NBA Players Face Tough Choices on All-Star Ballot

The system that regulates how NBA All-Stars are chosen is complicated at best, with fan votes, media votes, and player votes. While it might be easy to assume that players vote for themselves, Bleacher Report’s Sean Highkin explains it isn’t that simple. Players vote for teammates that have a better chance, they vote for players they like on other teams, and even players that they have found difficult to guard. But what about Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers? How does he vote?

“I vote honestly,” Lillard said. “I don’t make it a personal thing. I look at the names that I see and I vote for the players that I feel like are performing at that level. I watch a lot of games, so I think I’ve got a pretty good lens on it. I think that’s how everybody should do it so it can be as accurate and fair as possible.”

The results of player votes will be available after the starters are announced Thursday evening. It remains to be seen what impact the player vote will have on the overall selections.