NBA players voted for big man who has missed entire season to start All-Star Game

Feb 18, 2023; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; The NBA logo on the court at Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The 2024 NBA All-Star rosters were officially announced earlier this week and on Friday, the league revealed the final voting tally from fans, players and coaches.

Fans account for 50 percent of the overall vote with players and coaches splitting the final 50 percent.

Although fan voting accounts for the largest piece of the pie, players and coaches very much have an influence on how things play out. And much like the fans, some of their voting can be viewed as pure nonsense.

Five players who have not taken the court this season received votes from their peers, including Memphis Grizzlies center Steven Adams. The New Zealand native, who underwent PCL surgery in October, earned seven votes to start the All-Star Game.

This might be the winner: There were seven players who said Steven Adams should start the All-Star Game.

Steven Adams has not played this season.

— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) January 26, 2024

Why Adams received seven starting votes is anyone’s guess. It could be because his peers genuinely believe he deserves an All-Star Game nod or it could be because they were attempting to block rivals from earning a roster spot. Either way, it laughably exposes a flaw in the system.

Also receiving votes from players were Lonzo Ball, Vlatko Cancar, Brandon Clarke and Jaylen Clark. Like Adams, none of them have stepped foot on the court this season.