Finally, our long national nightmare is over. That’s right: Mike Conley played in the All-Star Game.
Obviously, I had a bit of a personal stake in this. Conley was in Memphis for all seven of my seasons there, and from a front-office perspective, was basically the best dude ever — a saint off the court but a complete pro on it. While a lot of talented players come with some baggage, Conley was a no-nonsense, team-first guy with the talent to take over games but the mindset to let others do it instead if that’s what was needed. Nobody deserved this honor more.
But with his finally making the squad, after 14 seasons and several close calls, it brings to mind an interesting side topic. Conley was by far the best player in league history who had never made an All-Star team.