NBA All-Star voting: Stephen Curry making up ground on LeBron James
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry trails Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James by 13,285 votes for the top spot in the NBA All-Star balloting.
Curry has gained ground on James since the second returns of the balloting were released on New Year's Day. At that point, James led Curry by 20,324 votes. James is currently sidelined with knee and back injuries, while Curry continues to thrive as the Warriors' leading scorer and assist provider.
Celebrities at NBA All-Star Games
Prince, Spike Lee
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Madonna
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Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears
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Olivia Wilde
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Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier
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Samuel L. Jackson
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Brittany Murphy, Ashton Kutcher
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Faith Hill
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Jay-Z, Beyonce
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LL Cool J.
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Eva Longoria
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Gabrielle Union, Terry Crews
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Jack Nicholson and family
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Richie Sambora, Heather Locklear
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Demi Moore
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Janet Jackson
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Denzel Washington
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Floyd Mayweather Jr, 50 Cent
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Justin Beiber
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Rob Reiner
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Nelly, Sean Combs
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Minka, Donald Faison
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Cedric the Entertainer
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Josh Duhamel, Fergie
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Jamie Foxx
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Deion Sanders
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Julianne Moore
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Eva Longoria, Cameron Diaz
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Kevin Hart
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Steve Carell, Harold Ramis
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Adam Sandler, Kevin James
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Michael Clarke Duncan, Vanessa Bosell
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Wayne Newton and wife
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Ludacris, Prince
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Alyssa Milano
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Nicki Minaj
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Adam Levine
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Corbin Bleu
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Joel Moorel
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Drake
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Mark Wahlberg
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Chris Tucker
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Gene Simmons
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Steven Tyler
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Isaac Hayes
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Warren Beatty
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Lil Wayne
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George Lopez
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Cee Lo Green
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Vinny Guadagnino, Michael Rappaport
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Alicia Keys
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Snoop Dogg, Bow Wow
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Damon Wayans
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Bruce Hornsby
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Lennox Lewis, Naomi Campbell
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Chrissy Tiegen, John Legend
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Both players lead their respective conferences in votes, which are cast for backcourt and frontcourt players.
Washington Wizards point guard John Wall leads the East backcourt with 564,977 votes, while Miami Heat guard Dwayne Wade is second with 507,326. Chicago Bulls forward PauGasol tops the East backcourt with 527,582 votes, followed by New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony with 456,186.
Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving fell from third to fourth among East guards, behind the Toronto Raptors' Kyle Lowry, meaning it is less likely that the so-called "Derrick Rose Rule" in his contract will be triggered.
In the West backcourt, Curry has garnered 958,014 votes, compared to 862,568 for Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant. The West frontcourt is paced by New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis, whose 922,381 votes rank behind only James and Curry, and Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin with 490,786.
• GOLLIVER: The All-Clutch Team
Here is a longer list of players receiving votes in the third returns.
East
Frontcourt:
1. LeBron James (Cle) 971,299
2. Pau Gasol (Chi) 527,582
3. Carmelo Anthony (NY) 456,186
4. Chris Bosh (Mia) 354,609
5. Kevin Love (Cle) 260,269
6. Marcin Gortat (Was) 155,636
7. Joakim Noah (Chi) 139,307
8. Jonas Valanciunas (Tor) 125,796
9. Al Jefferson (Cha) 77,518
10. Kevin Garnett (BKN) 76,595
11. Nikola Vucevic (Orl) 68,722
12. Paul Pierce (Was) 59,264
13. Paul Millsap (Atl) 55,224
14. Nikola Mirotic (Chi) 52,562
15. Al Horford (Atl) 48,465
Backcourt:
1. John Wall (Was) 564,977
2. Dwyane Wade (Mia) 507,326
3. Kyle Lowry (Tor) 406,974
4. Kyrie Irving (Cle) 372,065
5. Jimmy Butler (Chi) 263,914
6. Derrick Rose (Chi) 240,092
7. DeMar DeRozan (Tor) 97,093
8. Louis Williams (Tor) 43,652
9. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Mil) 31,700
10. Bradley Beal (Was) 28,387
West
Frontcourt:
1. Anthony Davis (NO) 922,381
2. Blake Griffin (LAC) 490,786
3. Marc Gasol (Mem) 476,660
4. Tim Duncan (SA) 374,814
5. Kevin Durant (OKC) 330,297
6. LaMarcus Aldridge (Por) 315,405
7. Dwight Howard (Hou) 211,531
8. DeMarcus Cousins (Sac) 209,742
9. Dirk Nowitzki (Dal) 186,017
10. Kawhi Leonard (SA) 115,194
11. Rudy Gay (Sac) 97,856
12. DeAndre Jordan (LAC) 75,777
13. Tyson Chandler (Dal) 63,906
14. Nick Young (LAL) 62,502
15. Serge Ibaka (OKC) 60,842
Backcourt:
1. Stephen Curry (GS) 958,014
2. Kobe Bryant (LAL) 862,568
3. James Harden (Hou) 690,843
4. Chris Paul (LAC) 401,945
5. Damian Lillard (Por) 210,794
6. Klay Thompson (GS) 170,827
7. Rajon Rondo (Dal) 165,427
8. Russell Westbrook (OKC) 159,264
9. Jeremy Lin (LAL) 148,763
10. Tony Parker (SA) 75,325
Balloting closes on Jan. 19, and the starters will be announced on TNT three days later. The game will take place on Feb. 15 at Madison Square Garden.
