Heat's Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo will have to wait a week to learn NBA All-Star fate

Miami Heat players Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo will have to wait another week before learning if they are chosen for the NBA All-Star Game.

They were not among those selected as starters Thursday night. The reserves will be announced Jan. 30. The game is in Chicago Feb. 16.

Butler was in consideration because he is the top player on the No. 2 team in the Eastern Conference. He is averaging 20.3 points, seven rebounds and 6.5 assists, putting the Heat in position to make a return to the playoffs after missing last season.

Teammate Meyers Leonard took to social-media to express his disappointment. On his personal Twitter page, he wrote: "Jimmy Butler and Dame Lillard are All-Star starters. The fact that they aren’t is asinine." TNT analyst Charles Barkley took it a step further by saying Butler was snubbed because of his personality. During Thursday's broadcast, Barkley said it was "because they (players) don’t like him. They think he’s annoying.”

M I S S I N G pic.twitter.com/NLpcKqtrcm
— Meyers Leonard (@MeyersLeonard) January 24, 2020

Butler clashed with teammates and management during his days with the Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves and Philadelphia 76ers. There have been no such incidents since he was traded to Miami last July. If he is chosen as a reserve, it will mark his fifth All-Star appearance.

Adebayo, in just his third season, is searching for his first berth. In a breakout year, he is averaging 15.8 points, 10.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists.

The East starters are Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia), Pascal Siakam (Toronto), Kemba Walker (Boston) and Trae Young (Atlanta). In the West, it's Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers), Luka Doncic (Dallas), James Harden (Houston), LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers) and Kawhi Leonard (Los Angeles Clippers)

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