NBA All-Star 2010 roster

NO.	PLAYER (TEAM)	POS.	HT.	WT.	BIRTHDATE	FROM
23	* LeBron James (Cleveland)	F	6-8	250	12/30/84	St. Vincent/St. Mary HS
5	* Kevin Garnett (Boston)	F	6-11	253	05/19/76	Farragut Academy HS (CHI)
3	* Dwyane Wade (Miami)	G	6-4	220	01/17/82	Marquette
3	* Allen Iverson (Philadelphia)	G	6-0	165	06/07/75	Georgetown, D.C.
12	* Dwight Howard (Orlando)	C	6-11	265	12/08/85	SW Atlanta Christian Academy (GA)
15	# Al Horford (Atlanta)	C	6-10	245	06/03/86	Florida
4	Chris Bosh (Toronto)	F	6-10	230	03/24/84	Georgia Tech
34	Paul Pierce (Boston)	F	6-7	235	10/13/77	Kansas
3	# Gerald Wallace (Charlotte)	F	6-7	220	07/23/82	Alabama
2	Joe Johnson (Atlanta)	G	6-7	240	06/29/81	Arkansas
9	# Rajon Rondo (Boston)	G	6-1	171	02/22/86	Kentucky
1	# Derrick Rose (Chicago)	G	6-3	190	10/04/88	Memphis

NO.	PLAYER (TEAM)	POS.	HT.	WT.	BIRTHDATE	FROM
15	* Carmelo Anthony (Denver)	F	6-8	230	05/29/84	Syracuse
21	* Tim Duncan (San Antonio)	F	6-11	260	04/25/76	Wake Forest
24	* Kobe Bryant (L.A. Lakers)	G	6-6	205	08/23/78	Lower Merion HS (PA)
13	* Steve Nash (Phoenix)	G	6-3	178	02/07/74	Santa Clara
1	* Amar'e Stoudemire (Phoenix)	C	6-10	249	11/16/82	Cypress Creek (FL)
16	Pau Gasol (L.A. Lakers)	C	7-0	250	07/06/80	Barcelona, Spain
35	# Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City)	F	6-9	230	09/29/88	Texas
41	Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas)	F	7-0	245	06/19/78	Wurzburg, Germany
50	# Zach Randolph (Memphis)	F	6-9	260	07/16/81	Michigan State
3	Chris Paul (New Orleans)	G	6-0	175	05/06/85	Wake Forest
7	Brandon Roy (Portland)	G	6-6	211	07/23/84	Washington
8	# Deron Williams (Utah)	G	6-3	207	06/26/84	Illinois

NBA 2010 All-Star game will be on Feburuary 14 at Dallas


* - denotes starter
# - denotes first-time selection
i - denotes injured and will not participate
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NBA All-Star 2010 reserved to be announced on TNT

Update: 2010 NBA All-Star roster - complete list

The NBA All-Star reserve will be announced exclusively on TNT, Thursday January 28, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. According to YahooSports spoiler of the All-Star reserved point guards Deron Williams of Utah, Chicago's Derrick Rose and Boston's Rajon Rondo top the list of reserves chosen by the league's coaches. Williams, Rose and Rondo will make their NBA All-Star Game debuts next month in Dallas.

Other players on the list of East roster includes Boston's Paul Pierce, Toronto's Chris Bosh, Charlotte's Gerald Wallace and Atlanta's Joe Johnson and Al Horford. While the West reserves includes New Orleans' Chris Paul, the Lakers' Pau Gasol, Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant, Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki, Memphis' Zach Randolph and Portland's Brandon Roy.

Just check back for the complete list of the 2010 NBA All-Star game roster.
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NBA All-Star Rookie challenge 2010 roster

Chicago bulls guard Derrick Rose and Kings sensational rookie Tyreke Evans lead a list of 18 players selected for the 2010 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge to be held on Friday, Feb. 12 at American Airlines Center in Dallas. The participants were selected by the NBA's assistant coaches. NBA Rookie Challenge is a part of the 2010 NBA All-Star that will took place on February 11-14, 2010.

Rookie Team roster

Player (Team)	Position	Height/ Weight	School/ Country
Omri Casspi (Kings)	F	6-9/225	Israel
DeJuan Blair (Spurs)	F-C	6-7/265	Pittsburgh
Stephen Curry (Warriors)	G	6-3/185	Davidson
Tyreke Evans (Kings)	G	6-6/220	Memphis
Jonny Flynn (Timberwolves)	G	6-0/186	Syracuse
Taj Gibson (Bulls)	F	6-9/225	USC
James Harden (Thunder)	G	6-5/220	Arizona State
Brandon Jennings (Bucks)	G	6-1/169	Lottomatica Virtus Roma (Italy)
Jonas Jerebko (Pistons)	F	6-10/231	Sweden

Sophomore Team roster

Player (Team)	Position	Height/ Weight	School/ Country
Michael Beasley (Heat)	F	6-9/245	Kansas State
Marc Gasol (Grizzlies)	C	7-1/265	Spain
Danilo Gallinari (Knicks)	G-F	6-10/225	Italy
Eric Gordon (Clippers)	G	6-3/222	Indiana
Brook Lopez (Nets)	C	7-0/260	Stanford
Kevin Love (Timberwolves)	F-C	6-10/260	UCLA
O.J. Mayo (Grizzlies)	G	6-4/210	USC
Derrick Rose (Bulls)	G	6-3/190	Memphis
Russell Westbrook (Thunder)	G	6-3/187	UCLA

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NBA All-Star 2010 starters revealed - Nash, Duncan, Iverson in

Steve Nash and Tim Duncan made late moves to claim starting spots for the NBA All-Star Western Conference, Nash takes over inactive Houston Rockets guard Tracy McGrady position, while Duncan passed the Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki.

Allen Iverson also make it as starter for the Eastern Conference even though he's played only 19 games. Iverson appeared in the West ballot since he began the season in Memphis but his votes counted in the East after rejoining the Philadelphia 76ers.

NBA All-Star West starters


Steve Nash - Guard (1,222,235 Votes)
Kobe Bryant - Guard (2,456,224 Votes)
Amare Stoudemire - Center (1,824,093 Votes)
Tim Duncan - Forward (1,156,696 Votes)
Carmelo Anthony - Forward (2,137,560 Votes)


NBA All-Star East starters


Allen Iverson - Guard (1,269,568 Votes)
Dwayne Wade - Guard (2,327,550 Votes)
Dwight Howard - Center (2,360,096 Votes)
Lebron James - Forward (2,549,793 Votes)
Kevin Garnett - Forward (1,978,116 Votes)

The reserves will be announced next Thursday and will be chosen by votes by the head coaches in each conference. 2010 NBA All-Star game will takes place on February 14, 2010 at Cowboys Stadium.

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Steve Nash overtook T-Mac in All-Star roster, Iverson in

Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash has took over the place of Houston Rocket Tracy McGrady
in the final days of balloting to secure a Western Conference starting spot in the 2010 All-Star game. McGrady who is coming off an injury played just played six games for a total of 46 minutes this season. The team has decided to separate from him until the Rockets can work a trade for him.

Allen Iverson, was also voted into the Feb. 14th game in Dallas as a starter for the Eastern Conference. Iverson averaged 14.8 points for the 76ers . This will be Iverson’s 11th All-Star appearance.

The complete and final list of the NBA All-Star game roster will be announce Thursday night during TNT’s doubleheader broadcast.

Via YahooSports
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Kobe's jersey is still the NBA's top selling jersey

Kobe Bryant has retained the top spot on the NBA’s Most Popular Jerseys list, the ranking he has held since the start of the 2008-09 season. The rankings are based on sales at the NBA Store in New York City and NBAStore.com since the start of the 2009-10 NBA season.

Still in number two spot is Lebron James, followed by Magic center Dwight Howard and Derrick Rose respectively, both Howard and Rose appeared in the Top 5 for the first time. Howard moving from No. 10 to No. 3 on this year’s list but Rose was the biggest surprise, who moves into the No.4 spot from No.11 last season and is ahead of another superstar Dwayne Wade. Wade's jersey sits in 5th spot.

Below is the list of the top 15 top selling NBA jersey:

1. Kobe Bryant – Los Angeles Lakers
2. LeBron James – Cleveland Cavaliers
3. Dwight Howard- Orlando Magic
4. Derrick Rose – Chicago Bulls
5. Dwyane Wade – Miami Heat
6. Kevin Garnett – Boston Celtics
7. Chris Paul – New Orleans Hornets
8. Paul Pierce – Boston Celtics
9. Shaquille O’Neal – Cleveland Cavaliers
10. Pau Gasol – Los Angeles Lakers
11. Carmelo Anthony – Denver Nuggets
12. Steve Nash – Phoenix Suns
13. David Lee – New York Knicks
14. Allen Iverson – Philadelphia 76ers
15. Kevin Durant – Oklahoma City Thunder


Via RealGMBasketball

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2010 NBA All-Star Balloting Fourth Returns

In this fourth return of 2010 NBA All-Star ballots, Kobe still lead the pac over-all followed by James.

Below is the full list of votes gather by a player.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Forwards: LeBron James (Cle) 1,769,287; Kevin Garnett (Bos) 1,467,365; Chris Bosh (Tor) 724,317; Paul Pierce (Bos) 366,234; Josh Smith (Atl) 334,338; Andre Iguodala (Phi) 228,343; Danny Granger (Ind) 213,371; Michael Beasley (Mia) 188,552; Rashard Lewis (Orl) 151,717; Hedo Turkoglu (Tor) 133,445; Caron Butler (Was) 110,003.

Guards: Dwyane Wade (Mia) 1,719,359; Allen Iverson (Phi) 930,713; Vince Carter (Orl) 745,581; Ray Allen (Bos) 510,885; Gilbert Arenas (Was) 445,473; Derrick Rose (Chi) 385,829; Joe Johnson (Atl) 329,100; Rajon Rondo (Bos) 269,566; Jose Calderon (Tor) 157,354; Mike Bibby (Atl) 155,078.

Centers: Dwight Howard (Orl) 1,681,897; Shaquille O'Neal (Cle) 609,486; Al Horford (Atl) 178,360; Andrea Bargnani (Tor) 168,684; Brook Lopez (NJ) 154,362; Andrew Bogut (Mil) 143,545; Jermaine O'Neal (Mia) 111,065; Rasheed Wallace (Bos) 87,590; Kendrick Perkins (Bos) 56,598; Samuel Dalembert (Phi) 53,880; Tyson Chandler (Cha) 44,279; Brad Miller (Chi) 40,182.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Forwards: Carmelo Anthony (Den) 1,568,259; Dirk Nowitzki (Dal) 826,130; Tim Duncan (SA) 776,225; Pau Gasol (LAL) 754,070; Kevin Durant (OKC) 556,847; Trevor Ariza (Hou) 504,725; Luis Scola (Hou) 437,944; Shawn Marion (Dal) 295,310; Ron Artest (LAL) 266,554; Lamar Odom (LAL) 194,567; LaMarcus Aldridge (Por) 177,663.

Guards: Kobe Bryant (LAL) 1,793,782; Tracy McGrady (Hou) 746,625; Steve Nash (Pho) 744,250; Chris Paul (NO) 701,417; Aaron Brooks (Hou) 443,369; Jason Kidd (Dal) 429,720; Chauncey Billups (Den) 310,281; Deron Williams (Utah) 285,185; Manu Ginobili (SA) 261,107; Brandon Roy (Por) 257,231; Tony Parker (SA) 248,951.

Centers: Amar'e Stoudemire (Pho) 1,304,470; Andrew Bynum (LAL) 743,182; Nene (Den) 261,295; Marc Gasol (Mem) 217,675; Antonio McDyess (SA) 157,346; Al Jefferson (Min) 146,773; Greg Oden (Por) 136,388; Marcus Camby (LAC) 121,981; Andris Biedrins (GS) 102,095; Mehmet Okur (Utah) 96,897; Emeka Okafor (NO) 94,685; Spencer Hawes (Sac) 31,767.

Via NBAFanHouse

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Shaq calling out stars to NBA All-Star dunk

Cavs' center Shaquille O'neal is calling out the stars to participate in the NBA All-Star dunk contest. Shaq plan to bring back the stars, not only to save the said event during the All-Star weekend but also he wants them to do it for the people of Haiti.

After a win over the Raptors Tuesday night, Shaq was asked if he would like to see teammate LeBron James participate in this year’s event, Shaq, then come up an idea of putting some stars in the dunk contest. He wants to see stars on it, he wants to see the likes of former dunk champion Vince Carter, Kobe Bryant and others take part along with Lebron.

“As his manager, I will only allow ‘Bron to do the dunk contest if Vince Carter comes back out,” O’Neal said. “If Kobe comes back out and if another big name comes back out. If we could get a big prize and have half of the money go to the people of Haiti and the other half to the winner.

“The guys that are in it, no disrespect to them, but there won’t really be any competition for LeBron. I want to see Kobe. I want to see Vince and I will allow my client to enter.”

Shaq is calling out everyone to help him to get the attention of those stars.

“I’m saying it now,” O’Neal said. “So tweet it. Facebook it. E-mail it and hopefully it gets out. Vince, we’re calling you out. Kobe, we’re calling you out. We’re calling everybody out. If those guys step up in the dunk contest, then I will allow my client to step up.”

James has decided to skip next month’s event in Dallas after originally saying he would participate which leaves a lot of NBA fans to disappointment.

Via YahooSports

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Marbury to play in a pro team in China

The former NBA All-Star guard Stephon Marbury signed a deal to play for a professional team in China. According to YahooSports, Marbury will be making $25,000 per a month, he will be playing for Shanxi Zhongyu, a team that need some help to get closer on the top of the standing. Shanxi lost 10 of 13 games and sits in 12th place in the 17-team CBA.

"Marbury's salary is not an astronomical figure because by coming here he also hopes to open up the Chinese market and sell his shoes," Xingjiang said.

Marbury played 13 season in the NBA with Minnesota, New Jersey, Phoenix, New York and played 23 games with the Boston Celtics last season and earned nearly $22 million. He averaged 19.3 points in his career.

Marbury has reportedly turned down a few European overtures during the summer,including bids by two Greek teams before agreeing to the deal with Shanxi Zhongyu. Shanxi said they expected Marbury to play his first game on Jan. 27 against Qingdao.

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NBA 2010 All-Star jersey revealed

Photos of NBA All-Star jersey were posted on NBA Store and hit the online store today, however, there is no official announcement or press releases from the NBA yet.

Below are photos of the 2010 NBA All-Star jersey

Via NBA Fanhouse

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Nate, Brown, Wallace is the 2010 All-Star Slam Dunk participants

Nate Robinson will return to slam dunk to defend the title on NBA All-Star Saturday night, February 13 at American Airlines Center in Dallas. Robinson will attempt to become the first three-time winner of the competition. Robinson will defend the title against Lakers' high flying guard Shanon Brown and Bobcats' Gerald Wallace.

Lebron James who announced during last year's dunk contest that he would compete this season slam dunk was not included in the list. The 2010 Sprite Slam Dunk participants were revealed Monday at a special event at New York's Pennsylvania Station, where artist Dan Dunn brought each player's image to life in a speed painting display on giant canvases.

The Raptors' DeMar DeRozan and the Clippers' Eric Gordon will compete in the NBA All-Star Slam Dunk-In for the 4th spot during the halftime of the Friday night's Rookie Challenge.
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Watch Lakers vs Magic game live stream online

Watch Lakers vs Magic live stream game rematch.


Watch live video from TENCHISTV TOOLBAR on Justin.tv
Defending NBA champions LA Lakers and Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic will face each other for the first time since they met in the Finals last season. Though, not totally healthy, the Lakers is still look poised to defend their NBA title while Orlando Magic is struggling and aren't playing like they're capable of creating a finals rematch. Lakers will face a different Magic team who traded Hedo Turkoglu for Vince Carter with the Raptors. Magic lost six of their last eight games including a 102-87 loss to the Trailblazers. Magic look to end their four-game trip with a win at Staples Center.

Meanwhile, Lakers look to continue its home dominance against Magic. The Lakers have won 17 of their last 18 home games overall, improving to a league-best 22-3 at home. They defeated the Magic in both meetings at Staples in the finals. Lakers will have a complete line up entering this game after Pau Gasol has returned from a hamstring injury. Gasol missed the season's first 11 games with another hamstring injury. Will the Lakers continue its home dominance against the Magic? Just watch Lakers vs Magic 2010 game rematch live at the Stales Center. Game time start 10:30 PM ET.


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Curious picks, and a call to alter All-Star voting

Unwanted by their teams, Allen Iverson and Tracy McGrady are still adored by their fans.

The Memphis Grizzlies quickly parted ways with Iverson. The Houston Rockets are trying to trade McGrady.

Maybe the players can swap stories of their rocky roads while covering each other at the All-Star game.

Despite having little to no impact this season, both went into the final hours of voting in position to start, thanks to loyal fans who still consider them stars even though their stats say otherwise. And with fans showing signs of getting it so wrong, Boston Celtics guard Ray Allen thinks it’s time to limit their influence. The nine-time All-Star said the fan voting has made the game “watered down” and calls for a change in the process.

“I like the fact that the fans get the opportunity to vote and pick who they’d like to see in the All-Star game, but I don’t think it should be 100 percent,” Allen said this week.

Allen said fans should have 50 percent of the vote, with the other 50 percent being divided evenly between the media and the players. He said players know who is playing the best, and believes with his idea, “you’d look at five guys starting the All-Star team regardless of hype or highlight.”

The NBA likes things the way they are.

“We look at it as a great way to engage the fans,” NBA spokesman Brian McIntyre said. “We think it’s a good system.”

The NBA went to fan voting for the starters in the mid-70s and this season made it even more available to its fans by allowing them to vote by text messaging. Paper balloting has already closed, but votes can be cast until 11:59 p.m. Monday night on nba.com or by texting a player’s last name to 6-9-6-2-2 (MYNBA). Starters will be announced Thursday night.

McGrady has a good chance of being passed, as his lead over Steve Nash for the second guard spot in the Western Conference was only 2,375 votes when the most recent update was released on Jan. 7. He hasn’t been able to strengthen his case since then, since he’d already been granted a leave from the Rockets while they try to find a trade.

He’s played sparingly in only six games this season since coming back from knee surgery, and Allen thinks commissioner David Stern should consider a rule mandating a player appear in a minimum number of games to be eligible.

“Tracy, if he played, I’m sure he’d play well enough to be an All-Star player because he’s done that his career,” Allen said. “But again, that’s taking away from another player in the Western Conference that’s having a great year, that’s been playing, that deserves to be in there.”

Iverson had a better shot of holding on to his No. 2 spot in the East, leading Vince Carter by more than 185,000 votes. He’s listed with West players on the paper ballot after starting the season in Memphis, but his votes count in the East since he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers.

He hasn’t played at an All-Star level this season, but fans may be looking at what he’s done in the past.

“A lot of times voting reflects career achievement as well as yearly achievements,” McIntyre said.

Allen also mentioned getting the coaches, who pick the reserves, involved in selecting the starters. Even that may not guarantee the most deserving 10 players, since coaches could have their own opinions about who belongs in the All-Star game.

During Shaquille O’Neal’s unproductive, injury-plagued final season in Miami in 2008, former Knicks coach Isiah Thomas said he planned to vote him as a reserve anyway, recalling when he played that respected older players such as Julius Erving still made All-Star teams late in their careers.

That’s why Charlotte coach Larry Brown supports Iverson’s election.

“I’ve seen Willie Mays and those older guys start based on what they’ve done in their career in baseball and we’ve had that happen in basketball for years, guys that have made a contribution,” Brown said. “That’s why the fans are involved and I think it’s kind of neat that they are involved. They support the league, they vote for their favorite players. I always look at a guy’s body of work.”

That’s fine for some, but it means worthy players are going to be left out. Unlike baseball, which mandates every team be represented in its All-Star game, the NBA has only 12 spots per conference to fill.

“You figure if there’s 24 players that get named to the All-Star team, there’s always 30 that deserve it, and you figure that’s six that should be on the All-Star team,” Allen said.

Toronto forward Chris Bosh(notes) had little chance of starting the game in his hometown of Dallas, sitting well behind LeBron James and Kevin Garnett despite a terrific first half. Yet he doesn’t want to change the voting format.

“It’s all about the fans,” he said. “It’s all about who they want to see because they generate the dollars, they’re going to watch the game, so they’re going to vote for their favorite players and that’s probably how it should be.”


Via: YahooSports

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Allen takes issue with fans' voting role

2010 NBA All-Star week will be on February 11-14, 2009

---

Celtics guard Ray Allen thinks it's time to limit fans' influence in All-Star voting, with Allen Iverson and Tracy McGrady, despite having little to no impact this season, both headed into the final hours of voting in position to start.

Unwanted by their teams, Iverson and McGrady are still adored by their fans, who still consider them stars even though their stats say otherwise.

The Memphis Grizzlies quickly parted ways with Iverson. The Houston Rockets are trying to trade McGrady.

Maybe the players can swap stories of their rocky roads while covering each other at the All-Star Game.

"I like the fact that the fans get the opportunity to vote and pick who they'd like to see in the All-Star Game, but I don't think it should be 100 percent," Allen said this week.

The nine-time All-Star said the fan voting has made the game "watered down" and called for a change in the process.

Allen said fans should have 50 percent of the vote, with the other 50 percent being divided evenly between the media and the players. He said players know who is playing the best, and believes with his idea, "you'd look at five guys starting the All-Star team regardless of hype or highlight."

The NBA likes things the way they are.

"We look at it as a great way to engage the fans," NBA spokesman Brian McIntyre said. "We think it's a good system."

The NBA went to fan voting for the starters in the mid-70s, and this season made it even more available to its fans by allowing them to vote by text messaging.

Paper balloting has already closed, but votes can be cast until 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday night on nba.com or by texting a player's last name to 6-9-6-2-2 (MYNBA). Starters will be announced Thursday night.

McGrady has a good chance of being passed, as his lead over Steve Nash for the second guard spot in the Western Conference was only 2,375 votes when the most recent update was released Jan. 7.

McGrady hasn't been able to strengthen his case since then, since he'd already been granted a leave from the Rockets while they try to find a trade.

He has played sparingly in only six games this season since coming back from knee surgery, and Allen thinks commissioner David Stern should consider a rule mandating that a player appear in a minimum number of games to be eligible.

"Tracy, if he played, I'm sure he'd play well enough to be an All-Star player, because he's done that his career," Allen said. "But again, that's taking away from another player in the Western Conference that's having a great year, that's been playing, that deserves to be in there."

Iverson had a better shot of holding on to his No. 2 spot in the East, leading Vince Carter by more than 185,000 votes. He's listed with West players on the paper ballot after starting the season in Memphis, but his votes count in the East since he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers.

He hasn't played at an All-Star level this season, but fans may be looking at what he's done in the past.

"A lot of times voting reflects career achievement as well as yearly achievements," McIntyre said.

Allen also mentioned getting the coaches, who pick the reserves, involved in selecting the starters. Even that may not guarantee the most deserving 10 players, since coaches could have their own opinions about who belongs in the All-Star Game.

During Shaquille O'Neal's unproductive, injury-plagued final season in Miami in 2008, former Knicks coach Isiah Thomas said he planned to vote him as a reserve anyway, recalling that when he played respected older players such as Julius Erving still made All-Star teams late in their careers.

That's why Charlotte coach Larry Brown supports Iverson's election.

"I've seen Willie Mays and those older guys start based on what they've done in their career in baseball, and we've had that happen in basketball for years, guys that have made a contribution," Brown said. "That's why the fans are involved, and I think it's kind of neat that they are involved. They support the league, they vote for their favorite players. I always look at a guy's body of work."

That's fine for some, but it means worthy players are going to be left out. Unlike baseball, which mandates every team be represented in its All-Star Game, the NBA has only 12 spots per conference to fill.

"You figure if there's 24 players that get named to the All-Star team, there's always 30 that deserve it, and you figure that's six that should be on the All-Star team," Allen said.

Toronto forward Chris Bosh had little chance of starting the game in his hometown of Dallas, sitting well behind LeBron James and Kevin Garnett despite a terrific first half. Yet he doesn't want to change the voting format.

"It's all about the fans," he said. "It's all about who they want to see because they generate the dollars, they're going to watch the game, so they're going to vote for their favorite players, and that's probably how it should be."

Via: ESPN Sports

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Gordon 'suprised' by dunk-in competition selection

Friends and family were surprised. So was teammate Baron Davis. The contestant was too.

"I was kind of surprised," said Clippers guard Eric Gordon of being selected for the first-ever dunk-in for a spot in the NBA All-Star dunk contest. "I'm not really a big-time dunker. I might get one off every other game or something... My family thought I'd be in the 3-point [contest]."

Gordon, who has a stocky 6-foot-3 frame and is known more for his deep ball, will face Raptors 6-foot-7 high-flyer DeMar DeRozan.


"He's super athletic," Gordon said of DeRozan, who was the McDonald's All-American Slam Dunk contest winner in 2008. "That's his type of game. That's what he does best -- dunking."

In the dunk-in, each participant will have two dunks each, with a two-minute time limit for each dunk. The event will take place at halftime of the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam on Feb. 12. Fans will vote via text and at NBA.com for the dunker who will move on to the main event on Feb. 13.

Gordon said he hasn't had a chance to plan out his attack or if he will use props.

"I'm definitely going to surprise some people," he said. "A lot of my teammates and family will have input. I'm going to do something different."

Davis seems to think Gordon has a chance.

"I have seen him in practice," Davis said. "He has something up his sleeves. He's going to do well."

In what may be a surprise in Los Angeles is Shannon Brown having not been contacted by the NBA to be a contestant. The Lakers guard has had his fair share of highlight slams, which can be seen at www.letshannondunk.com.

Brown has made it clear he still wants to be in the contest.

"It's something I want," he said Friday. "We're supposed to find out by Monday. That's the announcement to the world."

Source: NBA.com
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Gaines 3-point at the buzzer beat the Cavs

Sundiata Gaines saves the day for the Utah Jazz as he knocks down a buzzer beater three point shot that helps the Jazz to win 97-96 over the Cleveland Cavaliers Thursday night. Carlos Boozer led the Jazz with 19 Pts, 13 Rebs, 6 Assists while Lebron James has 36 Pts, 9 Rebs, 6 Assists for the Cavs. Gaines scored only 9 points but his lone 3-point shot at the buzzer sends the Jazz into celebration.




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Ellis makes strong case for All-Star nod

Monta Ellis(notes) is putting up 30-point games at such a pace he’s drawing comparisons to greats like Allen Iverson(notes). He’s also making quite a case to earn the Golden State Warriors their first All-Star nod since Latrell Sprewell 13 years ago.

“He’s more powerful in some ways than Iverson was,” Boston coach Doc Rivers said. “I don’t know if he’s a scorer like Iverson yet, but he’s working on it. He’s still so young.”

While Ellis has all the impressive numbers to make him an All-Star, the big question is whether he can beat out other top guards in the Western Conference whose teams have far more wins.

Ellis is averaging 25.9 points per game for a young Warriors team that sits at 11-26, but everybody around this franchise knows there would be even fewer W’s without Ellis.

When disgruntled swingman Stephen Jackson(notes) finally left town in a trade with Charlotte in November, Ellis quickly took the reins for a club that desperately needed someone to do so.

“It’s really just coming to me,” Ellis said. “I’m trying to get everybody involved, get myself going.”

His teammates are campaigning for Ellis to be the team’s first All-Star since 1997.

“All-Star status,” Ronny Turiaf(notes) said. “There is nothing else to say, no other way to describe it. He’s playing at such a high level. I’m going to be in Dallas to watch him.”

Ellis has four 30-point games in his last six outings and has hit that number in 15 of 28 games since Jackson was traded Nov. 16.

“Monta Ellis is one of those untalked-about stars, but I’d like to put him in the top seven guards,” Cleveland’s Shaquille O’Neal(notes) said. “He’s a great player.”

Ellis signed a lucrative $66 million, six-year deal after he averaged a career-best 20.2 points during the 2007-08 season. He then sustained a serious ankle injury that summer on his motorized scooter and missed most of the season. It cost him a 30-game suspension without pay, because he wasn’t supposed to be riding such a vehicle.

He returned to average 19 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 25 games.

It was a tough year, but Ellis is so important to the Warriors that coach Don Nelson and general manager Larry Riley flew to Memphis to visit him during the offseason. The aim: to reiterate what he meant to this tough-luck franchise.

Still, the guard arrived at training camp somewhat disgruntled, questioning whether he and top draft pick Stephen Curry(notes) could coexist in the backcourt. Ellis later backed down and now’s he having his best season yet.

During the summer, Ellis became a father to Monta Jr., so he’s clearly thriving at work and home.

“He’s a very talented player,” Cavaliers superstar LeBron James(notes) said. “To be able to come back from the injuries that he had with the motorcycle accident is unbelievable. His work and the determination to come back and do what he’s been doing for this team, and for him individually, has been great.”

Yet there are those who believe the Warriors’ lack of success will hurt Ellis’ chances of being an All-Star. Golden State is second-to-last in the talented Western Conference and still doesn’t have a three-game winning streak this season.

“I don’t think about the All-Star (vote),” Ellis said. “If it happens, it happens. If it don’t, I’ll continue to do what I can to help turn this organization around and help our team win.”

There’s no denying Ellis is a game-changer.

His 37-point performance in a 103-99 victory over the Celtics on Dec. 28 was his third straight game with 30 or more points.

“He basically had his way with us tonight,” Boston guard Ray Allen(notes) said afterward.

Ellis converted two free throws with 2.3 seconds left and rallied his team back from an early 18-point deficit in that win—and that’s just one example of his late-game heroics.

“He’s just tough. He’s a heck of a scorer, he’s athletic as heck,” Rivers said. “I think a lot of people think he’s a shooter. He’s more of a scorer in my opinion. He slashes and beats you to the basket. He does make the 3. He’s a bona fide scorer.”

It’s clear everybody around the Warriors has finally moved past Ellis’ tumultuous season a year ago and is thankful to have his steady production now.

“He’s really being a true leader now, especially when we need points,” center Andris Biedrins(notes) said. “He’s willing to take the responsibility and take the tough shots. He’s just being more aggressive. He knows when we need a bucket and he can (take over). He’s that good.”

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DeRozan and Gordon to compete in first NBA All-Star Slam Dunk-In

DeMar DeRozan a Raptors guard and Clippers guard Eric Gordon are the two players chosen to compete for the 4th spot of the All-Star Slam Dunk-In competition that will be held during the halftime of the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge Friday, Feb. 12. The dunk-in winner will advance to the 2010 All-Star Saturday Night Sprite Slam Dunk event and will compete against three other dunk participants for the 2010 Sprite Slam Dunk title.

A rookie forward from USC, DeRozan is drafted ninth in the 2009 draft and is averaging 7.8 ppg with Toronto. While Gordon is in his second NBA season out of Indiana, averaging 17.1 ppg with the Clippers this season after being selected seventh overall in 2008.

Both players are a high flyer, who do you think will complete the list of the Slam Dunk participants?

Here's what we are going to see on DeRozan


and here's a sample from Gordon


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First NBA Slam Dunk-In to be held during All-Star Weekend

NBA will hold its first Slam Dunk-In during the halftime of the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam on Friday, Feb. 12. The Dunk-in will be a one-round slam dunk-in contest that will determine the 4th spot for the 2010 Sprite Slam Dunk competition.The participants will have two dunks each, with a two-minute time limit to complete each dunk.
The winner will determined by the fans through voting via SMS text messages or voting in NBA.com during the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam. Voting will start as the event begins and will close two minutes after the final dunk of each participants.

NBA All-Star Slam Dunk-In participants will be announced by TNT on-air during NBA Tip-Off presented by AutoTrader.com on Thurs., Jan 14, at 8 p.m. ET. The first three contestants in the Sprite Slam Dunk will be announced on Monday, Jan. 18. Sprite Slam Dunk is a part of the NBA All-Star 2010 that will takes place at Dallas on Feb 11-14, 2010.

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Brandon Roy All-Star video campaign

Travis Outlaw gives Brandon Roy some ideas on what to do for his 2010 NBA All-Star campaign.
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Iverson, McGrady among leaders in All-Star votes

Back in Philadelphia, Allen Iverson(notes) could be back in the All-Star game.

Tracy McGrady(notes) also could have a starting spot—even though he might not play another game before then.

Iverson surged into second place among Eastern Conference guards Thursday after the third returns of All-Star balloting, putting him in position to make his ninth start. He is more than 155,000 votes ahead of No. 3 Vince Carter(notes) or Orlando.

Iverson is listed with the Western Conference guards on the paper ballot, having started the season in Memphis. But his votes count toward the East since rejoining his longtime team on Dec. 3.


McGrady inched back ahead of Steve Nash(notes) by 1,005 votes for second among West guards. He played only six games for the Rockets before they decided he would leave the team while exploring a trade for him.

Starters for the Feb. 14 game in Dallas will be announced Jan. 21.

The other players on track to start are more predictable—and more deserving. LeBron James(notes) and Kevin Garnett(notes) lead East forwards, Dwight Howard(notes) is tops among East centers and Dwyane Wade(notes) is the No. 1 East guard.

Kobe Bryant(notes), who won his third All-Star MVP last year, is the overall leading vote-getter. Carmelo Anthony(notes) and Dirk Nowitzki(notes) are the leaders at West forward and Amare Stoudemire at center.

Source: YahooSports

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