Kobe Bryant is having by far his worst year since entering the league. He simply can't play at a high level anymore and anyone who has watched him struggle this year knows that. But this is also his final season, and the All-Star Game is a stage he's owned throughout his great career.
Adam Silver says Kobe Bryant ‘deserves’ an All-Star spot
The commissioner wants one of the most popular NBA players ever to be a part of the All-Star game in his last year in the league.
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
That’s why NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Bryant deserves to be a part of the All-Star game despite his poor on-court performance. Via an interview on SiriusXM NBA Radio:
“I hope to see him there. I think he deserves to be there. He’s going to retire as one of the NBA’s greatest players. Even beyond his play on the floor, he’s played as great a role as anyone in the international expansion of the game. Right now, I’d say in China there’s still Kobe and [then there’s] everyone else.”
Silver is right about Bryant’s role in popularizing the game outside the U.S. He is still a huge star in China, as he proved this past summer when he drew a massive crowd.
He’s also admired and recognized all over the world, especially by a whole generation of basketball fans who grew up watching him play at an elite level. Like Kevin Durant said, he’s their Michael Jordan. He has meant as much for the game as anyone.
Whether that should guarantee him an All-Star game spot over more deserving performances this season is unclear. The idea of the event is to have the league’s best players on the court together. Bryant, as great as he’s been in the past, has simply not been good enough this year to earn the honor. The league is not going to create a special spot for him, so someone who is performing better than him will get snubbed.
On the other hand, fans can vote for their favorite players and Bryant still remains a popular figure to many. If that’s the criteria, why shouldn’t he get to play in an exhibition that rarely features competitive basketball? Had Bryant not announced his retirement, it could be an issue to have a below-average player getting a starter spot for the second year in a row. Since he has, everyone would understand that this is simply one last celebration of an all-time great.
The NBA hasn’t released the first returns on the All-Star ballots, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Kobe be voted into a starter spot as he was last season. Just like Adam Silver, the fans probably want to see him be a part of the festivities once more, even if he’s not a star on the court anymore. It might not be fair to other players, but it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to give a living legend a last farewell, either.
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