No.1 in basketball scoring
Chapter 379 - 177. Why does this slogan sound so familiar?

Chapter 379: 177. Why does this slogan sound so familiar?

On January 31, the Bobcats had a day off, but the four core players still agreed to meet at the stadium that morning.

Zhang Yang and Felton, who lived closer, arrived first.

Zhang Yang tactfully said to Felton, "You’ve been playing the games with such intensity these days; you should rest more in the morning."

Felton replied, "Don’t worry, Jack, I know I won’t be starting in the All-Star game, but I’m here to see who gets selected. It’ll give me more motivation to work hard."

Zhang Yang, surprised, said, "Boss, do you still need to find motivation?"

The sincerity in those words! Felton was somewhat touched, and after clearing his throat, he said, "Of course, I also need external stimuli to enhance my enthusiasm. Just like your ball-handling skills, which are getting closer to mine, I have to try hard to not let you surpass me..."

A little while later, close to the 10 o’clock broadcast time, Gerald Wallace and Okafor also arrived.

Gerald Wallace sat down and asked, "Jack, Raymond, who do you think will start, me or Emeka?"

Felton said, "You’re more popular; it might be you."

Zhang Yang said, "Having you selected as a starter would maximize the benefits for us."

Gerald Wallace couldn’t suppress a grin.

Okafor had no control over popularity, but he was curious about what Zhang Yang meant by maximizing benefits, so he expressed his uncertainty.

Zhang Yang explained, "If Gerald starts, Emeka, you can still be selected as a reserve. But if you start, Gerald won’t have a chance to be a reserve. This season, in the Eastern Conference, only you, Howard, and Bosh have performed at an All-Star level, and all three of you will definitely be selected for the All-Star game.

"Curry, even though he’s been playing like an All-Star recently, had a poor start for the first six weeks, making it difficult for him to be selected; O’Neal from the Pacers is doing pretty well, but after they traded Harrington and Jackson for Murphy, they fell from fifth to eleventh in the East, so his ability to lead a team is being questioned, and it’s highly unlikely he’ll be chosen."

"There are quite a few at Gerald’s position. Pierce and Carter have been classified as forwards this year, both averaging 25 points. Deng of the Chicago Bulls is also doing well. Wizards’ Butler and Hawks’ Johnson, although primarily shooting guards, have been positioned as forwards, and Jamison’s play style is like that of a small forward...

"Although in theory forward selections aren’t divided between power forwards and small forwards, coaches will still try to consider roster combinations when making their choices."

Upon hearing this, Okafor felt it made sense and became less concerned about potentially not being a starting pick, mainly because he knew that in the last 10 days of voting, Gerald Wallace was sure to overtake him.

Gerald Wallace, however, complained, "Raymond, Jack, you two are too calculating! So scheming!"

Zhang Yang: "..."

Felton: "Not me! That’s not true! Don’t talk nonsense!"

Soon, 10 o’clock arrived, and the American cable sports channel began its live broadcast to announce the All-Star voting results.

Just as Zhang Yang had anticipated, Gerald Wallace overtook Okafor in the last round of voting, eventually securing 1.91 million votes and grabbing the second starting forward position for the East.

Okafor received 1.79 million votes; he started strong but faded in the middle stages, finally collapsing. Carter came fourth with 1.45 million votes.

The first forward starting spot naturally went to James, who won the All-Star voting title with 2.63 million votes.

Zhang Yang received 2.42 million votes, coming first among Eastern Conference guards, with Wade following at second with 2.02 million votes.

Arenas missed out with 1.41 million votes, Felton was fourth with 910,000 votes, and Kidd fifth with 830,000 votes.

In the center position, the votes were very dispersed, with several breaking the million-vote mark, but O’Neal beat out Howard for the starting spot with 1.66 million votes to Howard’s 1.53 million.

Zhang Yang guessed that following this trend, this would be O’Neal’s last time being selected as an All-Star starter. If O’Neal is not traded back by Steve Kerr in a divine manner like he remembered, and never makes it to the All-Star game again, it meant that O’Neal had already been squeezed dry by Pat Riley.

In the Western Conference, Yao Ming led with the highest number of votes, 2.36 million, setting him as the starting center, far ahead of Stoudemire with 1.33 million votes.

At forward, Garnett was first with 1.89 million votes, and Duncan second with 1.78 million votes; it was those two again.

As guards, Kobe was first with 2.21 million votes, Iverson second with 1.97 million votes.

The Rockets’ collapse in the Chinese market didn’t affect Yao Ming’s votes; he still led the West. However, McGrady was affected significantly and didn’t manage to beat Iverson. Of course, Iverson’s immense popularity and fan appeal were the key factors, especially considering he’s a superstar who could be a starting pick in his last year averaging just 13 points and 4 assists per game.

As for McGrady, the decline in his performance was also a major reason. Last season, he fell on his back, significantly worsening his pre-existing back injury. It not only resulted in him playing just over 40 games that season but also had a hefty impact on his athletic ability and playing style. This season, it became difficult to see McGrady post up like he did in the 04-05 season.

The former McGrady was dynamic and versatile, but now he is like a skinny melon with a slightly more accurate mid-range shot. After standing in a triple-threat posture for a long time, he would just pull up for the shot.

As for the All-Star coaches, in the East, the Pistons lead with a 33-14 record, but since Philip Saunders had already served as the Eastern All-Star head coach last season, the rule that the same team’s coach cannot serve consecutive terms applied, passing the position to Bickerstaff.

In the West, the Suns are currently in first place, allowing D’Antoni to be selected as the All-Star head coach once again after a year’s gap.

With the results out, some were joyous, some were distressed, and some were even more motivated.

Gerald Wallace couldn’t hide his happiness—this year he would get an endorsement bonus again!