Kobe Bryant Is the Second-Worst All-Star Starter in NBA Voting History - Behind Himself
But we don't need stats to know he's a star (and neither does Michael Rapaport)
JAN 3 2016 | UPDATED FEB 11
Voting & PER - Worst Starters - Voting & VORP - Biggest Snubs - Final Thoughts
But we don't need stats to know he's a star (and neither does Michael Rapaport)
JAN 3 2016 | UPDATED FEB 11
Voting & PER - Worst Starters - Voting & VORP - Biggest Snubs - Final Thoughts
IV. The Biggest Snubs in NBA All-Star Game (Voting) History
While we’re here, let’s look at the best player-seasons not voted to start the All-Star Game and the best player-seasons not voted into the top 5-10-15 at their positions at all. These are the best not voted to start:
While we’re here, let’s look at the best player-seasons not voted to start the All-Star Game and the best player-seasons not voted into the top 5-10-15 at their positions at all. These are the best not voted to start:
In 2017 Russell Westbrook topped David Robinson for the number one spot on this list
David Robinson’s 1994 is the fifth best VORP and tenth best PER season since 1975, yet he placed behind Hakeem Olajuwon and Chris Webber in voting that year. Olajuwon snubbed him in '90, '95, '96, and '97 as well. In fact, the only season in which Olajuwon outperformed Robinson in PER and VORP was 1993 – ironically the last time The Admiral started over Hakeem in an All-Star Game.
Kareem’s 1977 – fourteenth best in VORP since 1975 – was snubbed by Dan Issel; Barkley’s ’88 by Dominique Wilkins; Malone’s ’96 and ’97 by Barkley and Kemp (both players both times); Harden’s ’15 by Kobe. Chris Paul was arguably the second best player in the entire NBA in 2008 behind LeBron, and yet he finished fifth in voting among western conference guards behind Bryant, Iverson, McGrady, and Nash.
Kareem’s 1977 – fourteenth best in VORP since 1975 – was snubbed by Dan Issel; Barkley’s ’88 by Dominique Wilkins; Malone’s ’96 and ’97 by Barkley and Kemp (both players both times); Harden’s ’15 by Kobe. Chris Paul was arguably the second best player in the entire NBA in 2008 behind LeBron, and yet he finished fifth in voting among western conference guards behind Bryant, Iverson, McGrady, and Nash.
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And what about those who are completely ignored by fans, due perhaps to their market, style of play, or lack of flair?
Andrei Kirilenko’s 2004 was a top sixty VORP season in the last forty years – and he was ultimately named an All-Star reserve – yet he didn’t even crack the top ten in votes among western conference forwards. Shawn Marion was also later named an All-Star reserve in 2003. Ben Wallace led the league in blocks and rebounds per game in 2002 but was ignored by voters, though he started the next two All-Star Games and appeared in the next four.
Since 1975, the players most frequently denied top 5-10-15 votes by fans despite solid-to-strong VORPs are Kirilenko, Andre Iguodala, Hersey Hawkins, Elton Brand, Lamar Odom, and Larry Nance.
Next: Final Thoughts
Since 1975, the players most frequently denied top 5-10-15 votes by fans despite solid-to-strong VORPs are Kirilenko, Andre Iguodala, Hersey Hawkins, Elton Brand, Lamar Odom, and Larry Nance.
Next: Final Thoughts
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Vote share methodology and implications
“Positional vote shares” are the votes received by a player in a given season as a percent of the top tier votes at his position in that season. The “top tiers” are top five for centers (1975-2012); top ten for guards (1975-2012), forwards (1975-2012), and backcourt players (2013-2016); and top fifteen for frontcourt players (2013-2016).
This methodology normalizes votes across seasons and allows us to compare “how much of the vote” players received from year to year. It unfortunately leaves us blind to how much of the vote players outside of these top tiers might have received. It also subjects us to inconsistency in the size of the top tier for centers (1975-2012), which is why we broke them out for separate review. Frontcourt players’ vote share (2013-2016) is a little muted as it is calculated among the top fifteen vote getters.
From 1980-1985, the NBA only published the top five vote getters among guards and forwards. To translate this into a top ten equivalent, we used the average vote share obtained by players six through ten at each position in each conference in 1975, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1986, 1987, 1988, and 1989. From 1980-1981, the NBA only published the top three vote getters for centers, requiring translation into a top five equivalent. This and a couple of similar instances were addressed in a similar manner.
We would ideally present vote share as a percentage of all votes recorded in a given season, but it appears that the NBA only publishes results for the aforementioned top 5-10-15 recipients. If anyone is aware of – or has access to – the total number of votes by season, kindly let us know!
“Positional vote shares” are the votes received by a player in a given season as a percent of the top tier votes at his position in that season. The “top tiers” are top five for centers (1975-2012); top ten for guards (1975-2012), forwards (1975-2012), and backcourt players (2013-2016); and top fifteen for frontcourt players (2013-2016).
This methodology normalizes votes across seasons and allows us to compare “how much of the vote” players received from year to year. It unfortunately leaves us blind to how much of the vote players outside of these top tiers might have received. It also subjects us to inconsistency in the size of the top tier for centers (1975-2012), which is why we broke them out for separate review. Frontcourt players’ vote share (2013-2016) is a little muted as it is calculated among the top fifteen vote getters.
From 1980-1985, the NBA only published the top five vote getters among guards and forwards. To translate this into a top ten equivalent, we used the average vote share obtained by players six through ten at each position in each conference in 1975, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1986, 1987, 1988, and 1989. From 1980-1981, the NBA only published the top three vote getters for centers, requiring translation into a top five equivalent. This and a couple of similar instances were addressed in a similar manner.
We would ideally present vote share as a percentage of all votes recorded in a given season, but it appears that the NBA only publishes results for the aforementioned top 5-10-15 recipients. If anyone is aware of – or has access to – the total number of votes by season, kindly let us know!
Notes
Players displayed as starters are those players who were voted to start the game by the fans, regardless of which player ultimately started (e.g., due to injury replacement).
Statistics are full-season except for the current NBA season, which is through February 10, 2016. Votes are, of course, cast during the first half of the season, without the knowledge or foresight of where a player's full-season stats will end up.
There was no All-Star Game in 1999. Magic Johnson was voted to start the 1992 NBA All-Star Game but did not play a regular season game that season. High PERs by way of only a few games – such as David Robinson’s 1997 – are omitted.
For more on advanced basketball statistics, check out this glossary (with examples, pros and cons) and/or this detailed explanation of BPM and VORP.
Players displayed as starters are those players who were voted to start the game by the fans, regardless of which player ultimately started (e.g., due to injury replacement).
Statistics are full-season except for the current NBA season, which is through February 10, 2016. Votes are, of course, cast during the first half of the season, without the knowledge or foresight of where a player's full-season stats will end up.
There was no All-Star Game in 1999. Magic Johnson was voted to start the 1992 NBA All-Star Game but did not play a regular season game that season. High PERs by way of only a few games – such as David Robinson’s 1997 – are omitted.
For more on advanced basketball statistics, check out this glossary (with examples, pros and cons) and/or this detailed explanation of BPM and VORP.
The data source for this article is basketball-reference.com. Data was compiled and analyzed by ELDORADO. All charts and graphics herein were created by ELDORADO.
ELDORADO | Berkeley, CA | New York, NY
eldo.co | @eldo_co
ELDORADO | Berkeley, CA | New York, NY
eldo.co | @eldo_co