Centers dominated this season's All Star Game selections, as expected, with the maximum number of six (three on each divisional team) being selected.
Hall of Fame center Max Payne of Chicago added a 15th award on his card with this, his eighth All Star Game selection. Payne thus moves past Hall of Fame greats Dan Mann and Cheetos Jones into 12th place all time on the Hall of Fame list. He is tied for 12th place with Doc Watson and Cam Bodia, and is now just one award away from tying Diamond Dallas Paige and Jonny Cockaroo as the most honored center in MBA history.
Seven first-time all stars were selected to the mid-season extravaganza this season (which will take place on the home court of the surprising Seattle Stampede).
Two of the first-timers are rookies Tree Fiddy, the Sacramento center and clear-cut favorite for Rookie of the Year honors, and guard Dayshotta Leo of San Jose.
Chicago's Poppy Poppalucco finally made it to the All Star Game in his ninth season in the league. He and Sacramento forward Harold Arlen (playing in his 6th All Star Game) will both be retiring after this season.
Perennial All Star Game selections Art Vandelay of Chicago and Lemon Jell-o of Dallas each needed just one more award, an All Star Game appearance, to make 10 honors on their card in order to be named to the Hall of Fame. But Jell-o was benched early on for the first time in his career when Dallas acquired T.Kanes Masterson, hindering his chances and Vandelay was edged by second-year forward Baba Brinkman of Milwaukee, who only started his team's last three games thanks to an injury to Teatime Typhoo. So neither Jell-o or Vandelay got that elusive 10th award, and to make matters worse, both will be retiring after this season. Chances are, one or both will eventually get into the Hall via the retired Veterans route.
Players with 20-plus GVPs who did not make the All Star Game were:
-- guard Beezow Bop-Bop of Charleston (20.2)
-- forward Davis Phillips of Philadelphia (20.0)
-- forward Art Vandelay of Charleston (20.4)
All of the above are East Division players.
Hall of Fame guard Hrundi V. Bakshi of Milwaukee (19.4) also failed to make the team.
Chicago, Sacramento and San Jose each placed three players on the team, and every team in the league had at least one player selected.
The All Star Game record stands at 24 wins for the East to 14 for the West
CHICAGO, SEATTLE LEAD DIVISIONS
Defending champion Chicago and their league-leading defense top the East, but Milwaukee and Charleston are still in the hunt.
In the West, Seattle has shocked everyone with its first-place 4-1 record, thanks mainly to Ginger Vampire and mirrors (even though vampires abhor mirrors).
Houston, last in the East, may be moving its franchise if it finishes in the cellar again.
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