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NBA: 25 Least-Deserving NBA All-Stars

By Phil Watson

February 15, 2015; New York, NY, USA; General view of the opening tipoff as Eastern Conference forward Pau Gasol of the Chicago Bulls (16) and Western Conference center Marc Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies (33) during the first quarter of the 2015 NBA All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden.Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
February 15, 2015; New York, NY, USA; General view of the opening tipoff as Eastern Conference forward Pau Gasol of the Chicago Bulls (16) and Western Conference center Marc Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies (33) during the first quarter of the 2015 NBA All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden.Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 2, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Andrew Wiggins (22) defends Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) in the second half of the game at Staples Center. Lakers won 119-115. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 2, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Andrew Wiggins (22) defends Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) in the second half of the game at Staples Center. Lakers won 119-115. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Kobe Bryant, 2016

How Chosen: Fan voting

Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant announced he would retire at the end of this season and fans poured the votes in, selecting Bryant to start for the Western Conference at the Air Canada Centre with a league-best tally of almost 1.9 million ballots.

But he is really a shell of his former self at age 37, coming off three major injuries in the last three seasons. Even with a 38-point explosion against the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier this week, Bryant is averaging 16.4 points, four rebounds and 3.5 assists per game and shooting .353/.273/.798.

You do have to be impressed with 16 shots in 29 minutes a game, though.

Voted into the frontcourt along with Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs, Bryant is a sentimental selection this season—I get that.

But again, this is not a sentimental piece.

Among Western frontcourt players, Kenneth Faried of the Denver Nuggets, Dwight Howard of the Houston Rockets or rookie Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves could all be argued as being more deserving of a spot.

Or you could take another Los Angeles player, DeAndre Jordan of the Clippers.

No, the guy can’t hit a free throw if the fate of the civilized world depended upon it. But what the former second-round pick does well, he does really well. He’s averaging 12 points, 13.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game on .719/—/.425 shooting (see, he’s improved at the line—last year he shot only 39.7 percent).

This is the 18th time Bryant has been chosen for an All-Star Game; Jordan is still waiting for his first.

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