone on where I wasn’t anxious about making sure he didn’t make it a one-man show”, Jackson wrote in an updated version of his book “Sacred Hoops”.
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In this January 22, 2006, file photo, Toronto Raptors’ Matt Bonner can’t stop Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant from getting to the basket in the first half of NBA basketball game in Los Angeles. “But, you know, this year, they won’t mind seeing Kobe Bryant in there”. Scott said Nance Jr. tried to practice, before the coaching and training staff decided otherwise.
