Maybe, in the course of your time as a sports fan, you’ve cast an unorthodox All-Star Game ballot. You’ve thrown a vote toward an unsung rookie, an aging veteran, or a cult favorite, exercising the right afforded to you by America’s sports leagues.
Chances are, no matter how crazy your vote was, it still made more sense than four NBA players’ choice to start the All-Star Game in Salt Lake City on Feb. 19.
That would be Thunder center Chet Holmgren—the second overall pick in June’s NBA draft, who is out for the entire 2023 season due to a Lisfranc foot fracture sustained in a pro-am game in Seattle on Aug. 20.
Holmgren, in fact, last played competitive basketball on March 24, when Arkansas knocked Gonzaga out of the NCAA tournament in the Sweet 16.
For his part, Holmgren took the votes in stride, tweeting “Love my supporters.”
As they await Holmgren’s return in 2024, Oklahoma City has clawed its way into 11th place in the Western Conference, percentage points behind the Jazz in the race for a potential play-in berth.
