NBA All Star Game 2013: Eastern Conference Starters
It’s that time of the year again. The All-Star game will be held on Monday, shown live on Sony SIX at 6:30 AM. Here’s a look at the Eastern Conference starters:
Team: Miami Heat
Position: Forward
Age: 28
Height: 6 ft 8 inches
All-Star appearances: 8
My pick for MVP is LeBron James. Even though Kobe will come out gunning for the award so that he can become the first player ever to win it five times, LeBron is entering the All-Star break on a historic streak of seven consecutive 30 point games. All while shooting above 58% from the field. LeBron has already won the All-Star MVP award twice and will be looking to add to his legacy.
Team: Boston Celtics
Position: Center-forward
Age: 36
Height: 6 ft 11 inches
All-Star appearances: 14
The timeless wonder. The Big Ticket. Kevin Garnett has set the fans in Boston in frenzy on saying that this may be his last All-Star game. Later he clarified that he wasn’t hinting at retirement, he was merely acknowledging the high level of talent in the league. Garnett was saying that his inclusion in the next All-Star game is not a lock because of the ever increasing competition and his advancing age. As long as fans vote for the starters, I think its safe to say that Garnett will be around come February next year.
Team: Brooklyn Nets
Position: Center
Age: 24
Height: 7 ft
All-Star appearances: 0
Rajon Rondo’s season ending ACL tear had opened up the door for the addition of another All-Star. And David Stern selected one from the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets had been fuming that neither Williams, Johnson or Lopez had been nominated by the coaches as reserves because their team did not get along with their ex-coach, Avery Johnson. And the other coaches were sticking up for one of their own. But Brook Lopez finally got his and this will be his first All-Star appearance.
Team: New York Knicks
Position: Forward
Age: 28
Height: 6 ft 8 inches
All-Star appearance: 5
The hero of New York Knicks’s resurgence, Carmelo will make a well deserved start but its safe to assume some friction between him and Garnett/Wade/James. The Heat duo are his arch rivals and the big man from the Celtics had a ugly spat with him, resulting in Melo going after Garnett in the team bus. In an earlier All-Star game, which featured Rondo and Garnett, the Celtics stars practiced with Bosh and actually ran plays of the Heat just to show Bosh that the Celtics have the number of the Celtics. Safe to anticipate everything not being all rosy with Carmelo and those three players.
Team: Miami Heat
Position: Guard
Age: 30
Height: 6 ft 4 inches
All-Star appearance: 8
Flash has crossed 30 now and Kyrie Irving is knocking hard at his footsteps to replace him in the All-Star game in a few years. For another two years though, it seems that the guard from the Heat is a lock to make it to the All-Star game. Last year Wade recorded just the third All-Star game triple double with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. While all the spotlight for All-Star MVP will be on James, Durant and Kobe, Wade is one player who can sneak in and win the award this year.
You can find more information about the All-Star game here.