Kobe Bryant says he's shocked but thankful to be leading the early fan voting for the NBA All-Star game, and by a wide margin.
In his final season before retirement, Bryant and his Los Angeles Lakers are struggling so mightily that it's been painful for his fans to watch one of the game's all-time greats.
So imagine his surprise to learn that he has some 719,235 votes, far ahead of runner-up Stephen Curry (510,202), the NBA's reigning MVP from the champion Golden State Warriors, and more than double fellow superstar LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers (357,937).
"Listen, I was making a little coffee run (Christmas) morning, got some gas and decided to just go on Instagram and peruse," Bryant told reporters.
"(I) saw the damn votes, and I was like, 'What the hell?' Shocked doesn't do it justice ... It's exciting. What can I say? Just thankful."
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
The 2016 NBA All-Star Game in Toronto would be Bryant's 18th in his 20 seasons in the league, and he is second behind former Lakers and Bucks great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 19 appearances.
Bryant is averaging 17.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 30.5 minutes per game this season and the Lakers have a record of 5-25, worst in the Western Conference.
