Ever since the NBA began its annual exhibition game in 1951, with a total of 24 stars from both conferences, some fans have had a few questions: “Does the NBA All-Star Game matter?” and “Do All-Star Game stats count?” .
Well, the players who work towards becoming an All-Star throughout their childhood and then into adulthood would surely tell you that it matters since most of them never even become an All-Star throughout their careers. form a team.
Let’s dive in and get the answers for both.
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Does the All-Star Game Matter? All about All Star Game stats and player achievements
As we just said, All-Star Game is an annual exhibition game only. This game is organized by the NBA as a fun event between the top 24 players in the league from both the Eastern and Western Conferences (12 each).
These players have the inspiration to be the best of the best, but none of them go out of their way to win an All-Star Game MVP award, except maybe Kobe Bryant in the old days and Giannis Antetokounmpo these days.
Although All-Star selection is one of the greatest honors a player can have, it matters little how much they average in their career All-Star appearances. Not even being selected as a starter doesn’t affect anyone’s resume, either on NBA.com or in Basketball Reference.
Aside from the honor of being remembered as an n-time All-Star, there is no special weighting for an All-Star selection or playing in the All-Star Game. All-Star Game MVP can also be seen in the resume.
So there’s one thing that counts in an All-Star game.
Also read: Why NBA players don’t play defense in the All-Star Game
The changes to this year’s All-Star Event
In recent years the format of this game has changed and currently it is no longer an East vs West match. Although the selection criteria of the 24 players remain roughly the same.
The list of the top 5 vote winners from each conference (3 forwards, 2 guards) includes the first sum of player, fan and media votes. The top voters from each would choose the players from each conference to play on their teams on game day.
Personally, I enjoyed the All-Star Event when it used to be called East vs. West. Despite the lack of commitment from the defenders, it used to be a little contested.
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