NBA expanding All-Star ballot, pushing back voting
The NBA will now include every player on its All-Star ballot, the league announced on Thursday. The online ballot will be updated every day to reflect D-league call-ups and new signings.
A group of news media had previously selected 60 players per conference for the ballot.
The league also announced that voting for the game will not start until Dec. 11. It had typically started this week, with most teams having played fewer than 15 percent of their schedules. The voting period ends on Jan. 19.
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"Our players are the most exciting athletes in the world," president of basketball operations Rod Thorn said Thursday in a statement. "Our choice to include all NBA players is both a tribute to their skills and achievements, and another way to engage our fans in the full experience of NBA All-Star by giving them every option."
New York will host this season's All-Star festivities.
The game will be played at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Feb. 15, and the other events -- including the dunk and three-point contest -- will be held at Barclays Center the previous night.
