Why There is No Fixing the NBA All-Star Voting

All-star games, Hall of Fames, and polls all come with their fair share of deliberation. Rare is the occasion when the selection committees or process is applauded for their 100% accuracy, and there is never complete consensus. Even the unanimous voting of Steph Curry as MVP last year was met with extended arguments and second guessing.

Athletes often pretend not to care about such seemingly trivial things, but we know that ballers, specifically professional ball players, are rather sensitive when it comes to their rankings among peers and media experts. I mean, NFL players regularly whine about their Madden ratings, which seems inconsequential. But is it really? Do accolades such as all-star votes and overall popularity really matter? Let’s narrow it down to just the NBA. Does playing in the midseason, half speed pickup game, better known as the NBA All-Star Game, have any real bearing or direct effect on a player? More importantly, does the insertion of media votes playing a role in the All-Star starter selection even matter?

Indeed, it does.

In order to make it to the NBA, most (emphasis on most) athletes have an elevated competitive nature. At the very least, these guys want to be the best at what they do. There are both intrinsic, social, and monetary rewards that come with being known as one of the top guys in the top basketball league in the world. For perspective sake, think about all of the dudes who claimed to be hoopers when you were growing up. Think about the long waits to get on the court during a Saturday morning at your local gym. Heck, think about all the “I would’ve made it but” stories that you hear at any barbershop in any corner of any neighborhood.

Now think about how many of the very best players you ever played against are currently in the NBA. I would venture to say that even with the current structure of grassroots basketball, you haven’t personally played against more than 4-5 guys that are currently on NBA rosters. Now, think if you were one of the best of that elite group. Being known as the crème de la crème in the NBA is a huge deal. Everybody thinks they can hoop. Biggie rapped about the importance of having a “wicked jump shot,” and Jay-Z was from “where they crossed over and clapped boards.” It would take hell to freeze over for a player voted into the NBA All-Star game to skip it. In fact, I can’t think of that ever happening. In the words of the great philosopher, Sir Charles Wade Barkley: “I may be wrong, but I doubt it.” NBA players want to be in that game. The ego boost is real.

Additionally, there’s obviously a monetary element to wanting to make the NBA All-Star game. However, it’s not what you think. According to Forbes, players on the winning team take home $50,000, and losers take home $25,000. After the inevitable ‘WHAT?!!’ reaction that you just had, again perspective is needed. Most of these dudes make at least $7-$10 million per year. On the low end, that equates to around $85,000 per game, which means they are being paid an equivalent of about a quarter and some change of a game. Is that really enough to cause consternation about not being a part of the festivities? Probably not. However, long term, being an All-Star provides leverage when it’s time for contract negotiation. Being respected enough by coaches around the league to be named a reserve is one thing.

Certainly nothing to scoff at, but playing well enough and being popular enough to garner the votes to become a starter gives a player the added cache to ask for the big piece of chicken when it’s time to get paid. In sports, an athlete gets what they have the clout to negotiate. Their money is tied directly to both performance and popularity because they are often synonymous. On the other hand, sports, including college and high school, is a business. That’s another topic for another date, but the baseline to business is making money. In order to do so, it is the job of upper management, as unbecoming as it may be, to lowball any player they can with the hopes of the revenue scale tilting in the organizations direction. This is one of the often overlooked reasons why accolades are so important to players.

This leads us to the new NBA All-Star Game voting format beginning this year. The ballot will remain the same in terms of backcourt and frontcourt delineation of players, and fans will still play a vital role in voting starters. This year, though, the fan votes will only account for 50% of the voting. Player votes and media votes will be worth 25% each, completing the formula to select starters. Players and media will vote using the exact same ballot that you and I will use. As expected, there has already been pushback from players. Most of them simply do not want the media involved. Carmelo Anthony said he’d rather, “leave it up to the fans.” Opting to let them “deal with it” as All-Star weekend is about fan engagement anyway. Kyrie Irving says that having players vote is a good thing, but the media’s “other 25%” should be, in his words, “thrown out.”

I can see what the NBA is trying to do. There are times when undeserving players get the nod over those more deserving due to a surge in votes. These votes can come from campaigns picking up late steam or stuffed ballots. Who knows? What we do know, is now the media will have their sometimes tenuous relationship with some players on full display. It is widely known that certain media types like particular players and loathe others. This has been proven with the omission of James Harden from the All-NBA team last year and the complete atrocity that is MLB Hall of Fame voting. This is to be expected when dealing with any other human being in close proximity on a regular basis. The media has a job to do. At times it is unenviable, but it’s their job nonetheless. But does this addition to the media adding their two cents fix the issue? Was there even a big enough issue for such a drastic change?

To those questions I say, no and no. There is no possible way to make everybody happy when it comes to voting of any kind. Whether it is polls, politics, or All-Star games, somebody will always feel like they are the odd man out. Adding more voices is seldom the solution. It often muddies the waters even more. What the NBA has done, in essence, is given the media a stake in player contracts. They’ve empowered the media to have an effect on a player’s participation in the game, and ultimately their leverage moving forward. Not to mention, some players have incentive bonuses written into their contracts that allow them to receive more money if they make the midseason pickup roster, aka All-Star roster. Yes, I made light of the basic incentive earlier in this article, but it’s still the terms that were negotiated. Players should have the right to maximize their contract free and clear of personal bias. And here’s another thing, players have their guys as well. If you’re my guy, I’m voting for you and you’re voting for me. This is Bro Code 101. Everybody eats, B. The difference is, the players are there. Playing. Every night. Well, most nights (again another topic for another day). The media pundits are not so their voting is subject, fairly or unfairly, to more criticism.

Saying all that, the change wasn’t really necessary. NBA voting is what it is. I believe most basketball fans, such as myself, have accepted All-Star weekend as a showcase for the fans. No big deal. Of course we would like to see all of our favorite players on the floor at once, but the game isn’t serious enough anymore for it to even matter. Long story short, there isn’t a fix to it mainly because it wasn’t broken. The NBA All-Star game is fine, and will be fine. Who will make it this year? Other than the regulars, we probably don’t know. I’m sure it will be discussed ad nauseam. For me, the real tragedy is how in the world did Aaron Gordon not win last year’s dunk contest. My man sat in a chair, went under both legs, while soaring over a 7-foot mascot, fam. How do you not win when you do that? That, my friends, is a real question that deserves a real answer.

**Note** This is Part 5/5 of “coiski 101: 5 Steps on Taking a Stance in an Article” lesson. You can read the previous four here.

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