Golden State Warriors players Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry approve of the NBA’s new format for next year's All-Star Game which will integrate the fans with the media and fellow players — all having a say in who gets elected as a starter.
“I called for that a couple years ago,” Durant told ESPN's Chris Haynes. “The players know more than anybody who should be All-Stars, who the best players on their teams are, the best players in the league. So it’s good that we get a say, get a voice in who should be in it. I’m sure it’s going to be a couple biased opinions, but for the most part, we know as players, and you guys being around so much, know who’s contributing and should be in the All-Star team.”
Durant’s approval comes as a bit of a curve ball as he’s been known to be critical of the media, famously so during the 2015 All-Star weekend in New York, where he infamously told media members “You guys really don’t know s***.”
When asked if he had a problem with the 25 percent privilege the media holds into the voting, his response was quite simple.
“Not really,” said Durant nonchalantly. “It’s not like the MVP or All-NBA, all that stuff where you get 100 percent of the vote. So it’s good to split it because you guys are around a lot and you see the game from a different perspective and you get to be inside, even if it’s for a couple of minutes. You get to know how the players approach the game and how they improve. You can see it up close.”
This voting method, while still empowering the fans with 50 percent of the vote, has one particular flaw, which allow players to vote for themselves as well as their teammates — something that could likely make a difference as the results often impact possible conditions of a future contract.
Ever since 1974, the fans have been able to select the starting lineups for both conferences, but this 50-50 split between fans and select media-plus-players can provide a balance.
“I like the change,” said an optimistic Curry. “Just off the top of my head, you kind of diversify it up a little bit. Obviously, the game is about the fans and you want them to have the most say in it just because it’s a showcase for them. But there always has been this longing for players to have some kind of say and voice and control over what we see night in and night out as players on the court, and giving the most appreciation to the guys that are playing the best each year.”
Durant and Curry's approval of the change comes in contrast to Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving, who himself is not in favor of the new voting method. It seems that no matter what the issue, the Cavs and Warriors are rivals.
The 2017 NBA All-Star Game will take place February 19 in New Orleans.
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