NBA All-Star game chatter from LeBron James, Blake Griffin, Carmelo Anthony ...
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
Wondering if this year’s NHL All-Star game format, in which the two teams were drafted by captains from the pool of players selected to participate, would work in the NBA ...
Not sure whether it would fly, but the selection show would certainly be must-see TV. Who would be the captains? And who would be the first player picked, the final player selected and the most upset powerful player agent?
LeBron James of the Miami Heat did not think it would be doable, but for a different reason: dislike.
‘No, because Eastern Conference, Western Conference, we don’t like each other,’ he said. ‘We would not pick somebody from the Western Conference to be over here to be with us and I don’t think they would, either. I don’t think it would work.’
Said teammate Dwyane Wade: ‘It would be interesting, to say the least; let me say that. I don’t know how fun it would be, but it would be very interesting. You can look on our team and you have to say, on one side, you like [Kevin] Garnett and the other side, Kobe [Bryant]. These guys have the most years, I believe, right?
‘And then Garnett is going to pick all his teammates, and he’s going to pick none of the Heat. So it will be all mixed up.’
The Clippers’ Blake Griffin wasn’t so sure about a change in the format but knew whom he would pick first: ‘Baron [Davis].’
After all, the man does know where the alley-oops are coming from.
There was some fun back-and-forth between Griffin and Carmelo Anthony on the bus ride over for media availability. Actually, it went one way with Anthony teasing Griffin.
Griffin retold the story, smiling: ‘On the bus today, Melo was saying I’ve gotta stop being angry at the rim.’
-- Lisa Dillman
