As NBA All-Star Weekend concludes, it's time for some reflection - not on highlight-reel dunks or no-look passes, but on the actual process of becoming an all-star. There are two ways for a player to receive this honor, as fans vote in the starters and coaches vote in the reserves. The problem with this arrangement is that most fans make terrible decisions.
I mean, Yao Ming will probably wind up being a 12-time all-star solely because the entire country of China fills out ballots for their 7'5" wonderboy. This year, the injustice of all-star voting was illustrated by two players who are quietly keeping their mediocre-at-best teams in playoff position through unselfish leadership and 25 to 30 points a night: Elton Brand and Gilbert Arenas.
Neither one of these guys was amongst the top seven vote-getters for his position. This is blasphemous! How could it be? Well, I'm convinced that the voters' unjustifiable oversight perfectly exemplifies the argument from my last column; neither Brand nor Arenas is controversial or flashy, and hence neither gets the attention he deserves. So please, let me make a case for these guys - they deserve much bigger fan bases than they currently command. These are the guys whose highlights should be dominating SportsCenter.
First let's take a closer look at Brand. The Clippers' power forward averages 25 points, 10.5 boards, three assists, and over 2.5 blocks per night. In case there's any confusion, that's damn good. The word limit for this column is too low to list how highly all of his statistics rank among other active players, but suffice to say he's 12th in the league in scoring, 10th in rebounding, third in blocks, sixth in double-doubles, and third in overall efficiency.
Brand has averaged over 20 points a game in five of the seven years that he's been in the NBA and over ten boards a game in six of his seven seasons - and all this in spite of formidable opponents like Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, and Dirk Nowitzki. Did I mention that he's only 6'8"?
In case Brand's on-court performance doesn't make you regret not giving him your all-star vote, let me explain what a mensch he is.
Through his Elton Brand Foundation, he has almost completely funded the educational system in the Peekskill School District in Peekskill, N.Y., where my man grew up. He donated free lifetime use of specific educational programs to 10 Los Angeles schools and, while playing for Chicago, gave significant sums to a Chicago group that teaches life skills to needy kids. He routinely runs a free basketball camp for underprivileged children and he contributes to the charitable efforts of his teammates.
The icing on the cake is that he has never once complained about being a Clipper - he only praises the fans and preaches patience, assuring Clipper Nation (all 17 of its members) that its time will come. If that doesn't speak highly of his character, I've got nothing.
Given this list of accolades, try to tell me that it's justified that he received fewer all-star votes than Carmelo Anthony, a player averaging half as many rebounds a game as Elton, shooting 46 percent to EB's astounding 52 percent, and playing without Elton's added responsibility of single-handedly leading an under-achieving team. Or try to tell me that it's justified that he received fewer all-star votes than Tayshaun Prince, a guy averaging 14 points and four rebounds per game.
I understand that Prince is a key component of a championship team, the Detroit Pistons, but Melo? After winning an NCAA championship, the most notable thing on his r?©sum?© is an appearance in a video that discourages drug users from cooperating with the police. Elton even received fewer votes than Grant Hill, and Hill has played in only 14 games this season. I can't write Elt enough fan mail to make up for this unfairness, and believe me, I write a lot of fan mail.
Now let's take a look at the Eastern Conference's candidate for most underrated star the Wizards' Gilbert Arenas. People (and by people, obviously, I mean ESPN) have been so concerned with Kobe's 81-point night and the Kobe-Iverson battle for the scoring title that Gil's 28 points per game, astounding for a point guard, have somehow slipped under the radar. He also averages nearly four boards, six assists, and two steals per night. Gil was never expected to be great - he wasn't taken until the second round of the 2001 NBA Draft. But somehow he is keeping a team with only one-and-a-half other good players (Caron Butler comes to play about every other game) squarely in playoff contention.
What breaks my heart is that you never hear about this stuff because, like Brand, Gil doesn't demand trades or get suspended for drug use. When he's not giving his all on the court, he's probably hanging out with the boy he adopted as his "little brother" last year after a fire took both the boy's house and his family. Arenas read about the tragedy in the paper and, having been raised by a single father himself, realized that he could help to somewhat soften the blow this boy had been dealt at such a young age.
Instead of throwing money at the problem or ignoring it altogether, he intervened in the most generous and personal way possible. Gil has always been known for his devotion to kids; after each game he takes off his jersey and throws it to a young fan in the stands. Now tell me honestly that this stuff is less compelling than jail time or suspensions.
Gil, like Brand, also received fewer all-star votes than Grant Hill.
I realize that the All-Star Game is a done deal. I also realize that no matter how much ink I spill singing the praises of Arenas and Brand, it will pale in comparison to the national media's glorification of the Kobes and LeBrons of the league. But maybe when next year's ballots come out, a few more people will remember guys like Gil and EB.
