MEMPHIS, November 13, 2012 – The Grizzlies’ entire starting lineup – forwards Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph, 2012 All-Star center Marc Gasol and guards Mike Conley and Tony Allen – have been selected to appear on the ballot for the 2013 NBA All-Star Game, the NBA announced. The annual event will take place on Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013 at the Toyota Center in Houston and will be exclusively televised on TNT and also broadcast live on ESPN Radio.
Gay (6-8, 230) leads the Grizzlies in scoring (19.5 points, 15th in the NBA) while averaging a career-high 6.7 rebounds, 1.67 steals and 1.00 blocks in 35.0 minutes this season. The 26-year-old holds career averages of 18.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists on .455 shooting in 443 games (407 starts) over seven seasons with Memphis.
Randolph (6-9, 255) leads the NBA in both total rebounding (14.5) and offensive rebounding (5.7) per game in 37.3 minutes. The 31-year-old places second on the team in scoring (16.2 points) and has recorded a double-double in every game this season. Randolph, who was selected to the 2010 NBA All-Star Game, owns career averages of 17.3 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists on .473 shooting in 696 games (548 starts) over 12 seasons with Portland, New York, the Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis.
Gasol (7-1, 265) is averaging 14.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.2 assists and a team-high 1.17 blocks in 35.5 minutes this season. One of the most versatile players in the NBA, Gasol is one of only two non-guards (LeBron James) averaging at least five assists per game. The 27-year-old, who was selected to the 2012 NBA All-Star Game last season, holds career averages of 13.1 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists on .527 shooting in 303 games (296 starts) over five seasons with Memphis.
Conley (6-1, 185) is averaging career highs in scoring (14.8 points), assists (team-high 6.8, T-15th in the NBA), field goal percentage (.500) and three-point field goal percentage (.391) to go with a team-high 2.00 steals in 32.8 minutes this season. The 25-year-old owns career averages of 11.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists on .441 shooting in 364 games (335 starts) with Memphis.
Allen (6-4, 213) is recording 6.7 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.67 steals in 22.5 minutes this season after being named to the 2011-12 NBA All-Defensive First Team last year. The 30-year-old owns career averages of 7.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists on .480 shooting in 472 games (176 starts) with Boston and Memphis.
2013 NBA All-Star Balloting presented by Sprint gives fans around the world the opportunity to vote daily for their favorite players as starters for the 2013 NBA All-Star Game in Houston. For the first time ever, NBA fans can vote via social media networks, including Facebook and Twitter, and Sina Weibo and Tencent QQ in China. Twitter voting will allow fans to tweet a vote for one player each day throughout the All-Star balloting period. The tweet must include a player’s first and last name, along with hash tag #NBABALLOT. Facebook voting will allow fans to fill out one full ballot (three frontcourt and two guards from each conference) per day, through a custom application on Facebook. Fans can also access the ballot and vote through the NBA Game Time and NBA Game Time from Sprint applications, available on Android and iOS. NBA fans can fill out one full ballot (three frontcourt and two guards from each conference) per day, through the NBA Game Time and NBA Game Time from Sprint application, the most comprehensive app in the marketplace for NBA fans. Vote Now.