LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Dwight Howard and Alex Caruso among top 10 vote-getters at respective positions in Western Conference All-Star race

The NBA released the early returns on All-Star voting, and it was no surprise to see Los Angeles Lakers forwards LeBron James and Anthony Davis as the top-two vote-getters in the Western Conference frontcourt. What was a little surprising was which teammate was joining them, as Alex Caruso has the eighth-most votes of any guard in the Western Conference, beating out both Devin Booker and Ja Morant, among others.

Will Booker hate double teams or Caruso more after this? Tough to guess, really.

It would seem Dwight Howard redemption arc has also resonated with fans, as his production has landed him 10th in frontcourt voting for the Western Conference. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic lead in votes in the Eastern and Western Conference, respectively.

Here are the full totals from the first returns:

Graphic courtesy of NBA Communications

I think that all there is to say is this: We did it. You’re welcome.

If you’d like to also vote for Caruso (and the other Lakers) we put together some handy instructions:

All that noted, and as hilarious of a flex of Lakers fans’ big-market muscles as this is, it is unlikely that Caruso or Howard actually make the All-Star game. Under the new voting system, fans only get 50% of the vote, and while Caruso and Howard have nice stories, it’s unlikely that the media and their fellow players (who each get 25% of the vote to determine the pool of players that team captains for the game will pick from, respectively) will vote Caruso or Howard in above their more productive peers.

Still, this is an amazing statement on just how many fans the Lakers have, how bought in they are to the legend of Caruso, and how much they have loved watching Howard resurrect his career during his second stint in Los Angeles. They may not ultimately get the nods, but we know who the people’s favorites really are. This is also perhaps the best argument yet that despite a lot of ink spilled to the contrary, market size very much can make a difference in a player’s popularity in the modern NBA.

For more Lakers talk, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast feed on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Podcasts. You can follow Harrison on Twitter at @hmfaigen.