Fan voting to determine the NBA's All-Star starters has long been a hot-button topic.
Kings center DeMarcus Cousins, for one, does not agree with the process. In fact, if it were up to him, he would do away with it entirely.
“There definitely wouldn’t be fan voting,” Cousins said, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. “You can’t base it off of who is on TNT and ESPN every night. Of course, it’s going to be most winning teams’ [players], the most popular players [selected]. " ... The Sacramento Kings, who are playing just as good basketball, will never be seen."
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Cousins also isn't a fan of how All-Star starting lineups are broken down into three frontcourt players and two backcourt players. In 2012, the NBA removed the center position from the ballot.
“It’s disrespectful to big men,” Cousins told Yahoo. “It’s not really fair. But that’s how it is.”
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This year, struggling Lakers star Kobe Bryant was voted in as one of the Western Conference starters. Journeyman Mavericks center Zaza Pachulia nearly snuck into the West's starting five, finishing less than 15,000 votes behind the Spurs' Kawhi Leonard for the third and final frontcourt spot.
NBA
Cousins, a first-time All-Star in 2015, will likely be named an All-Star reserve for the second-straight year when full rosters are revealed on Thursday.
“I’m comfortable with the coaches picking and I believe they will make the right choice," Cousins told Yahoo. "They are more aware and more knowledgeable of who is an All-Star in this game.”
Cousins currently has the Kings (20-24) in contention for the final playoff spot in the West. His scoring (27.6 PPG) and rebounding (11.4 RPG) both rank among the league's elite.