In life, the best are usually recognized for their accomplishments. The best lawyers become partners and receive raises; the best actors receive Academy Awards; and the best players make the All-Star team.
Carmelo Anthony, the best scorer in the NBA, seems to be the exception.
Fans say Shaquille O'Neal should start. The NBA says Carmelo shouldn't play, and the fans don't seem to disagree. In a poll put out by ESPN.com, 57 percent of voters said Anthony shouldn't be selected to represent the Western Conference.
OK. The guy missed 15 games because of a stupid decision, and the West has loads of talent — that much is true. But 'Melo is averaging 31 points per game and is Kobe-smooth, minus the sexual assault charges.
Plus, the NBA's leading scorer doesn't huck up shots quite like his competitors or the Allen Iversons of the past. Yeah, he does lead the NBA in shots attempted, but he makes good on 48 percent of them. Contrast Anthony's efficiency to this season's media favorite, Gilbert Arenas, who averages 29.7 points on 42.7 percent shooting.
And if you look at the Western Conference's two starters — Tracy McGrady and Kobe Bryant — 'Melo's numbers stack up.
To go along with the former Orangeman's 31 points, he snares 5.7 boards, dishes out four assists and averages 1.3 steals. Kobe averages 28.8 points on 46.9 percent shooting, pulls down 5.5 boards and averages 5.6 assists and 1.3 steals. Finally, T-Mac scores 23.6 points (on 44.5 percent shooting), grabs 5.4 rebounds, drops 6.3 dimes and picks up 1.2 steals.
Aside from assists, Anthony's numbers are better in every single statistical category, yet he isn't in the roster. I'm not saying 'Melo is better than Kobe or McGrady — the fact is they're all extremely talented players. I am just wondering why one of them isn't going to Vegas.
Yeah, Anthony connected with a voluminous sucker punch to Knicks guard Mardy Collin's head near the end of a Knicks-Nuggets game in which Denver was accused of running up the score. Whether that was George Karl's motivation for leaving his starters out on the court remains unknown. What is known is that New York head coach Isaiah Thomas instigated the entire mayhem by calling for his players, Mardy Collins among them, to aggressively foul Denver should it decide to drive the lane.
Obviously what Anthony did is inexcusable, but if Thomas weren't such a conniving cheap shot, maybe the brawl wouldn't have occurred. And more importantly, Anthony would be representing the city of Denver along with Allen Iverson next weekend in Vegas.
The obvious argument is that you cannot negate what has been done — Anthony did, in fact, punch Collins. Yet, I find it unbelievable that his altercation is the reason why he isn't an All Star.
In November 1999, Shaq and Sir Charles got into a scuffle that looked more like something out of the WWE than anything basketball related. O'Neal was suspended for one game, but more importantly, he was selected to start in that year's All-Star Game where he won co-MVP. "Big Aristotle" again found himself sitting on the bench due to a three-game suspension in 2002 for attempting to strike Brad Miller with a roundhouse. And again, he was able to start in the All-Star Game.
Throughout the years, Kobe has had his fair share of on-court (and off-court) altercations as well. Most notably, Bryant punched Chris Childs in an early April game during the 1999-2000 season, and just last year he charged the lane and elbowed Mike Miller in the throat. And don't forget Kobe's encounter in Eagle, Colo., during the summer of 2003 where he was accused of sexual assault. Yet I didn't see him left off the mid-season classic any of those years.
Besides, 'Melo isn't the only one being cheated this season.
The fact is that the fan voting system is flawed.
Shaq is starting the All-Star Game despite playing in just eight games. Eight! And what's with Dirk and Nash coming off the bench? One took his team to the NBA Finals last year, and the other will likely win his third-straight MVP award this season. Not only do they possess ill skills, they also know how to win.
Tracy McGrady? Of course he's a stud. But Nash should be the starter. And it just gets kind of lame that year after year the West's starting lineup basically consists of: Kobe and T-Mac at guard, KG and Timmy D at forward and Yao at center. The fans vote for whom they like — not necessarily who is the best. At least the fans switched up the East a bit, voting in a well-deserving Chris Bosh and probably deserving Gilbert Arenas — although I would have voted Kidd to start.
But even more so, the NBA's selection process is messed up, too, so that getting rid of the fan voting wouldn't do any good.
Look at the coaches and NBA's selections this season and tell me that Caron Butler is having a better season than Joe Johnson. Tell me that Rip Hamilton is more valuable than Michael Redd.
In the West, Elton Brand off the list? C'mon. He's having a better season than Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion, and if Brand had the talent level around him like those Suns, he'd be playing even better. And snubbing Baron Davis in favor of Tony Parker? No, shouldn't happen. Look what Davis has done in a healthy season — 20.7 points per game, 4.6 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 2.1 steals and .5 blocks. Not many point guards show as much consistency across the board as Davis.
If the All-Star Game is about picking winners, then yeah, go with Tony Parker, go with Chauncey Billups, and go with Rip.
Me (I could be wrong), I thought the All-Star Game was about the highest level of talent — the most exciting players and the players who are either having breakout seasons or are among the league's best. Billups, Rip and Parker aren't in that department. They all know how to win, that much is true, but for All-Star purposes I'd rather have Baron Davis, who at 6-foot-3 has mad ups and will provide highlights for the fans to see, instead of watching Parker make lay-ups.
The point is, just like the fans, the NBA panel of voters develops favorites as well. And that's why the entire system is flawed. And until favoritism dissipates like a Long Island Sound fog, the NBA won't have my vote.
For now, though, the best has received nothing for his achievements.