LaMelo Ball is not an NBA All-Star in 2025.
After the final 2025 All-Star rosters were announced, it completely shows why the All-Star voting system is broken. Despite Ball leading the way in fan votes, it was not enough to be either a starter or a reserve.
Ball had a total of 1,908,967 fan votes.
And the next highest? Cleveland Cavaliers Donovan Mitchell with 1,554,204, per NBA.com.
Fans believe that this was the biggest snub in history, while others believe that it's not. The reason people may favor it being a snub can be pointed towards Ball's statistical numbers on the season. Ball is averaging 28.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game, although he makes his field goal attempts at a high rate of 41.9 percent.
On the contrary, others feel like the Charlotte Hornets' record is not enough for Ball to be included in this year's All-Star selection. And it makes sense. A standing of 12-32 that sits them near the bottom of the Eastern Conference doesn't look well when making the final cuts.
Leading the fan vote doesn't matter anymore, proving why the system is broken
However, the All-Star game is traditionally known for recognizing a player's individual performance. Ball has been a standout for Queen City ever since he arrived and has become the face of the franchise. This season has seen him take his game to the next level.
There is some sentiment around the league that the 2021 Rookie of the Year not getting an All-Star starting gig was spot on. But you would think that Ball would get the nod as a reserve, right? This is not the case, surprisingly.
There has been a ton of discussions as to why the league's viewership is down. So why disregard the choice of the fans? It doesn't make sense at all.
A change needs to happen — it has to make sense moving forward.
This is why the system is broken.
The decision of taking out a fan favorite is the complete opposite of helping raise the viewership, especially during one of the biggest events of the NBA season.
It will be interesting to see what happens moving forward, and if the choices will follow logic.
Until then, Ball will likely try to continue helping the Hornets find their way to gain more wins and become the healthiest he can possibly be despite his injury history already being too extensive at his age. In addition, the front office can hopefully build a better roster around the organization's top player, which could include searching for its next potential superstar in this year's NBA Draft.