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Despite a valiant effort from Los Angeles Lakers fans across the globe, rookies Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma will not be representing the team when the All-Star game rolls through Los Angeles on Feb. 18. Shocking, I know.
According to the results, Ball and Kuzma finished sixth and tenth in fan voting among their respective categories. That’s hardly a surprise, as Lakers fans have shown their strength in numbers in the past. Last season, Jordan Clarkson finished sixth in fan voting, ahead of names like Eric Gordon and Damian Lillard.
However, what wasn’t expected was the amount of active NBA players that voted for the two rookies. Ball came in 13th in backcourt votes among players, while Kuzma came in 12th among frontcourt players in the Western Conference.
These aren’t fans that want to see their favorite players in the big game, or members of the media, who also ranked the rookie duo favorably, these are players. While Ball and Kuzma might not be All-Stars this season, they seem to have caught the attention of their peers around the league. That counts for something for a team with aspirations of chasing big name free agents in the summers to come.
The Lakers will have other opportunities to take part in the many festivities that take place during All-Star Weekend.
Ball, Kuzma and Brandon Ingram will almost certainly be selected to participate in the Rising Stars Challenge and, barring another last minute injury, Larry Nance Jr. might finally compete in the dunk contest. #LETLARRYDUNK
We could even see Brook Lopez in the skills challenge, as the league has adopted the “bigs vs guards” format over the past couple of years. Anything is possible.