A home team rooting interest is not required.
But it is desired.
So despite a historically rotten season by the Knicks and a decidedly disappointing run by the Nets, New York will have a local star in play for the 64th NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 15 at Madison Square Garden.
As expected, the Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony emerged for the seventh consecutive season as an All-Star starter in balloting results announced Thursday. This will be Anthony’s eighth overall All-Star appearance.
Obviously, fans did not hold the Knicks’ morbid 7-36 record against Anthony — and no, there was not a crush of voting in the wake of the Knicks victories over the Pelicans and 76ers this week. Balloting, which asked fans to vote for three frontcourt players and two guards in each conference, ended Monday. Anthony (647,005) got the final frontcourt spot over Washington’s Marcin Gortat (570,005).
“It’s New York. If I get a chance to represent the Knicks in New York, that’s an honor and blessing,” Anthony said recently, before the fan-balloting results were announced. “[For players to] have an All-Star weekend in their hometown and represent that city and organization, I’ll take it.”
Anthony is joined on the East starting frontcourt by Cleveland’s LeBron James and Chicago’s Pau Gasol. The starting East guards are Washington’s John Wall and Toronto’s Kyle Lowry, who passed Miami’s Dwyane Wade in the final week.
The West will start Golden State’s Stephen Curry, who overtook James by some 43,000 votes to be the top overall vote-getter, and now-injured Laker Kobe Bryant at guard. The frontcourt has New Orleans’ Anthony Davis, Memphis’ Marc Gasol and the Clippers’ Blake Griffin.
It will be the first time brothers, Pau and Marc Gasol, start against each other in the All-Star Game.
Bryant was diagnosed Thursday with a torn right rotator cuff, suffered Wednesday in New Orleans. It is the third serious injury suffered in three seasons by Bryant, 36, whose season likely is over. His absence would open the door for a more deserving choice, Houston’s James Harden, the league’s leading scorer. Bryant made his All-Star Game debut at the Garden in 1998.
Reserves, as selected by the league’s coaches, will be announced Thursday.
The Knicks will see one who got away on the sidelines as Steve Kerr, who has coached the Warriors to a league best 34-6 mark, will direct the West. Kerr, the first rookie All-Star coach since Larry Bird in 1998, will be opposed by East coach Mike Budenholzer — who, in his second season, has led Atlanta to a 35-8 record. The Hawks have no All-Star starters, despite having the best record in the East.
So it’s nice to have a local guy for the weekend, which will be played over two boroughs and culminate in the Garden game. In the 63 previous All-Star Games, MVP honors 14 times went to a home team star — or stars, like in 1993 when Karl Malone and John Stockton shared the award in Utah.
The weekend will be split between the Garden and Barclays Center. On Friday, Feb. 13, the Rising Stars Challenge — with a new format featuring a 10-man USA team against 10 foreign-born stars as selected by the league’s assistant coaches — is set for Brooklyn. Barclays also gets the celebrity game Friday, plus the Saturday night events: the shooting stars competition, the skills challenge, 3-point shootout and the dunk contest. The Garden gets the All-Star Game. Pop superstar Ariana Grande will perform at halftime, the NBA announced Thursday.
Anthony, the NBA’s fifth leading scorer (24.0) who carries a 21.1 All-Star Game average, has battled a sore left knee throughout the season while admitting surgery is inevitable. With the Knicks going nowhere but the lottery, Anthony still has tried to play through and no doubt wanted a return to the All-Star showcase of the league elite.
This week, Anthony was asked if he were back for good.
“As of right now, that is the plan,” said Anthony, who missed six games with the knee injury before returning to play against the Bucks in London three games ago.
A big test is upcoming, as the Knicks play a back-to-back set Friday at home against Orlando and Saturday in Charlotte.
— Additional reporting by Marc Berman
Winning votes
Here’s a look at NBA All-Star Game fan voting (* indicates starter). Reserves, voting on by league coaches, will be announced next week.
Eastern Conference
Frontcourt
*LeBron James (Cavaliers): 1,470,483
*Pau Gasol (Bulls): 974,177
*Carmelo Anthony (Knicks): 647,005
Marcin Gortat (Wizards): 570,005
Chris Bosh (Heat): 542,006
Guards
*John Wall (Wizards): 886,368
*Kyle Lowry (Raptors): 805,290
Dwyane Wade (Heat): 789,839
Kyrie Irving (Cavaliers): 535,873
Jimmy Butler (Bulls): 455,756
Western Conference
Frontcourt
*Anthony Davis (Pelicans): 1,369,911
*Marc Gasol (Grizzlies): 795,121
*Blake Griffin (Clippers): 700,615
Tim Duncan (Spurs): 546,817
Kevin Durant (Thunder): 545,226
Guards
*Stephen Curry (Warriors): 1,513,324
*Kobe Bryant (Lakers): 1,152,402
James Harden (Rockets): 1,069,368
Chris Paul (Clippers): 551,167
Damian Lillard (Blazers): 365,417