Ben Simmons is in danger of not making the NBA All-Star game despite a huge fan vote.
NBA players and media members do not believe the 21-year-old Australian rookie is worthy and the final decision will be made by NBA coaches next week.
The NBA announced on Thursday the results of a fan, player and media vote to decide the 10 starters for the February 18 All-Star game in Los Angeles.
The East's top guards were the Boston Celtics' Kyrie Irving and Toronto Raptors' DeMar DeRozan, beating Simmons.
Irving was the runaway fan vote leader with 2,170,833, DeRozan had 998,999 and Simmons came in third with 669,397.
Fans accounted for 50 per cent of the vote to determine the starters, while current NBA players and the media panel accounted for 25 per cent each.
The players and media both had Simmons as their sixth choice, something the coaches will likely take into account when finalising the rosters next Tuesday.
Many in the NBA believe rookies should not be an All-Star as they are yet to prove themselves.
If Simmons is selected an All-Star, he will become the first Australian to achieve the feat.
The media and players also had Irving and DeRozan as their top choices among the East guards, but then went with Indiana's Victor Oladipo in third and Washington duo John Wall and Bradley Beal before pencilling Simmons in sixth.
Fans had Oladipo, 634,495 votes, as the fourth guard in the East behind Simmons and Cavaliers' veteran Dwyane Wade fifth with 617,271 votes.
LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Simmons' Philadelphia 76ers teammate Joel Embiid were voted the East's starting front court.
The West's starting guards this year are Steph Curry (Golden State) and James Harden (Houston).
Kevin Durant (Golden State) and New Orleans duo Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins make up the West's starting front court.
It is rare for a rookie to be an All-Star.
Blake Griffin was the most recent rookie in 2011.
Other rookies who made the All-Star team include NBA legends Michael Jordan (1985), Hakeem Olajuwon (1985), Patrick Ewing (1986), David Robinson (1990), Shaquille O'Neal (1993) and Tim Duncan (1998).
Under the new All-Star game format that replaces the traditional matchup between the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference, James and Curry will choose the team rosters from the pool of players voted as starters and reserves.
The All-Star teams will still feature 12 players from each conference, but the captains will select the team rosters without regard for conference affiliation.
Each captain's first four selections must come from the pool of eight remaining starters.
As the top overall finisher in fan voting, James will make the first pick.
Share
