When the All-Star game concept began way back in 1933, it was very worthwhile. As part of Chicago hosting the “Century of Progress” themed World’s Fair, Old Comiskey Park hosted the first ever “Midsummer Classic.” The White Sox were on to something there as you didn’t get a chance to see the star players in the other league back then.
You didn’t even have television yet so it was basically prehistoric. In today’s era of 7,000 cable channels and 85 sports networks and 12 ESPNs, the All-Star game is obsolete. You can just cut the chord and stream games on your mobile device.
So as Kobe Bryant gets voted into the ASG despite playing awful this season, it’s not a big deal. It’s not worth getting mad about, because All-Star games are not anything worth caring about. Yes, Kobe Bryant is having a bad final season and he’s only going to be selected based on what he did earlier in his career.
So what? Meh?
Let Kobe have it. He’s earned his right to wave to the crowd one last time in a pick-up game where the final score will probably be West 189-East 176 or something like that.
If you want to know why every ASG is always retooling is because they know that people don’t care anymore. Yet a reporter still brought this topic up yesterday on a media conference call ESPN set up to plug their NBA Saturday night package.
You’ll notice it’s a very shitty reporter who’s extremely lazy and totally apathetic about his job who “asked” about this because he used a “talk about….”
Q. Could you talk a little bit about the respect Kobe is getting from fans, considering the number of votes he’s gotten? It seems to even be surprising him.
Jalen Rose: Well, basketball fans can’t get it right sometimes, and other times they get it wrong. I joked about it one time when Allen Iverson was in Detroit, he was a substitute and started in the All Star Game.
“But for Kobe Bryant, they’re definitely getting it right. He’s one of the all-time greats, one of the top 10 players on anyone’s list of all time, and he deserved to be celebrated, and that’s going to be a great stage for him in his 20th season, to be celebrated by fans and his peers.”
“He deserves this type of happy ending. That’s the one thing about being an all-time great player, when you can call your last shot, when you can say this is going to be my last year and you get a chance to enjoy a farewell tour, so it’s well deserved and I’m happy that the fans got that one right.”
Jeff Van Gundy: “Yeah, and for me, I think sometimes the hardest thing to do is to end a storied career, anybody’s storied career, gracefully, and I think you’re seeing a different Kobe Bryant personality coming out: Patient, embracing seemingly every game and every arena and every fan.”
“It has surprised me just it’s been almost like a personality transformation when you watch after games. Before he was very stoic, and now very, very endearing, really, to everyone, other players, coaches, officials. ”
“Certainly going through this last year without a chip on his shoulder, and because the Lakers are so bad, I think it’s absolutely the right personality to show in your swan song. ”
Jalen and JVG are right. Kobe Bryant should be a part of this. And the Lakers are terrible.
And who cares anyway if he’s not. I won’t be watching anyway.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and sometimes writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. The website is also featured on News Now.
Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes to the Chicago Tribune RedEye. He also appears regularly on numerous talk shows all across the country. Catch him Tuesdays on KOZN 1620 The Zone.
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