When the NBA All-Star list was revealed this weekend, there wasn’t a single player from the Utah Jazz picked for the league’s annual showcase.
And at least one player from Utah felt they had a strong case to be there.
Jazz star Lauri Markkanen said he deserved to be an All-Star for the second time in his career. He is averaging 27 points and seven rebounds per game in his ninth season out of Arizona.
“I think I’ve played at that level,” Markkanen said last week. “The NBA is really talented and there are a lot of high-level players. Obviously, that is an individual goal of mine. I hope I make it and, like I said, I’ve played at that level.”
Markkanen made his All-Star debut when the game was in Salt Lake City back in 2023. That year, he won the league’s Most Improved Player award while averaging 25 points a night. He beat out Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and New York’s Jalen Brunson for the honor.
The Finnish forward has played in 36 of Utah’s 50 games this year, with the Jazz currently sitting at 15-35.
“Just control what you can control and keep putting the work in,” Markkanen said.
Here is the list of Western Conference All-Stars:
Starters
Steph Curry - Golden State Warriors
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - Oklahoma City Thunder
Luka Doncic - Los Angeles Lakers
Nikola Jokic - Denver Nuggets
Victor Wembanyama - San Antonio Spurs
Reserves
Anthony Edwards - Minnesota Timberwolves
Devin Booker - Phoenix Suns
Kevin Durant - Houston Rockets
LeBron James - Los Angeles Lakers
Jamal Murray - Denver Nuggets
Chet Holmgren - Oklahoma City Thunder
Deni Avdija - Portland Trail Blazers
