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

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

Also read | Kelly Oubre Jr drops career-high 40 PTS in Warriors' blowout 147-116 win over Mavs: WATCH

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

checking the #NBAAllStar fan results

👀 @KlayThompson pic.twitter.com/Xwbm5YAe0u

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) February 4, 2021

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

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

what a flex by Klay Thompson https://t.co/rarjdrZsOF

— Tom Haberstroh (@tomhaberstroh) February 4, 2021

Man hasn't played in 2 years 😂😂😂 #reporterklay @KlayThompson @LetsGoWarriors https://t.co/kZWDdwoM8K

— Vignesh Sridhar (@viggy905) February 5, 2021

Klay Thompson has more than 99K fan votes to be an All-Star starter. Whatever...

— Rick Bonnell (@rick_bonnell) February 4, 2021

Klay Thompson:
0/0/0 on 0/0/0 splits 🔥🔥🔥

Only 100k all star votes ? Snubbed imo

— Wilwaukee Wucks (@WilwaukeeWucks) February 4, 2021

Also read | Barack Obama asks Steph Curry to give injured Klay Thompson his love during IG live chat

NBA All-Star vote leaders

Nets‘ Kevin Durant and Lakers‘ LeBron James lead the NBA’s first All-Star fan voting returns. Warriors’ Stephen Curry and Wizards’ Bradley Beal join Durant and James as leaders at positions. pic.twitter.com/ukvOeyx49H

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 4, 2021

While Thompson is placed tenth, Steph Curry leads the 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 another Warriors player on the list, ranking seventh on the Western Conference's frontcourt players list. 

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

Also read | NBA All-Star voting: How many players make the NBA All-Star team?

NBA All-Star weekend

While there won't be a traditional All-Star weekend, the league has decided to conduct the All-Star Game in Atlanta on March 7. The previous game, scheduled to take place in Indianapolis, was cancelled. Though no other details have been shared, reports hint at possible dunk and three-point contests. The game will also help the league raise money for COVID-19 relief and HBCU's.

Also read | Klay Thompson injury is what prompted the Kelly Oubre Jr trade, Steve Kerr reveals

Klay Thompson injury

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

(Image credits: Klay Thompson Instagram)