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The NBA all star game will be aired in India on Monday morning at 6:30 AM. It’s the occasion when the best players in the world assemble on the big stage and routinely drop over 250 points combined. Here’s a look at the Western Conference starters.
Western Conference starters
Team: L.A. LakersPosition: GuardAge: 34Height: 6 ft 6 inchesAll Star appearance: 14
Kobe has been named a starter in the all star game for each of the last fifteen years. He’s had 14 appearances because there was no all star game in 1999. Back in 1998, Kobe became the youngest player ever to start an all star game. He is now tied with Bob Pettit for the most all star MVP awards, having won 4 times and will become the only player in the NBA history to bag it five times, if he wins the award this year too.
Team: L.A LakersPosition: CenterAge: 27Height: 6 ft 11 inchesAll Star appearances: 6
One may think that Dwight ought to sit this one out and use the rest to recuperate. His back and shoulder have been the talk of town. But he’s reasoning that it can’t get any worse.
“Hopefully I’ll be able to play,” Howard said before the Lakers practised on Monday. “If I were to re-aggravate my shoulder in these next two games, I’d probably just play a couple minutes (in the All-Star Game) and sit the rest of it out.”
I’d rather have him compete in the all star game when he’s healthy. His coach also doesn’t have a problem with him playing in this one. “Resting is not going to help it, so he might as well play,” D’Antoni said. “He can get hit and need a couple of days to get the pain away and he’ll be back. But he can do it. Obviously we practised today and he can do it in practice.” I sense a mixed message there though.
Team: Oklahoma City ThunderPosition: ForwardAge: 24Height: 6 ft 9 inchesAll Star appearances: 3
Last year’s all star game MVP, Kevin Durant will be looking to recapture the award this year. Durant had 36 points and 7 rebounds last year. The last game his team played was against LeBron James and the Heat and the Thunder lost that game. Durant won’t be looking to lose two in a row to James. In 2010-11, Durant finished second behind James in the league MVP voting. The Durant-James rivalry is akin to football’s Ronaldo-Messi, except that the basketball stars are teammates when they play for team USA. One mini plot of the all star game to look forward to is the budding rivalry between these two.
Team: L.A. ClippersPosition: ForwardAge: 23Height: 6 ft 10 inchesAll Star appearance: 2
Blake is the ideal big man for an all star game. Last year he led the NBA in dunks with 192. The all star game is about dunks and highlights and Blake delivers on both counts with aplomb.
Team: L.A. ClippersPosition: GuardAge: 27Height: 6 ftAll Star appearances: 5
Chris Paul is on a roll with the Clippers. They had a minor hiccup when Paul missed 12 games with an injury, but now the Clippers have won 4 in a row with Paul back in line-up. While Paul is averaging over 9 assists per game, he is a very dangerous scorer, thanks to the attention which defenses bestow upon him.
Coach Pop is in my opinion, the best coach in the NBA hands down. A man who has undergone CIA training, he has a dry sense of humour and a brilliantly incisive mind which is borne out in the creative plays his team runs. A huge reason why West seems to have an advantage over the East in this game.
Here’s a look at the reserves in the all star game.
It’s always a toss up as to which team will win in the all star game, but this year the East seems to have few pure point guards. Check back tomorrow for a look at the Eastern Conference starters.
