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Should Kemba Walker be an All-Star? He says, 'Not really'

Sam Sharpe / USA TODAY Sports

Humility isn't a trait always seen in professional athletes, but the Charlotte Hornets' Kemba Walker certainly has it.

The race for the starting and reserve guard spots on the Eastern Conference All-Star team is hotly contested. Walker has been seen as a lock to snag one of the spots since the start of the season, but according to him, he doesn't deserve it.

''Not really, if you ask me,'' Walker told the Associated Press. ''Especially because of where my team is. But like I said, I really don't care honestly.''

Walker has been far and away the best player for a Hornets squad that started the year 8-3 and looked like they'd finally turned the corner to become a top team in the Eastern Conference. But they've since come back down to earth, currently sitting 21-21, good for seventh in the East.

To Walker, All-Star nods should be given to players as a reward for winning, not just individual stats.

''We haven't been doing a great job of winning consistently (so) the All-Star game is the last thing I'm going to think about right now,'' Walker continued.

While Walker has impressive splits of 23 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.2 rebounds on career-high 46 percent shooting, other guards - like Kyrie Irving, Kyle Lowry, Isaiah Thomas, and John Wall - are putting up equally good, if not better, stats while winning more games.

Hornets head coach Steve Clifford has all the belief in the world in his point guard, but he's also realistic concerning the competition at the position.

''It's not a question of whether or not he's playing like an All-Star - he's an All-Star-caliber guard, no question about it,'' Clifford said. ''The factors will be looking at the other point guards in the East. The East is loaded. Point guard is the best position in our league right now and also, a lot of other guys are playing on teams with better records than ours. It's about winning.''

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