All-Star

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The NBA announced tonight that Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol has been named as a reserve to the Western Conference team for the 2017 NBA All-Star Game. Gasol is the first player in franchise history to be selected to the All-Star Game three different times after representing the Grizzlies as a reserve in 2012 and as a starter in 2015.

Gasol (7-1, 255) has appeared in 45 games (all starts) this season and has averaged 20.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.04 steals and 1.42 blocks in 32.5 minutes while shooting 46.4 percent from the field, 39.5 percent from three-point range and 82.5 percent from the free throw line in leading the Grizzlies to a 27-20 record (7th in the Western Conference).

Now in his ninth NBA season, all with Memphis, the 32-year-old is setting career highs in points (20.6), assists (4.2) and steals (1.04) per game. The 2012-13 NBA Defensive Player of the Year and 2014-15 All-NBA First Team center is shooting a career-high 39.5 percent from three-point range and has made 64 three-point field goals on 162 attempts this season after making just 12-of-66 from three-point range (.182) in his first eight seasons combined. He is one of just two players (Kevin Durant) averaging at least four assists and one block per game while shooting at least 38 percent from three-point range.

Most recently, Gasol posted a career-high 42 points in a 101-99 win on Jan. 25 vs. Toronto, scoring the Grizzlies’ first 16 points of the game and the two decisive free throws with 36.3 seconds remaining. It marked the highest single-game scoring total by a Grizzlies player since his older brother Pau Gasol recorded 43 points on Jan. 11, 2008 at Golden State. In addition, it was the first 40-point performance by a Grizzlies player since Rudy Gay had 41 on Dec. 13, 2009 and the first in a home game since Pau Gasol totaled 44 on March 28, 2006 vs. Seattle.

Gasol was named the NBA Western Conference Player of the Week for games played from Dec. 5-11 after recording 27.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.25 steals and 1.50 blocks in guiding Memphis to a 4-0 record for the week. It marked the second weekly accolade of his career and the ninth in franchise history. Gasol’ week included his second career triple-double (28 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists) on Dec. 5 at New Orleans.

Memphis has played 19 games this season where the margin is within three points in the final minute of the fourth quarter or overtime, and Gasol’s play down the stretch has helped the Grizzlies post the NBA’s most victories (15) and highest winning percentage (.789) in these “super-clutch” situations. Gasol has made four baskets to tie the game or take the lead in the final 24 seconds of a fourth quarter or overtime this season (tied with Russell Westbrook for the NBA lead), including a game-winning shot off an inbounds lob at the buzzer in a 108-107 victory on Nov. 8 vs. Denver and a go-ahead corner three-pointer in a 111-107 win on Nov. 16 at LA Clippers.

The Barcelona, Spain native is the all-time franchise leader for blocked shots (937) and defensive rebounds (3,544). He also ranks second in team history for points (9,072), field goals made (3,411), free throws made (2,174), total rebounds (2,827) and games played (614) and third in offensive rebounds (1,160) and assists (1,935).

Gasol is scheduled to make his fifth appearance at NBA All-Star Weekend, including his selections to the Rising Stars Challenge as a rookie in 2009 and as a sophomore in 2010.

The 66th NBA All-Star Game, set for Sunday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. CT at Smoothie King Center, will be televised by TNT and will also be available on the Watch TNT App and on TNT Overtime.  In addition, the game will be broadcast on ESPN Radio, with audio also available on the ESPN app.  The midseason classic will reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages.

The Western Conference All-Star team consists of starters Stephen Curry (Golden State), Anthony Davis (New Orleans), Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City), James Harden (Houston) and Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio) and reserves DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento), Marc Gasol (Memphis), Draymond Green (Golden State), Gordon Hayward (Utah), DeAndre Jordan (LA Clippers), Klay Thompson (Golden State) and Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City).

The Eastern Conference All-Star team consists of starters Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee), Jimmy Butler (Chicago), DeMar DeRozan (Toronto), Kyrie Irving (Cleveland) and LeBron James (Cleveland) and reserves Paul George (Indiana), Kyle Lowry (Toronto), Kevin Love (Cleveland), Paul Millsap (Atlanta), Isaiah Thomas (Boston), Kemba Walker (Charlotte) and John Wall  (Washington).

The 14 reserves were chosen by the 30 NBA head coaches, who were asked to vote for seven players in their respective conferences – two guards, three frontcourt players and two additional players at either position group.  They were not permitted to vote for players from their own team.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will select the replacement for any player unable to participate in the All-Star Game. If the injured player is a starter, the head coach of that team will determine the replacement in the starting lineup.

The East and West All-Star coaches are determined by the best record in the conference through games played on Sunday, Feb. 5. Golden State head coach Steve Kerr and his staff have earned the honor in the West, while the East coach has yet to be determined. Cleveland’s Tyronn Lue is not eligible to coach the East All-Stars because he did so last year.

Fans who want to support the Memphis Grizzlies by purchasing Season Tickets can do so now by calling (901) 888-HOOP or going online to grizzlies.com. Single Game Tickets are available for purchase at all Ticketmaster locations, Ticketmaster.com, the FedExForum Box Office, online at grizzlies.com or by calling 1-800-4NBA-TIX or (901) 888-HOOP.

For more information on the Grizzlies, ‘like’ Memphis Grizzlies on Facebook or follow on Twitter (@memgrizz).

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Marc Gasol named to Western Conference All-Star Team

The NBA announced today that Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol has been voted by the fans to the Western Conference starting lineup for the 2015 NBA All-Star Game. Gasol is the first player ever to represent the Grizzlies as a starter in the All-Star Game.

“I am honored and humbled to be selected as a starter for the All-Star Game,” Gasol said. “Knowing that I will be facing my brother Pau for the opening tip, it will be a true accomplishment for our family and a memory I will cherish for the rest of my career. It holds special meaning to be voted in by the fans, and I look forward to representing my teammates, the organization, the City of Memphis and entire Mid-South community and Grizzlies fans across the world.”

Gasol (7-1, 255) has led Memphis to a 30-12 record (.714) through 42 games this season, helping guide the Grizzlies to the best start in franchise history. He paces the team in scoring with a career-high 19.3 points on .501 shooting and has averaged 8.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.69 blocks in 34.8 minutes. One of the NBA’s most versatile players, Gasol is the only player this season to date to total at least 700 points (812), 300 rebounds (346), 150 assists (157) and 50 blocks (71).

“The Grizzlies organization is thrilled and proud that Marc Gasol has been voted as a starter to the West team for the All-Star Game by fans worldwide,” Grizzlies General Manager Chris Wallace said. “This honor confirms what we in Memphis have known for quite some time – that Marc is one of the elite players in the game. This is a great honor not just for Marc but for our team, the City of Memphis and our global legion of fans.”

This marks Gasol’s second All-Star selection after being nominated by the coaches as a reserve in 2012. The Grizzlies now have been represented in the NBA All-Star Game a total of five times by three different players (Marc Gasol – 2012, 2015; Zach Randolph – 2010, 2013; and Pau Gasol – 2006).

Gasol finished (795,121 votes) will be joined in the West frontcourt by New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (1,369,911) and Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (700,615). The West backcourt consists of Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (1,513,324) and Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (1,152,402).

The Eastern Conference All-Star starting lineup consists of Washington Wizards guard John Wall (886,368) and Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (805,290) in the backcourt and Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (1,470,483), Chicago Bulls forward Pau Gasol (974,177) and New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (647,005) in the frontcourt.

Marc Gasol and Pau Gasol are slated to become the first brothers to both start in an NBA All-Star Game and the second pair of brothers to ever appear in the same All-Star Game, joining the Phoenix Suns’ Dick Van Arsdale (West) and the Cincinnati Royals’ Tom Van Arsdale (East) in 1970 and 1971.

The 64th NBA All-Star Game will tip off Sunday, Feb. 15, at Madison Square Garden in New York City.  The game will be seen by fans in 215 countries and territories and will be heard in 47 languages. TNT will televise the All-Star Game for the 13th consecutive year, marking Turner Sports' 30th year of NBA All-Star coverage.

NBA All-Star Balloting 2015 presented by Sprint gave fans around the world the opportunity to vote for their favorite players to start in the All-Star Game. For the first time ever, the official NBA All-Star Ballot presented by Sprint included all current NBA players. As part of the NBA’s all-digital program, fans voted on NBA.com; through social media networks, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Sina Weibo and Tencent Microblog; via SMS text; and with the NBA Game Time and the NBA Game Time from Sprint applications.

The NBA’s 30 head coaches will select the reserves for the 2015 All-Star Game. They must vote for seven players within their conference: two guards, three frontcourt players and two players regardless of position. Coaches are not permitted to vote for players on their own team. Reserves will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 29, on TNT. If a player is unable to participate in the All-Star Game after the coaches choose the reserves, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will select the replacement.

The East and West All-Star coaches and coaching staffs are determined by the best record in the conference through games played on Sunday, Feb. 1. By virtue of their teams’ victories on Wednesday, the Atlanta Hawks’ Mike Budenholzer and his staff will coach the East and Golden State’s Steve Kerr and his staff will lead the West. The Indiana Pacers’ Frank Vogel and the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Scott Brooks were not eligible because they coached in the 2014 NBA All-Star Game.

NBA All-Star 2015 in New York City will bring together some of the most talented and passionate players in the league’s history for a global celebration of the game. Along with the All-Star Game, TNT will also air the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge on Friday, Feb. 13, and State Farm All-Star Saturday Night on Saturday, Feb. 14. The BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge and State Farm All-Star Saturday night will take place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Other events at Barclays Center include the NBA Development League All-Star Game presented by Kumho Tire and the NBA Development League Dream Factory presented by Boost Mobile on Sunday, Feb. 15, airing on NBA TV. Madison Square Garden will host Friday night’s ESPN-televised Sprint NBA All-Star Celebrity Game.

2014-15 Single-Game Tickets are available for the rest of the season and can be purchased by calling (901) 888-HOOP or going online to grizzlies.com.  For more information on the Grizzlies, visit grizzlies.com, ‘like’ Memphis Grizzlies on Facebook or follow on Twitter (@memgrizz).

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Grizzlies’ Marc Gasol voted to Western Conference Starting Lineup for 2015 NBA All-Star Game

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Final day to cast your All-Star votes!

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Sprint tipped off NBA All-Star Balloting 2015 today in New York City, the official host city of NBA All-Star 2015.  Members of Grizz Nation can now vote for all their favorite Grizzlies players, including Marc Gasol, Mike Conley, Zach Randolph, Tony Allen and Courtney Lee.

This afternoon during rush hour, the NBA and Sprint will celebrate the start of balloting with voting fan stations outside of Madison Square Garden and Barclays Center.  NBA Legends Darryl Dawkins, Earl Monroe, Gary Payton, and Mitch Richmond will greet fans and commuters and encourage them to cast the first votes at the special NBA-themed voting booths.

NBA All-Star Balloting 2015 presented by Sprint gives fans around the world the opportunity to vote daily for their favorite players as starters for NBA All-Star Game 2015.  The official NBA All-Star Ballot presented by Sprint will include all current NBA players for the first time ever.  Fans will continue to select two guards and three frontcourt players when choosing the starters for the 2015 NBA All-Star Game, but can now vote for any current NBA player.

As part of the NBA’s all-digital program, fans can vote on NBA.com, through social media networks including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Sina Weibo and Tencent Microblog in China, via SMS text, and the NBA Game Time and NBA Game Time from Sprint applications.

New to this year’s program is SAP, which will integrate daily stats into the online ballot.  Fans can sort players on the NBA Ballot by their current stats from NBA.com/stats powered by SAP HANA.  SAP will also host a new feature on NBA.com/stats called the SAP NBA All-Star 2015 Game Predictor.  After fans vote, they will be able to see how the East and West starters they picked would match up.  The game predictor will compare player statistics and compute a game score based on the fan’s picks.

Balloting concludes on Monday, Jan. 19, and starters will be announced live on TNT on Thursday, Jan. 22, during a special one-hour edition of TNT NBA Tip-Off presented by Autotrader.com at 7 p.m. ET, featuring Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith. The special will air prior to TNT’s exclusive doubleheader featuring the San Antonio Spurs at the Chicago Bulls (8 p.m. ET) and the Brooklyn Nets at the Los Angeles Clippers (10:30 p.m. ET).

NBA All-Star 2015 in New York City will bring together some of the most talented and passionate players in the league’s history for a global celebration of the game.  The 64th NBA All-Star Game, which will take place Sunday, Feb. 15 at Madison Square Garden, will reach fans in 215 countries and territories in 47 languages.  TNT will televise the All-Star Game for the 13th consecutive year, marking Turner Sports' 30th year of All-Star coverage.  Barclays Center in Brooklyn will host the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge on Friday, Feb. 13 and State Farm All-Star Saturday Night on Saturday, Feb. 14.  Other events at Barclays Center will include the NBA Development League All-Star Game presented by Kumho Tire and the NBA Development League Dream Factory presented by Boost Mobile on Sunday, Feb. 15.  Madison Square Garden will host Friday night’s Sprint NBA All-Star Celebrity Game.

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NBA All-Star Balloting 2015 presented by Sprint begins today

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All‑Star

Marc Gasol named to Western Conference All-Star Team

Grizzlies’ Marc Gasol voted to Western Conference Starting Lineup for 2015 NBA All-Star Game

Final day to cast your All-Star votes!

NBA All-Star Balloting 2015 presented by Sprint begins today