Kyrie Irving. AP photo
In an effort to add variety to its All-Star game selection process, the National Basketball Association (NBA) announced that it will be giving players and members of the media a chance to cast their votes for the starters of this year’s festivities in New Orleans.
READ: NBA adds players, media vote to All-Star Game selections
The change seemed to be well received by fans and the press alike, but the Cleveland Cavaliers’ star point guard Kyrie Irving did not seem to be too thrilled with the idea.
While the three-time All-Star says he’s all for having players finally getting a chance to vote, he would rather have the media be left out of the decision-making process.
“It is what it is, honestly,” Irving told Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com after practice. “I guess they’re trying to fix the deserving factor maybe. Leaving it up to the players, that’s good as well. Leaving it up to the fans, that’s good as well. But the other 25 percent I think they need to throw out.”
The former Duke Blue Devil said he has nothing against the media, but felt that biases would be a key factor when it comes to voting for players that reporters cover on a regular basis.
“They just do. They just do,” Irving said of the press potentially going for their favorites. “Everyone is going to be biased anyway, so it’s cool.”
Ironically, the same level of prejudice would also apply for players and their teammates, and will definitely be more present for the fans.
Irving, meanwhile, was left out of last year’s All-Star game for the first time in his career, after missing the first 24 games of the regular season due to injury, which greatly hindered his standing at the time.
Voting starts on December 25 and the starters will be revealed on January 19. Khristian Ibarrola