VIDEO: Kentucky's Calipari wants every player he's coached in All-Star game
No one can ever fault John Calipari for lacking loyalty to his former players.
On Friday, the Kentucky bench boss lobbied NBA fans to vote for virtually every pro player he has coached in his storied career to make the All-Star Game.
Brace yourself for an exhaustive list that borders on ridiculous.
The highly-decorated Calipari has coached 25 players who've made it to the Association - 37 including his years at Memphis and UMass - and seems to think all 25 ballers warrant consideration for February's showcase in Toronto.
Let's run down some of Cal's cases:
- DeMarcus Cousins - 26.1 points, 11 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 1.3 blocks - absolutely deserving of an All-Star nod, even if he mercilessly trolls his competitors.
- John Wall - Player of the Month for December - has a good shot at being named a reserve backcourt player, but his club's 19-19 record doesn't help his cause any.
- Anthony Davis - 22.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 2.5 blocks - "The Brow" may not make the annual exhibition due to his New Orleans Pelicans' struggles.
- Rajon Rondo - 11.7 points, 6.4 boards, 11.6 dimes, 1.9 steals - slim chances the coaches reward the mercurial guard with a reserve spot.
- Karl-Anthony Towns - a.k.a. "Karlito" - has impressed, but again, the subpar performance of his team, combined with the fact that rookies almost never play in the Sunday night showcase, doesn't bode well for the 20-year-old.
- Derrick Rose - averaging the fewest points of his career and still working his way through a comeback campaign - could use the rest come mid-February.
From there, Calipari is grasping at straws. Brandon Knight, Nerlens Noel, Julius Randle, Terrence Jones, and Patrick Patterson are all decent players, but likely won't have fans rushing to their smartphones.
Regardless, gotta love coach Cal for trying.