Kevin Love and the Most Baffling All-Star Game Snubs Ever
The 2011 All-Star reserves have been announced and one of the biggest snubs of all time has occurred.
Kevin Love was left off the Western Conference roster and the entire state of Minnesota is in outrage. Being selected to an All-Star team is no easy feat—there are only 24 spots for over 400 players.
There have been plenty of All Star snubs in the past, but where does Love rank on the list?
Here are the top 10 biggest snubs in NBA history.
Honorable Mentions
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Here are great players that never made an appearance in the NBA All-Star game:
Rod Strickland- Five-straight seasons of 18 points, nine assists and five boards a night. One of the greatest players to ever not make an All-Star team.
Marcus Camby- One of the greatest shot blockers in the history of the game is 0-for-14 in going to be All-Star game.
Byron Scott- Never made it despite scoring over 15 points a game in six different seasons with the Lakers.
Andre Miller- One of the most consistent point guards of the last decade, Miller is among the league leaders in assists on a yearly basis. He never has been rewarded with an All-Star appearance.
10. Sam Perkins- 91-92
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Perkins never made an All Star appearance in his illustrious 17-year career.
In 85-86 as a member of the Dallas Mavericks, he averaged 15.4 points and 8.6 rebounds a game while shooting over 50 percent
His 89-90 Mavericks season was just as good as Perkins dropped 16 points, 7.5 boards, and made a tidy 83 percent of his free throws.
Then there is the worst snub of his career.
In 91-92, he dropped 16.5 points, just under nine rebounds and added a block and steal per game. As a member of the Lakers it's a head scratcher that he was over looked.
Perkins will br remeber as one of the best player's to have never gone to the mid-season classic.
9. Adrian Dantley- 77-78
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Dantley made six All-Star appearances in the 1980s, but he got snubbed badly in the 77-78 season.
After winning rookie of the year, Dantley posted 21.5 points and 7.8 rebounds while being traded twice in his sophomore season. He was passed over in favor of several aging veterans despite having a far superior season.
8. Terry Porter- 89-90
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Porter got the short end of the sitck big time in the 1990 All-Star game.
As a member of the Portland Trailblazers, Porter was one of two players to average 18 points and nine assists per game for a team that was one of the best in the league on defense.
The other player to do it?
Magic Johnson.
Ronaldo Blackmon got the nod instead.
Blackmon did score 19 a game, but his 3.8 assists per game pale in comparison to the well rounded Porter. Blackmon played on a much inferior Mavs team as well.
7. Arvydas Sabonis- 97-98
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The big man from Lithuania had the trademark mustache, the methodical post moves and the record for most times dunked on by Shaq, but the 7’3 center had a solid NBA career.
He never made the All-Star game and the 97-98 year was his most deserving.
He scored 16 points on 50 percent from the field, 80 percent from the free throw line, while also grabbing 10 rebounds a game.
He may get lost in the history of the game, but don't forget about the productive career of Sabonis.
6. Phil Ford- 78-79
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Ford exploded onto the NBA scene his rookie year in 1979, winning Rookie of the Year, landing a spot on the second team All-NBA and finishing eighth in MVP voting.
Ford was snubbed big time by the league at the halfway point of the season.
The NBA told Ford:
"No All-Star appearance for you...come back, one year" (Seinfeld's soup Nazi voice).
5. Horace Grant 91-92
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Grant was the third wheel on those early 90’s Bulls teams.
He averaged a double-double by posting 14.2 points and 10 rebounds a game while shooting an outstanding 58 percent from the floor—not to mention his team was far and away the class of the NBA.
Being able to average over 14 a game with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen on your team?
Now that’s impressive.
4. Reggie Miller- 90-91
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Miller was only an All-Star five times in his 18-year career.
It should have been six.
Miller averaged 22.6 points and shot 91 percent from the line in 90-91. Somehow Alvin Robertson got the nod over the sharp shooter Miller.
His numbers: 13.6 points and five rebounds a game.
Not even close.
3. Drazen Petrovic- 92-93
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Petrovic had plenty of All-Star appearance in his future before dying in a tragic car accident at the age of 28.
Petrovic’s last season in the NBA was more than deserving of an All-Star bid.
He averaged over 22 points a game and made 3rd Team All-NBA, yet was rejected when the All-Star team was announced.
2. Dirk Nowitzki- 00-01
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Coming off a disappointing first two years in the league, Dirk finally adjusted to life in the NBA in his third season.
With averages of 22 points, nine rebounds and a steal/block per game, Dirk was more than deserving of a spot.
He lost out to more recognizable name at the time in Rasheed Wallace. The Trailblazer had inferior numbers with his 19 points and eight rebounds a contest.
Snubbing a guy that averages 22 points a game is almost as big of an outrage as…
1. Kevin Love- 10-11
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HE AVERAGES 15.5 REBOUNDS A GAME!
That’s just under two rebounds more than the next highest player—Dwight Howard.
Love’s 21.4 points come on 47 percent shooting from both two and three point range while also hitting 87 percent of his free throws.
Love will most certainly make an All-Star team at some point in his career, but he really got screwed out of a trip to L.A. this season.
The biggest All-Star snub of all time has to be Love.
That’s a great testament to the abundance of talent that is currently in the league.
