This is the time of year when the NBA really likes to show itself off. The trade deadline brings big drama, which just included the giant news of a James Harden for Ben Simmons deal between Brooklyn and Philly. And next up the NBA All-Star Game, which is the showcase that really speaks to the league’s style-first fans.
Style-first because a guy with six amazing SportsCenter dunks is almost guaranteed to get more fan votes than the sixth man on a winner averaging eight rebounds a game and locking down on defense. That’s just the way it is. The spectacle beats the efficient. And then there are players who provide both.
Yes, even among these NBA All-Star elite, there are two players who stand far above in the fan love metric: LeBron James and Stephen Curry. These two dominated the vote-getting, as they were expected to. And you know how commonplace it’s become? Nobody on the Warriors even remembered to congratulate Curry on being elected an All-Star starter, again.
His coach, Steve Kerr, was amused.
“We all got a great kick out of the formality that is Steph Curry being named a starter in the All-Star Game,” Kerr told NBA.com. “Maybe that’s when you know you’ve made it. When nobody even bothers to congratulate you on that kind of achievement.”
Granted, the Warriors were distracted by the selection of first-time All-Star Andrew Wiggins, the Warriors dynamic forward who has found a new gear. And Curry was as amused as his coach, not needing the ego boost of congratulatory fanfare that many superstars thrive on. “It was hilarious,” Curry said, of his teammates neglecting to acknowledge his accomplishment.
The NBA Finals — in June — are also usually dramatic, but by then the bounty of stars has winnowed and only one or two superstars are left. In the past decade, that winnowed group has often included James or Curry. It’s a more dedicated fan that pays attention to the nuances that bring championships home, and it’s a certainty that nobody will forget to congratulate Curry if he leads his Warriors to the Finals again.
