Voting for the NBA All-Star Game began and all eyes will be on Kobe Bryant as this will be his final season and potentially, his final All-Star Game should he be selected. One person who hopes he makes the team is NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
There will likely be some questions as to whether Kobe deserves the selection considering his play this season has not been All-Star caliber. Silver, however, appeared on Sirius XM NBA Radio and said he hopes to see the five-time champion there.
Silver pointed to the impact Kobe has had on the game throughout his career, noting his impact on the NBA’s expansion globally as he remains arguably the biggest NBA star overseas. Silver even expressed hope that the NBA could continue to use Kobe as a global ambassador.
It would seem likely that Kobe would be voted in as a starter as even in seasons in which it was known he wouldn’t be healthy enough to play, he was still among the leading vote-getters. If Kobe is selected, it would mark his 18th selection, second only to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, as well extend his records for consecutive selections.
