Carmelo Anthony Named Starter For 2016 NBA All-Star Game

Carmelo Anthony will be representing the New York Knicks at the 2016 NBA All-Star Game as he was voted in as a starter by the fans.

Carmelo Anthonyhas had a very strong 2015-16 season thus far for theNew York Knicks. They have improved greatly from last season, as they already surpassed their win total from 2014-15 and currently have a 22-22 record. They are only a half game out of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, and Anthony is a big reason for that.

That is part of the reason that Anthony has been named a starter in the 2016 All-Star Game. Anthony was voted in by the fans and will be starting alongside Toronto Raptors’ point guardKyle Lowry, Miami Heat shooting guardDwyane Wade, Indiana Pacers forwardPaul Georgeand Cleveland Cavaliers forwardLeBron James. Like Anthony last season, Lowry will be playing in front of his home fans, as the game will be played at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.

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Anthony was able to push past Detroit Pistons center Andre Dummond in the final round of voting to get into the starting lineup. He was barely able to hold off Chicago Bulls centerPau Gasol, who finished only 360 votes behind Anthony for the last starting spot. With the fan voting process now taking place partly on Twitter, it is conceivable that one tweet that became popular with a lot of retweets pushed Anthony over the edge.

This will be the nine All-Star game that Anthony will be taking part in and seventh consecutive. He has been named to the All-Star team in nine of the last 10 seasons. He has also joined a group he would rather not be a part of, as Anthony is now tied withGeorge GervinandDominique Wilkinsfor the most All-Star game appearances without an NBA Finals appearance, according to ESPN Stats and Info.

Anthony has earned the starting spot in the Eastern Conference as he is putting together one of his finest all-around seasons in his NBA career. In 40 games played, Anthony is averaging 21.7 points, 4.0 assists and 7.6 rebounds per game. The scoring would be the third lowest per game mark of his career if it holds, but the assists would be a career high.

Anthony has been gaining more and more trust in his teammates this season and it is paying off in the win column. He has also turned up the intensity defensively, setting a good example for the rest of his teammates to follow as Anthony is growing into the leadership role the Knicks were hoping he would in previous seasons.

He showed his appreciation for getting voted a starter, sending out this tweet to his followers.

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Anthony’s teammate, rookieKristaps Porzingis, finished sixth in the Eastern Conference front court voting. He fell about 94,000 votes shy of a starting spot. He will probably not get picked for the All-Star team this season, but he is having a very strong rookie season and All-Star appearances shouldn’t be far off for the Latvian superstar.

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