The NBA is launching the 2021 All-Star Game voting on Thursday, Jan. 28, despite the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic forcing more than 20 cancelations in recent weeks.
Beginning at 9 a.m. PT, fans can submit one full ballot per day via the NBA app and NBA.com as well as place up to 10 votes on Twitter. In addition, the league will host five “2-for-1” days – on Jan. 30, Feb. 2, Feb. 4, Feb. 13 and Feb. 16 — when votes will count twice on each platform.
Fan voting will end on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 8:59 p.m. PT.
The NBA is yet to decide whether it will organize the All-Star Game this year. The event was set to take place in Indianapolis but due to the pandemic, those plans were abandoned and the city will instead host the 2024 All-Star Weekend.
Fan votes will account for 50% of the total results while players and selected members of the media will each decide 25% of the score. The two latter groups will submit one complete ballot featuring three frontcourt players and two guards from both the Western Conference and the Eastern Conference.
After the conclusion of the voting, players will be ranked by position (guard and frontcourt) in the two conferences within each voting group. A player’s final score will be determined by averaging his weighted rank from each voting group.
Then, two guards and three frontcourt players with the best score in each conference will be selected as the 2021 All-Star starters. In case of a tie, fan votes will decide which player ranks higher within a position group.
The NBA will provide two updates on the fan voting: one on Thursday, Feb. 4, and another on Thursday, Feb. 11. All-Star Game starters will be unveiled on TNT on Feb. 18.
The network will also announce NBA All-Star Game reserves, which will be selected by coaches, in the evening of Tuesday, Feb. 23.
LeBron James oldest Laker to score 40 points since Kobe Bryant’s final game
Right before the 2021 All-Star voting tipped off, LeBron James showed he was worthy of not only his 17th All-Star selection but perhaps even a fifth MVP Award and erupted for 46 points in the 115-108 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
By doing so, the forward became the oldest Laker (36 years, 26 days) to register a 40-point game since Kobe Bryant (37 years, 234 days), who memorably dropped 60 in the final game of his career against Utah Jazz in 2016.
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