“LaMelo Ball is the 3rd youngest All-Star behind LeBron James and Kobe Bryant”: NBA Twitter lauds Hornets point guard for making his first All-Star selection replacing an injured Kevin Durant
Hornets star LaMelo Ball has finally got his first All-Star selection and fans are happy for the sophomore guard.
The NBA has announced the long-awaited replacements for the 2022 All-Star game. After missing out on the nod for the February 20th game in Cleveland, LaMelo Ball and Dejounte Murray have reserved their first All-Star appearance for the injured Kevin Durant and Draymond Green respectively.
LaMelo Ball and Dejounte Murray are heading to their first-ever All Star Game in Cleveland https://t.co/BkXH52r79l
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) February 7, 2022
We’ll be talking about the Hornets point guard in this one. The 2021 Rookie of the Year again gets selected ahead of Anthony Edwards of the Timberwolves for another honor for which both the players were looking for, as they’ve helped keep their team to be Playoffs contenders in their respective conferences.
But this time Melo was clearly ahead in the race than when he won the ROTY award against Ant last season. While Edwards is clearly the second-best for the Wolves behind Karl Anthony-Towns, being the joint-best player in a resilient Charlotte team if not the best, LaMelo no doubt deserved this.
With Hornets having lost one extra game, both the teams have almost identical W/L records. And although Ant (22.2-PPG) has proven to be a better scorer than Melo (19.6-PPG), the latter has been a far better playmaker and rebounder.
LaMelo Ball gets his first All-Star selection and NBA Twitter is happy
While in the yesteryears of the NBA it was normal for players to make it to the All-Star game in the sophomore year of their career, it is very rare for the past few years. But LaMelo had it coming, having already become one of the best point guards in the league at 20-years of age.
As he and Miles Bridges both missed the call for the selection during the first announcement on NBA on TNT, even Draymond Green expressed his surprise in the decision, speculating that both must have split each other’s votes in fan voting.
Now that he got finally the selection, the fans seem happy for the youngest Ball brother.
LaMelo Ball is the 3rd youngest All-Star in NBA History.
1. Kobe Bryant
2. LeBron James
3. LaMelo Ball— Israel (@iohandles) February 7, 2022
LaMelo Ball pulling up to the NBA All-Star game pic.twitter.com/NamwZfQuGR
— Josiah Johnson (@KingJosiah54) February 7, 2022
Lamelo Ball, NBA All Star 💕🛸🕺🏼 pic.twitter.com/EKc8c71Akm
— trade hayward + fire borr*go (@finalsmelo) February 7, 2022
LAMELO BALL IN THE ALL STAR GAME HEEEEEEEEE pic.twitter.com/VGgp4bsLQn
— zamesss☂️ (@zamesss1) February 7, 2022
People are going to name their kids after the newest All-Star, that too their daughters.
my daughter gonna be pissed when i name her lamelo ball
— rubyann (@rubydelacruz) February 7, 2022
Being the youngest among the basketball-rich siblings, LaMelo might not have thought that he would become an All-Star before Lonzo, who was the second pick of 2017 by the Lakers.
But as he dares to come out each night, throwing those absurdly difficult, All-Star game type passes in regular NBA games, fans and experts are not in surprise by his selection at all.
