The premise of Russell Westbrook’s comments is the same as that of just about any other player before him: He believes a teammate got shafted by voters to the All-Star Game. And he’s right; Paul George deserves inclusion in the annual spectacle. In many respects, the latter is the National Basketball Association’s best two-way competitor who never seems to take a breather, preferring instead to keep moving as a safety-valve second option on offense and as a multiple-position anchor on defense.
Unlike most others who stand up for their teammates, however, Westbrook didn’t stop with criticizing George’s snub. He questioned the fairness of the process by mentioning that the current roster of All-Stars has “four people from one team, you’ve got guys complaining about getting snubbed until they get in, you’ve got guys just talking about it all the time. But the guys that deserve it — should be in — are not. I just don’t understand. Doesn’t make any sense.” In other words, he not only propped up a fellow Thunder; he threw shade on some of those who claimed the privilege.
Perhaps Westbrook would have gotten away with his spirited backing of George had his references, while indirect, not been apparent. Unfortunately, they were clear even to casual observers. And, in light of his disappointment, who can blame the Blazers’ Damian Lillard and the Warriors’ Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson if they felt they were being unfairly cast as undeserving.
To be sure, “deserve’s got nothin’ to do with it,” as William Munny famously said in “Unforgiven.” The process is such that anybody can literally be selected for the All-Star Game. Fans make up half the vote tally, with scribes and players serving as a collective corrective. And because there are only 12 available slots from each conference, an imbalance is inevitable. It’s why Westbrook’s other Big Three teammate Carmelo Anthony is no longer in after eight straight runs as part of the East contingent. It’s also why George has the going harder for him in the West.
In the final analysis, Lillard doesn’t have to defend himself. He’s an All-Star, period. Meanwhile, life goes on for George, who would have welcomed the distinction, but who has rightly moved on. It’s interesting to see how the dynamics will play out during the Game itself, especially with the new format that has top vote getters LeBron James and Curry choosing members of their respective squads. Needless to say, the fans can’t wait.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is the Senior Vice-President and General Manager of Basic Energy Corp.
