All-star lay downs are all about reading your opponents, trusting your instincts, and then making the right move.
As far as control and stuff is concerned, I never had any more in my life than for that All-Star game in 1934.
I went down and played with Magic Johnson at his all-star game in Atlanta. I remember Magic stopped the game and said, ‘We need you here with us in L.A.’
I want to be on the All-Defensive team, be rookie of the year, make the All-Star team, all that type of stuff.
The All-Star Game represents everything we as a nation love about basketball on and off the court – diversity, sportsmanship and, most of all, a commitment to unite fans.
They invented the All-Star game for Willie Mays.
Even though I was still able to make some All-Star teams, mentally I was worn out. And once I wore out mentally, physically I started to wear down.
I never said to myself, ‘Get to the NBA, be an All-Star, make a $100 million contract.’
We knew James Harden was good. You don’t get named to All-Star games and win Olympic gold medals when you play like Darko Milicic.
The star power is who is playing at an All-Star level, a top 12 level, and that’s Jimmy Butler. He’s become one of the best players in the league, a terrific two-way player.
It’s something that is an honor – everybody wants to be an All-Star. I feel like it’s a huge accomplishment year in and year out. It’s not easy to do every year.
I feel loved. That’s more important to me than being an All-Star, honestly.
As a human, yeah, it’s awesome. You grow up and you are in Little League, and you want to make the all-star team; you go to college, and you want to make the all-star team. So any normal person would want to do it on the biggest stage and highest level. And I’m a normal person. I haven’t changed there.
I’d take the Defensive Player of the Year any day over an All-Star selection. There’s only one of these in the whole league every year.
I can’t imagine being in an All-Star Game, knowing that you’re among some of the best of the best.
I’m thinking of putting together an all-star band. I definitely have a bit of a rock fantasy.
It was a great feeling to be named an All-Star starter, to know that my hard work is paying off and fans around the world are recognizing that.
I remember making the all-star team in Little League when I was around 11 years old. I was not a great athlete, but I loved it, so making starting second base in the all-star was great for me. I think someone must have been sick and they slotted me in.
Being an All-Star is everything.
I want to be an All-Star. That’s my goal. And win a title.
I want to go to the NBA and be an All-Star, to be honest with you.
A lot of times, I’ve always looked at pitching in the All-Star Game as a prelude to how you pitch in the postseason, sometimes how you might have to pitch on two days’ rest out of the pen, only throw one inning and then you have to go face the best hitters. That’s what you do in the All-Star Game.
I want to be an all-star. It’s something I’ve dreamed of.
Personally, do I feel like an All-Star? I don’t think so.
I don’t want to be one of those guys who is just there. I want to be a guy that’s on a team that makes it and be an All-Star and has a chance to always win an NBA championship.
I think Nick Markakis is a perennial All-Star, and nobody knows about him. I think people are learning about how good he is.
As a kid, everyone dreams of being in an All-Star game.
They’d have to force me to take the All-Star Game. They take over the building, your season-ticket holders have to be in a lottery to see if they get tickets, and then they don’t get a good ticket. Really, no good can come out of it, and all it can do is upset your fans.
I was the 10th pick, people were thinking could be an All-Star, but I turned out to be a pretty damn good pro.
When I get 100 percent, and I get to improve on the court, I feel I can be an All-Star.
The All-Star Game was one of my top highlights as a player. In my eye, it gave me a good idea of where I ranked among my peers. That was always my benchmark to say that I am still in the upper echelon of players.
Manchester City seems to have unlimited spending restraint and are attempting to have all-star quality at each position – two deep. That will be hard to beat.
As far as coming out on top with the right mentality and it molding you into the best human being you can be, I think that’s what Brooklyn did for me. I became an All-Star, I got to touch the playoffs. To get a piece of that, I’m forever thankful.
If I’m not an All-Star, maybe the next-best thing to it is to be a part of that weekend, take my family there and just try to have a really good time.
It’s one thing to make the big leagues, but it’s another thing to make it to an all-star game.
You never think that you’re going to be in the NBA but be an All-Star as well.
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