Post by eric on Feb 14, 2020 21:18:03 GMT
LeBron James is set to break [consults notes] Kobe Bryant's all time record for All-Star starts with 16 this Sunday, even though it is the day of the Lord.
The first player to set the record for starts was actually ten players.
But by the sixth All-Star Game, only Bob Cousy remained of the Original Ten Starters.
And the seventh. Read it and weep Alex Groza!
And the eighth. Say it walking Bob Davies!
And the ninth. Those pretzels Mikan you thirsty, George?
And the tenth. James Clifford Amos Alonzo Pollard it took me longer to type this than you played boom roasted.
And the eleventh. Try giving a Joe, Fulks! wait...
And so on in that fashion, one All-Star Game start after another, all the way to his thirteenth.
1964 was the first All-Star Game to be played without the Houdini of the Hardwood starting, and, incredibly, the first to be televised.
Two players would later reach 11 starts, but just like real life Elgin Baylor and Jerry West couldn't quite get the job done.
R.J.'s record would finally be tied in 1986 by Kareem "A-J" Abdul-Jabbar and again in 2003 by M.J., but not broken until 2013 by the aforementioned Bryant, who led all players in votes received.
Steph Curry scored 23 ppg on 45/45/90, on a team that finished 2 games ahead of the Lakers, and came in eighth.
Behind Lakers Steve Nash.
Since no one else has hit 14 in the interim, the top five in starters are:
Point Guard: Bob Cousy
Point Forward: LeBron James
Point Leader (Career): Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
From North Carolina: Michael Jordan
Also: Kobe Bryant
Here are the top five in reserves to never start:
Point Guard and one of two Finals MVPs on the squad: Jo Jo White
Shooting Guard: Walter Ray Allen (no relation to Raymond Allen, whose best figures as we all know were 5 for 58 in his last first-class match, against the touring Fijians in 1953-54)
Small Forward and Team Captain: Paul Pierce
Center: Bob Lanier (backed up Bill Walton in the latter's only ASG appearance, which was the only season Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wasn't named All-Star and therefore didn't have to drag them up and down the court for yet another 48 minutes)
Also: Jack Sikma
.
The most tenured player in any given All-Star Game has seen severe dips twice.
In 1977 the American Basketball Association associated permanently with the National Basketball Association for assorted purposes, and four starting nods went to ABA alums: "The Three Nuggets" Bobby Jones, Dan Issell in his last All Star appearance of any kind, and David Thompson; and "Not a Nugget" All-Star MVP Julius Erving. (Although he also played in the ABA and saw his first All-Star start in this year, George McGinnis had actually jumped leagues the season before.) As a result, most starts was a tie with a stunning three: joint "honors" went to Bob McAdoo and Pete Maravich.
In 2001 Michael Jeffrey Jordan had not yet unretired and his GOAT heir apparent (air apparent?) (ladies??) was not yet even in the league, so an injury to Shaquille O'Neal left the "top" dog again reduced to a sad little three career All-Star starts; Jason Kidd, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant combined seamlessly to lead the Western Conference All-Stars to an almost win.
Which is also called a loss.
Things don't look so grim for whenever LeBron retires. Kevin Durant isn't long for this level but sitting at 8 he only needs another one to keep the average warm for Giannis Antetokounmpo to get past 5 and we'll be set.
.
That's all, folks!
The first player to set the record for starts was actually ten players.
But by the sixth All-Star Game, only Bob Cousy remained of the Original Ten Starters.
And the seventh. Read it and weep Alex Groza!
And the eighth. Say it walking Bob Davies!
And the ninth. Those pretzels Mikan you thirsty, George?
And the tenth. James Clifford Amos Alonzo Pollard it took me longer to type this than you played boom roasted.
And the eleventh. Try giving a Joe, Fulks! wait...
And so on in that fashion, one All-Star Game start after another, all the way to his thirteenth.
1964 was the first All-Star Game to be played without the Houdini of the Hardwood starting, and, incredibly, the first to be televised.
Two players would later reach 11 starts, but just like real life Elgin Baylor and Jerry West couldn't quite get the job done.
R.J.'s record would finally be tied in 1986 by Kareem "A-J" Abdul-Jabbar and again in 2003 by M.J., but not broken until 2013 by the aforementioned Bryant, who led all players in votes received.
Steph Curry scored 23 ppg on 45/45/90, on a team that finished 2 games ahead of the Lakers, and came in eighth.
Behind Lakers Steve Nash.
Since no one else has hit 14 in the interim, the top five in starters are:
Point Guard: Bob Cousy
Point Forward: LeBron James
Point Leader (Career): Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
From North Carolina: Michael Jordan
Also: Kobe Bryant
Here are the top five in reserves to never start:
Point Guard and one of two Finals MVPs on the squad: Jo Jo White
Shooting Guard: Walter Ray Allen (no relation to Raymond Allen, whose best figures as we all know were 5 for 58 in his last first-class match, against the touring Fijians in 1953-54)
Small Forward and Team Captain: Paul Pierce
Center: Bob Lanier (backed up Bill Walton in the latter's only ASG appearance, which was the only season Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wasn't named All-Star and therefore didn't have to drag them up and down the court for yet another 48 minutes)
Also: Jack Sikma
.
The most tenured player in any given All-Star Game has seen severe dips twice.
In 1977 the American Basketball Association associated permanently with the National Basketball Association for assorted purposes, and four starting nods went to ABA alums: "The Three Nuggets" Bobby Jones, Dan Issell in his last All Star appearance of any kind, and David Thompson; and "Not a Nugget" All-Star MVP Julius Erving. (Although he also played in the ABA and saw his first All-Star start in this year, George McGinnis had actually jumped leagues the season before.) As a result, most starts was a tie with a stunning three: joint "honors" went to Bob McAdoo and Pete Maravich.
In 2001 Michael Jeffrey Jordan had not yet unretired and his GOAT heir apparent (air apparent?) (ladies??) was not yet even in the league, so an injury to Shaquille O'Neal left the "top" dog again reduced to a sad little three career All-Star starts; Jason Kidd, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant combined seamlessly to lead the Western Conference All-Stars to an almost win.
Which is also called a loss.
Things don't look so grim for whenever LeBron retires. Kevin Durant isn't long for this level but sitting at 8 he only needs another one to keep the average warm for Giannis Antetokounmpo to get past 5 and we'll be set.
.
That's all, folks!