The All-NBA Selections Prompted Wildly Different Reactions From Some Players

Perhaps no end-of-season award is as important to NBA players as the All-NBA Team. There are of course financial implications for many players, but from our perspective, the direct comparison and ranking across positions seems to dictate how players perceive their reputation. Sure, the MVP is the MVP, but one spot will generally prompt a lot less debate than 15. For DeMarcus Cousins, getting selected to the second team behind DeAndre Jordan was a sign that he has mountains yet to climb:

TMC, in Boogie parlance, means “The marathon continues.” Third-teamer Paul George also felt hard done by, and he resorted to the classic cry-laugh emoji that really just means whatever you want it to mean:

Damian Lillard has seen his fair share of snubs through the years, and though he didn’t even make the All-Star Game this season, he managed to nab a second-team berth (and the hefty bonus to his contract that comes with it). For him, this moment was one of (mostly) quiet validation:

Many of the remaining winners are still alive in the playoffs, and as such aren’t in a position to air their joy or grievances over a regular season award, and maybe those who got snubbed (James Harden? Anthony Davis?) are keeping quiet for a reason, but Paul Millsap’s brother Elijah was not happy to see big bro left off:

https://twitter.com/Elijah_Millsap/status/735929276524941312

Oh, and Brandon Jennings jumped in:

https://twitter.com/thinkiminthe90s/status/735910893909889024

Thanks, Brandon!