Kobe Bryant garnered the most number of votes in the first returns of the 2016 NBA All-Star Balloting, edging top Most Valuable Player candidates Stephen Curry and LeBron James.
According to a statement posted on the league's official website, Bryant, who is playing in 20th and final season in the league, got 719,235 votes in the first round of voting. Curry, the reigning MVP, got 510,202 votes, while James, who topped the Eastern Conference balloting, had 357,937 votes.
Below is the complete list of the projected starters after the first returns of voting.
Western Conference All-Star Team
- Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers) - 719,235 votes
- Steph Curry (Golden State Warriors) - 510,202 votes
- Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder) - 349,473 votes
- Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder) - 267,699 votes
- Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers) - 182,107 votes
Eastern Conference All-Star Team
- LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) - 357,937 votes
- Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat) - 300,595 votes
- Paul George (Indiana Pacers) - 283,785 votes
- Andre Drummond (Detroit Pistons) - 148,278 votes
- Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers) - 138,191 votes
Bryant, who is averaging 17.2 points and 4.1 rebounds this season, said that he was surprised when he was informed that he got the most number of votes and when he saw his wide lead over Curry and James.
"Listen, I was making a little coffee run this morning, got some gas and decided to just go on Instagram and peruse, and saw the votes," Bryant said via ESPN. "It's exciting. What can I say? Just thankful."
Like Bryant, Lakers head coach Byron Scott also admitted that he was surprised when he learned that Bryant got more votes than Curry, who he tagged as the most popular player in the league today. Scott said that NBA fans are paying tribute to Bryant for his 20 years of excellence in the league.
"That's pretty good because right now, really I think probably Steph is the most popular player in the NBA," Scott told Los Angeles Times. "I think it's obviously a tribute. I don't think it has a whole lot to do with this year. I think it has to do with his body of work."
On the other than, Clippers coach Doc Rivers said that Bryant deserves to play in the 2016 All-Star Game even if he will not be voted as a starter.
"I think Kobe should be on the All-Star team," Rivers said. "I don't care if he's a starter of if they figure out a 13th spot for him. What he's done in his career, he should be on the All-Star team, and I don't see any debate in that."
