The first return for 2016 NBA All-Star voting came in on Christmas and Kobe Bryant predictably leads the charge
Christmas Day in the sports world is all about the NBA. With five marquee matchups littered throughout the day, fans are treated to some of the best that the league has to offer. However, the NBA also comes bearing even more gifts than just that as they also release the first return of NBA All-Star votes on the holiday.
The first return came in just before the start of the first Christmas Day game and, as you would expect in his final NBA season and his final chance to appear in the All-Star Game, Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was the leading vote getter by a wide margin:
Kobe leading the charge is wholly unsurprising here. His global fan-base always votes him in as a starter regardless, but he’s only seen a boost from his impending retirement.
The other big surprise in the voting is also in the Western Conference frontcourt where Blake Griffin comes in at the No. 3 spot ahead of Kawhi Leonard. By the measure of many analysts and fans, Leonard has been the second-best candidate for MVP through the first two months of the season behind Stephen Curry. To see him currently missing out on an All-Star starting nod seems a bit odd in that regard.
It’s hard to argue with the backcourt of Curry and Russell Westbrook in the West or the frontcourt of the Eastern Conference in LeBron James, Paul George, and Andre Drummond. However, Dwyane Wade and Kyrie Irving are a bit of an odd pairing as the leading vote getters in the East’s backcourt, especially since Kyrie has played two games this season.
Voting for the NBA All-Star Game starters will end on Jan. 18 at 11:59:59 p.m. ET with more voting returns coming on Jan. 7 and Jan. 14. The All-Star Game will take place in Toronto on Feb. 14 with an 8 p.m. ET start. If you see something that needs to be rectified, such as giving Kawhi a boost, make sure to get your vote in.