June 2016 Basketball Wiretap

Celtics Lobby For Jaylen Brown In Dunk Contest

Dec 29, 2016 3:21 PM

The Boston Celtics would like Jaylen Brown to compete in the Slam Dunk Contest.

Gerald Green and Isaiah Thomas are lobbying for Brown. Green won the contest at the age of 21 as a member of the Celtics.

"It will be good to show the world his athleticism," Green said. "A guy like that, man, anything for him to get exposed is pretty good. And it’s his rookie year so I think your rookie year, you get to kinda go out there and have fun, experience it, and then later on in your years you can just focus on things you need to focus on to get better as a player.

"I told him if he enters it then I’ll give him some pointers, give him stuff that I think he could do. The dunk contest is different from when I was in it. It’s all about creativity and style and how you perform it or whatever. We’ll see how it goes if he wants to get in it or not."

Chris Forsberg/ESPN

Tags: Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics, NBA, NBA All-Star

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Kevin Love Believes He's Still An All-Star

Dec 28, 2016 11:57 AM

Kevin Love has yet to make an All-Star Game since joining the Cleveland Cavaliers as he's sacrificed some of his individual achievements to be part of a title team.

Love has made a strong case to be an All-Star this season.

"I think you come in every year hoping to play well, play your best and I believe in my heart every year -- and it's not like I forgot how to play -- I'm an All-Star caliber player. I don't necessarily need All-Star appearances to show that," Love told cleveland.com recently. "If we continue to win and we keep playing well I think there's a goal and it's within reach. But it's not something I'm going out every night saying I have to be an All-Star.

"I also think the fact that us winning a championship and winning changes a lot of people's perspective on things and you don't really know what that means until you go through that. I think that is different. You mentioned that being the end goal. You have individual goals but it has to fit within the landscape of what we're doing."

"He's the Kevin Love of old and this is everything we expected out of him," LeBron James said. "That's what we want out of him. But there's no added pressure for him. He's going out and just playing his game right now. He's at a point where he's just comfortable with everything and it's great to have him."

Chris Fedor/Cleveland Plain Dealer

Tags: Kevin Love, Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA, NBA All-Star

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76ers Believe Joel Embiid Deserves All-Star Consideration

Dec 27, 2016 8:04 PM

The Philadelphia 76ers believe Joel Embiid deserves consideration for the 2017 All-Star Game.

"There is no doubt in my mind that he is a serious consideration for that," Brett Brown said. "I mean he hasn't done much wrong for him not to be legitimately considered for that game."

"He's putting up great numbers across the board," Nerlens Noel said. "He definitely should be in that conversation."

Blake Griffin in 2011 was the last rookie to be named to an All-Star Game.

Embiid has played more than expected so far this season.

"Coming in, I thought I was just going to come in and not play a lot, and just get my feet wet," he said.

Keith Pompey/Philadelphia Inquirer

Tags: Joel Embiid, Philadelphia Sixers, NBA, NBA All-Star

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Anthony Davis Hopes To Start In ASG

Dec 26, 2016 1:07 PM

Anthony Davis said he would like to start in the 2017 NBA All-Star Game as it will take place in New Orleans.

Davis lost approximately $25 million by not starting in last year's All-Star Game or being named to an All-NBA team as he missed out on qualifying for the Rose rule.

"If it happens, it happens. … I wish it happened last year," Davis said alluding to the lost money. "But the rest of that will take care of itself."

Justin Verrier/ESPN

Tags: Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans, NBA, NBA All-Star

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Players, Media Will Vote For All-Star Starters With Fans

Dec 19, 2016 1:45 PM

Players and members of the media will be allowed to vote for the All-Star Game starters for the first time.

Fans will continue to account for 50 percent of the vote total for All-Star starters, with players and a panel of media members accounting for 25 percent each.

All-Star voting is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. ET on Christmas Day, before the league's annual holiday slate of five games. 

Players will be allowed to vote for teammates or themselves.

The ballot features slots for three frontcourt starters and two backcourt starters from both the Eastern and Western Conference. 

Marc Stein/ESPN

Tags: NBA, NBA All-Star

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Joel Embiid Interested In Participating In Three-Point Contest

Dec 2, 2016 5:41 PM

Joel Embiid has made 15 of his 30 three-point field goal attempts so far this season and he was asked if he'd have interest in competing in the three-point contest during All-Star weekend.

“It would be nice,” Embiid said with a smile. “It would be nice. I don’t know.”

In the three-point contest, participants have one minute to make as many shots as possible from five positions behind the arc.

“If I have a chance to be in it, I have to practice all that,” Embiid said of getting shots up quickly.” But I think I can get it. I got to work on my quick release and you know most of the shots I take from three, I always hold my follow through.

“So in an all-star game, it’s about getting it up. So I have work on that.”

Keith Pompey/Philadelphia Inquirer

Tags: Joel Embiid, Philadelphia Sixers, NBA, NBA All-Star

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