The NBA All-Star Game is an excellent opportunity to showcase talent from throughout the league. However, every now and then, a single team emerges and dominates proceedings with a larger share of representatives.
Unlike baseball, it is not mandatory in the NBA to have at least one player from each of the 30 clubs play in the All-Stars game. It also does not have a cap on the number of members in a single team. Therefore, several teams send most of their starting five to this mega-event.
The NBA is not only one of the most popular games among fans, it also ranks among the most popular in sport betting. Fans look up to the All-Star game after every season since they want to watch their stars on the big stage. Several clubs have had multiple All-Stars in a single season. However, one side was so well-represented that it comprised 60% of their conference’s starting lineup.
For the most part, fans have chosen All-Star Game starters, while coaches choose reserves. Most years end up with a mix of representation, but there have been nine instances where one side received four picks.
The first was the 1962 Boston Celtics, but the information available requires some verification. Until 1973, every team had at least one All-Star, with none having more than three. The Celtics had Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, and Tom Heinsohn on the All-Star team in 1962. When Syracuse Nationals pitcher Larry Costello was ruled out with an injury, Sam Jones of Boston took his place.
The Celtics made another All-Star appearance in 1975. With today’s regulations in force, the Eastern Conference started John Havlicek, with Jo Jo White, Dave Cowens, and Paul Silas serving as reserves. In 2011, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Rajon Rondo all came off the bench for Boston.
The Golden State Warriors have dominated in recent years, and you can bet on or against them with Betway to retain the NBA crown. Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson appeared in the 2017 and 2018 editions, with Curry and Durant starting all three games.
The Philadelphia 76ers in 1983, Los Angeles Lakers in 1998, Detroit Pistons in 2006, and Atlanta Hawks in 2015 are the only other teams to have had four All-Stars picks. All eight players for Atlanta and Detroit were all reserves, as were the Celtics in 2011.
Three Philadelphia 76ers players started in the 1983 All-Star Game
The 1983 All-Star Game at The Forum in Inglewood was memorable for many reasons, not the least of which was Marvin Gaye’s historic version of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The East beat the West 132-123 following an epic MVP performance by Julius Erving, one of the 76ers’ three starters.
Erving received almost 700,000 All-Star votes, putting him as a starting forward alongside Larry Bird. The next-highest vote-getter across all positions was center Moses Malone, who was joined in the lineup by teammate Erving. Although Isiah Thomas received the most votes among Eastern Conference guards, the Sixers’ Maurice Cheeks was a close second and earned a starting place in his first All-Star Game.
Andrew Toney, Philly’s lone reserve, joined the three stars. As if that wasn’t enough, 76ers head coach Billy Cunningham was the East’s bench manager after leading his team to the NBA Finals the previous season.
While every one of the Sixers played well, Dr. J stole the show. The Hall of Famer had a game-high 25 points and won his second All-Star MVP Award, his first being in 1977.
Erving, Malone, and Cheeks went on to appear in several All-Star games. Nothing, however, will compare to all three starting together in the 1983 midseason classic.
Several players are standing out so far this season, and all eyes will be on who eventually gets the nod for this season’s edition when the curtains fall. It is an exciting NBA season already, Betway keeps bringing all the action from all the courts across the States.