The NBA All-Star Game will be played for the 70th time on Sunday night, and for the third year in a row, it doesn’t include any players from Alabama high schools and colleges.
Eight players with Alabama basketball roots have played in the NBA this season:
· Guard Eric Bledsoe (Parker) with the New Orleans Pelicans. Bledsoe has averaged 12.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists while playing 29.7 minutes in 35 games this season.
· Center DeMarcus Cousins (LeFlore) with the Houston Rockets. Cousins has averaged 9.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while playing 20.2 minutes in 25 games this season. The Rockets released Cousins on Feb. 23, and Alabama’s most recent All-Star has not signed with another team yet.
· Forward JaMychal Green (St. Jude, Alabama) with the Denver Nuggets. Green have averaged 9.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.0 assist while playing 20.5 minutes in 25 games this season.
· Guard Jared Harper (Auburn) with the New York Knicks. Harper played five minutes in two games with the Knicks before joining New York’s affiliate in the NBA G League, where he has averaged 21.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 7.0 assists in 12 games for the Westchester Knicks.
· Guard Kira Lewis Jr. (Hazel Green, Alabama) with the New Orleans Pelicans. Lewis has averaged 5.2 points, 0.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists while playing 13.0 minutes in 21 games this season.
· Forward Chuma Okeke (Auburn) with the Orlando Magic. Okeke has averaged 4.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists while playing 21.9 minutes in 20 games this season.
· Forward Isaac Okoro (Auburn) with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Okoro has averaged 8.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists while playing 33.2 minutes in 31 games this season.
· Guard Collin Sexton (Alabama) with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Sexton has averaged 24.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists while playing 36.4 minutes in 31 games.
Center Donta Hall (Luverne, Alabama) is on the Toronto Raptors’ roster on a 10-day contract, but he has not played in an NBA game this season.
The 2021 NBA All-Star Game is set for 7 p.m. CST Sunday in Atlanta. TNT will televise the game.
Fourteen players from Alabama high schools and colleges have earned selection to play in the NBA All-Star Game or in the ABA All-Star Game before that league was absorbed by the NBA. The NBA and ABA All-Stars from Alabama high schools and colleges (arranged chronologically by date of first selection) include:
San Antonio Spurs center Artis Gilmore grabs a rebound during an NBA playoff game against the Los Angeles Lakers on May 10, 1983, in Los Angeles.Associated Press
Artis Gilmore, Carver High School in Dothan
11 All-Star Games: 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1976 with the Kentucky Colonels in the ABA; and 1978, 1979, 1981 and 1982 with the Chicago Bulls and 1983 and 1986 with the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA.
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San Antonio Spurs forward Larry Kenon goes to the basket during an NBA playoff game against the Washington Bullets on April 28, 1978, in Landover, Md.Associated Press
Larry Kenon, Ullman High School in Birmingham
Five All-Star Games: 1974 and 1975 with the New York Nets and 1976 with the San Antonio Spurs in the ABA, and 1978 and 1979 with the Spurs in the NBA.
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Atlanta Hawks guard John Drew shoots during an NBA playoff game against the Philadelphia 76ers on April 9, 1980, in Philadelphia.Associated Press
John Drew, J.F. Shields High School in Beatrice
Two All-Star Games: 1976 and 1980 with the Atlanta Hawks.
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Atlanta Hawks guard Eddie Johnson drives against Milwaukee Bucks center Bob Lanier during an NBA playoff game on April 17, 1984, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Tom Lynn, File)AP
Eddie Johnson, Auburn
Two All-Star Games: 1980 and 1981 with the Atlanta Hawks.
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Cleveland Cavaliers guard Mike Mitchell played in the 1980 NBA All-Star Game.AL.com file
Mike Mitchell, Auburn
One All-Star Game: 1980 with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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Philadelphia 76ers guard Andrew Toney scores during an NBA playoff game against the Boston Celtics on May 24, 1982, in Boston.AP
Andrew Toney, Glenn High School in Birmingham
Two All-Star Games: 1983 and 1984 with the Philadelphia 76ers.
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Philadelphia 76ers forward Charles Barkley dunks during an NBA game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Jan. 12, 1988, at Milwaukee Arena. (AP Photo/Casey Lake)AP
Charles Barkley, Leeds High School, Auburn
11 All-Star Games: 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1992 with the Philadelphia 76ers, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996 with the Phoenix Suns and 1997 with the Houston Rockets.
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Golden State Warriors guard Latrell Sprewell dunks during an NBA game against the Sacramento Kings on Oct. 11, 1996, in San Jose, Calif.AP
Latrell Sprewell, Alabama
Four All-Star Games: 1994, 1995 and 1997 with the Golden State Warriors and 2001 with the New York Knicks.
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Denver Nuggets forward Antonio McDyess dunks during an NBA game against the New York Knicks on Feb. 13, 2001, in Denver.AP
Antonio McDyess, Alabama
One All-Star Game: 2001 with the Denver Nuggets.
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Philadelphia 76ers center Theo Ratliff scores against the Chicago Bulls during NBA game on Dec. 17, 1999, in Philadelphia.AP
Theo Ratliff, Demopolis High School
One All-Star Game: 2001 with the Philadelphia 76ers.
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Detroit Pistons center Ben Wallace (right) and San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker battle for the basketball during the NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 19, 2006, in Houston. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)AP
Ben Wallace, Central High School in Hayneville
Four All-Star Games: 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 with the Detroit Pistons.
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Cleveland Cavaliers guard Mo Williams flips up a shot during an NBA playoff game against the Orlando Magic on May 30, 2009, in Orlando, Fla.AP Photo/John Raoux
Mo Williams, Alabama
One All-Star Game: 2009 with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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Charlotte Bobcats forward Gerald Wallace scores during an NBA game against the Boston Celtics on Feb. 7, 2011, in Charlotte, N.C.AP Photo/Chuck Burton
Gerald Wallace, Childersburg High School, Alabama
One All-Star Game: 2010 with the Charlotte Bobcats.
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Western Conference center DeMarcus Cousins of the Sacramento Kings goes up for a basket during the NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 15, 2015, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, Pool)AP
DeMarcus Cousins, LeFlore High School in Mobile
Four All-Star Games: 2015, 2016 and 2017 with the Sacramento Kings and 2018 with the New Orleans Pelicans.
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @AMarkG1.