All-Star voting

[The 2011 All-Star Voting Channel is open! Hurry up and vote for your favorite players! Note: Voting entrance is in the upper right corner of the homepage.]

At 6 p.m...

When the NBA officially announced this statement, fans went into a frenzy.

Yes...

The All-Star Weekend is an event that fans eagerly anticipate every year. Just think about the sight of the four great guards plus giants like Duncan and Garnett on the same stage.

Just thinking about it makes people's blood boil.

Of course...

Not every player can make it to the All-Star Game. Only players with both the skills and sufficient popularity can step onto that prestigious stage.

So...

When fans want to see their favorite players in the All-Star Game, the voting before the All-Star Weekend becomes crucial.

He who has the most votes reigns supreme.

This saying holds true during the All-Star Weekend.

In 2006, Gustavo Ayon utilized the vast Mexican market, making Shaquille O'Neal come off the bench, even though Gustavo Ayon already had All-Star-level skills at that time.

However, having a three-time Finals MVP like Shaquille O'Neal come off the bench for him was still a bit exaggerated.

In 2009, with an average of 12.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, Gustavo Ayon received an extremely high number of votes, surpassing Durant and even causing the peak-era Kevin Garnett to be his substitute.

This was even more absurd.

As a result, the league was forced to modify the rules. To make it to the All-Star Game, a player not only needed votes but also had to be selected as a reserve first. This prevented Gustavo Ayon from making it to the All-Star Game.

And...

The weight of Mexican fan votes was limited.

Although Gustavo Ayon regretfully didn't make it to the All-Star Game, in reality, his skills and statistics were not yet sufficient for the All-Star stage. If he had been as strong as Gustavo Ayon at that time, even if others had complaints, they wouldn't have had much to say in the end.

So...

Ultimately, strength determines everything.

As soon as the news was announced and the voting channel opened, it stirred up discussions among fans.

"Hey, everyone, guess which players in the East and West will make it to the starting lineup this year?"

"I'll go first. For the East, Wade and Rose in the backcourt, LeBron and Garnett in the frontcourt, and Howard at center. For the West, Kobe and Paul in the backcourt, Durant and Anthony in the frontcourt, and Gustavo Ayon at center!"

"What are you talking about? No Stat for the East? No Duncan for the West?"

"Well... although there are some flaws, it feels roughly like this. It's just that Gustavo Ayon is currently indefinitely injured, so whether he can recover is a question mark."

"Hey, did you guys forget something? Carlos, who is currently very popular and has both strength and popularity, won't he make it to the All-Star starting lineup?"

"Him? No way. Despite his strength, he's just a rookie. How can his popularity compare to those stars who have been in the NBA for years?"

"Yes..."

"Exactly. It's not that Carlos isn't strong, but... the threshold for the All-Star Game is popularity plus strength. And in terms of popularity, Carlos, although above other rookies, still has a considerable gap compared to superstar-level All-Stars. This gap can only be gradually narrowed over time."

"Bingo!"

"As strong as 'The Chosen One' LeBron James, he didn't make the All-Star team in his rookie season, let alone Carlos, who emerged out of nowhere. It's just impossible!"

"Seems like a reasonable point!"

"Hehe, you guys underestimate Carlos. He has both popularity and strength more than you can imagine."

"That's right. I unconditionally believe that Carlos can make it to the All-Star team. And it's not impossible for a rookie to make it to the starting lineup. Jordan did it, right?!"

"Can Carlos be compared to Jordan?!"

"Stop daydreaming. Instead of talking nonsense, vote for your favorite player. I don't care; I'm going to vote for Carlos."

"So am I..."

"Count me in!"

"I'm going to vote for LeBron!"

"I like Paul—"

"I vote for Kobe!"

"Uh..." Fans went from initially discussing which players could make it to the All-Star team to a heated debate about whether Carlos, the rookie, could make it to the All-Star starting lineup.

But no matter what, the All-Star voting had officially begun.

As for Carlos...

Returning to Phoenix, arriving at his small villa around eight in the evening after playing with Cindy for a few days and taking a relaxing break, he felt great. Lounging on the sofa, relaxing his body, and browsing the news, he naturally became aware that the All-Star voting had started.

"With my current skill and popularity, with the support of my beloved Mexico, making it to the All-Star Game shouldn't be a problem. The question is... can I secure a spot as the starting center? Squeezing out Gustavo Ayon? That seems like an interesting thing to happen."

Thinking about this, reflecting on Gustavo Ayon, Carlos, rather than hoping to replace him as a starter, wished for Gustavo Ayon's recovery and his continued presence on the NBA court.

"This year is his last season. Gustavo Ayon, who had to retire after just five games due to injury, seems unlikely to appear on the NBA court again. Ultimately, it's because of injuries. If... if he could recover, if combined with the current me, and the gradually growing Gustavo Ayon, as well as some young talents in Mexican basketball. The regret of the Mexican men's basketball team being eliminated in the quarterfinals of the 2008 Olympics, can it be reversed in the 2012 Olympics?"

Lost in thought, Carlos fell into contemplation. After a while, he shook his head gently, realizing he was thinking about elusive, unrealistic things.

"Shower, shower, and then sleep."

Clearing his mind, Carlos went to take a shower. After showering and intending to sleep, he suddenly felt hungry. The idea of eating something warm and hearty crossed his mind.

So...

Carlos went to a nearby night market, grabbed some late-night snacks, and then returned. On his way back, passing by the Suns' training facility, he noticed the lights were still on.

You know...

It was already early morning, so why would there still be people training at this hour?

Very strange...

Carlos thought for a moment and decided to go in for a look.