NEW YORKAs expected, Bulls point guard Derrick Rose was voted a starter in the NBA All-Star Game, the league announced Thursday night. Alongside Rose in the Eastern Conference starting lineup will be fellow Chicago native Dwyane Wade in the backcourt, his Miami Heat teammate LeBron James and Knicks scorer Carmelo Anthony, who faces the Bulls Thursday night, at the forward positions, and Orlandos Dwight Howard at center.
I remember not being in the All-Star Game. Just being in the game is something you should take to heartI take to heartjust wanting to accomplish, especially when Im in this league and one of those accomplishments is being on the All-Star team. Its an honor, Rose said before Thursdays game against the Knicks. It means a lot, especially for my fans to vote for me. I didnt recognize that I had all those votes, but it shows a lot, man. Im appreciative. I dont take anything for granted. I dont take any one of my fans that went on-line and voted for me for granted. I appreciate them all and I hope they continue to watch.
Its definitely fun. You learn more leadership skills, especially playing on a team like that, where everyone of them are different type of leaders and me being a young player, thats something that I can take from there and add to this team, he continued, revealing his insight into actually playing in the contest. This is totally different, where its all All-Stars. All the guys that are there, theyre there for a reason and theyve been putting in work for X amount of years.
You know when you first go into the game, thats when the highlights are, in the beginning of the game. Then, later on in the game, thats when things start to get very serious and competitive, and thats when you want to win, especially if the games are interesting.
Rose, who has professed his dislike for exhibition contests, joked about not bringing back bad habits from the game, to be held Feb. 26 in Orlando, back to Chicago.
Im never going to throw a lob like that, especially on this team. Joakim likes bounce passes, so its just something Ive got to get used to, like back in my college days and I think Ive got a lob in me somewhere, said the leagues reigning MVP, who will start the game for the second consecutive year and play in his third contest overall. When you come back, youre getting back to playing a certain way with your team. Defensive slidesyou know how Thibs isclose-outs, just clicking with one another again. Its definitely tough, but I think this year its going to be a little bit easier because we have a year under our belts together, so we know how each other plays. So, that should help us.
Rose doesnt believe the game, featuring several fellow potential USA Basketball teammates, will prepare them for the 2012 Olympics.
NBA
I dont think its going to prepare us for that. The teams that were going to be playing against are definitely good, he opined. All-Star games are really just for the fans, really for the enjoyment, for the crowd, for little kids and for the excitement.
While Rose is honored by his selection, he also admitted that he could use the rest during this shortened season.
Thats a tricky question, Rose said. Everybodys looking for a way to rest, but this year, thats not going to happen, especially with this coming up, then after the season, youve got the Olympics, so this years definitely going to be hectic. This is something Ive been conditioning for and I should be OK.
In the Western Conference, Lakers teammates Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum, Clippers teammates Chris Paul and Blake Griffin and Thunder forward Kevin Durant were voted in as starters.