NBA All-Star voting: Klay Thompson cracks top-10 of fan votes despite not playing

When NBA anunced 2020-21 season in December, fans were excited to see Klay Thompson, Steph Curry and Draymond Green back on court toger. However, Thompson — who missed previous season due to an ACL tear — suffered from an Achilles injury days before season. While 30-year-old will miss ar season, fans seem to have voted in thousands, helping him reach top ten in NBA All-Star Voting. 

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NBA All-Star voting: Klay Thompson votes reach 99,000 despite him being sidelined

Thompson has t played an NBA game since 2019 NBA Finals. Despite that, Thompson's popularity as a Warriors favourite continues, which has helped him earn 99,094 votes. three-time NBA champion is ranked tenth in  Western Conference guards list, which helps in choosing for All-Star game held by league. 

As voting only reflects fan votes, popularity plays most important part. Thompson — one half of Splash Brors — has helped Warriors win three championships. Dubs are one of biggest fan bases in NBA and have been praying for his complete recovery ever since injury. 

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NBA All-Star vote leaders

While Thompson is placed tenth, Steph Curry leads very same list with 2,113,178 votes. Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic (1,395,719) and Damian Lillard (998,853) follow. Andrew Wiggins is ar Warriors player on list, ranking seventh on Western Conference's frontcourt players list. 

Brooklyn Nets' Kevin Durant, who missed entire 2019-20 season after his Achilles injury, is leading with 2,302,705 votes. Though gap is t much, he is still ahead of LeBron James by 1,4029 votes. Reigning NBA MVP and Defensive Player of Year (DPOY) Giannis Antetokounmpo follows Durant with 1.75 million votes. Joel Embiid comes in third with 1.58 million. Beal (also league's lead scorer) leads East's backcourt players with 1.3 million votes. 

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NBA All-Star weekend

While re won't be a traditional All-Star weekend, league has decided to conduct  All-Star Game in Atlanta on March 7. previous game, scheduled to take place in Indianapolis, was cancelled. Though or details have been shared, reports hint at possible dunk and three-point contests. game will also help league raise money for COVID-19 relief and HBCU's.

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Klay Thompson injury

According to previous reports, Thompson had hurt his lower right leg while training before season began. Later,  Athletic's Shams Charania stated that three-time NBA champion was unable to put any weight on his right leg and will undergo an MRI. It was subsequently anunced that Thompson suffered from a torn Achilles and is expected to make full recovery. 

(Im credits: Klay Thompson Instagram)