With the starters announced for the 2020 NBA All-Star Game in Chicago last week, it was time for the reserves to be officially revealed Thursday. The Eastern Conference will be represented by Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry, Ben Simmons, Khris Middleton, Jayson Tatum, Bam Adebayo and Domantas Sabonis. The West bench will feature Damian Lillard, Donovan Mitchell, Nikola Jokic, Rudy Gobert, Brandon Ingram, Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul.
It did not take long for players and their teammates to celebrate the selection of newly minted All-Stars like Tatum and Gobert, two of the six first-time All-Stars named.
⭐️ My Daddy's An All-Star ⭐️
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 31, 2020
Deuce was ready to congratulate @jaytatum0 🥰 pic.twitter.com/Xg2LZDublJ
This guy is an All-Star!!
— Evan Fournier (@EvanFourmizz) January 30, 2020
🗣 Anything is pooooossible
Fier de toi @rudygobert27 ❤!! pic.twitter.com/4FKXK6YyE1
This guy is an All-Star!!
— Nicolas Batum (@nicolas88batum) January 31, 2020
🗣 Anything is pooooossible
Fier de toi @rudygobert27 ❤!! pic.twitter.com/dghNAGK3ZP
⭐️ ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/wcVnNSdWvA
— 13am Adebayo💥 (@Bam1of1) January 31, 2020
So, BI and Zo came in for their usual evening shooting workout with Coach Fred Vinson and this happened!!! Incredibly happy to see his hard work rewarded and Zo might have been the happiest guy in the room. pic.twitter.com/khll85O9Wl
— David Griffin (@dg_riff) January 31, 2020
Beloved!!!!! Congrats 6 time All Star!! Well deserved bro 💯🙏🏾 See you in Chicago 👀🙏🏾✊🏾 @Klow7 pic.twitter.com/k0vOHXApcH
— pascal siakam (@pskills43) January 31, 2020
God is GOOD!!! Honored and humbled to be headed to @NBAAllStar 🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/NzODe92LJ3
— Chris Paul (@CP3) January 31, 2020
Congrats to my brothers @jaytatum0 and @KembaWalker y'all boys go represent!! 💯
— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) January 31, 2020
LETS GO!
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) January 31, 2020
Multiple players expressed their dismay at the names left off the roster, particularly Suns guard Devin Booker. Phoenix GM James Jones released a statement that read "I've played with and against multiple All-Stars in this league and Devin Booker is undoubtedly an NBA All-Star." Booker's NBA colleagues, including close friend Karl-Anthony Towns, were more direct.
F%?!*n Joke @DevinBook https://t.co/E5iwlehLXr
— Karl-Anthony Towns (@KarlTowns) January 31, 2020
Man they did u @DevinBook dirty... 🤦🏻♂️
— Jusuf Nurkić (@bosnianbeast27) January 31, 2020
Damn that's wild https://t.co/7hhlQisiV7
— CJ McCollum (@CJMcCollum) January 31, 2020
Damn no @ZachLaVine , @RealDealBeal23 , or @DevinBook ?? Cmon now.
— Bobby BP Portis (@BPortistime) January 31, 2020
How on earth are we about to have almost 50 wins before All Star and we don't have 3 All Stars in the game???? @EBled2 is an All Star!
— Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) January 31, 2020
Where is @RealDealBeal23 ????? Come on...... that's so BS 😳🙄
— Marcin Gortat🇵🇱 (@MGortat) January 30, 2020
One of toughest players to guard its sick he not an all star this year!! I got nothing but respect for this guy ✊🏽✊🏽 https://t.co/1OuSTt25Ug
— Miles Bridges (@MilesBridges) January 31, 2020
Feeling is mutual bro! Competitor 💪🏽 https://t.co/eYZUqezUdb
— Bradley Beal (@RealDealBeal23) January 31, 2020
Lou Williams, the three-time Sixth Man of the Year and perennial fringe All-Star selection, was not named. The LA Clippers guard had a few things to say on the matter.
This business don't love me. Lol https://t.co/ouOBXSTBhn
— Lou Williams (@TeamLou23) January 31, 2020
When I didn't make it being a 6th seed with 23 and 6 with no "all stars" on our team. I never thought I'd make it again. Underground https://t.co/Xyqh2yFBud
— Lou Williams (@TeamLou23) January 31, 2020
We need some consistency in what's rewarded in the selection process. D book should be a perennial all star, but he isn't based on winning. But the guys that's winning not getting in either lol. So is it numbers, or winning, or name recognition?
— Lou Williams (@TeamLou23) January 31, 2020
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