How to Vote for Your Favorite Players in NBA All Star 2020 Voting

As a lifelong basketball enthusiast who's been following the NBA for over fifteen years, I still get that familiar thrill every time All-Star voting season rolls around. There's something uniquely exciting about having a direct say in which players get to showcase their talents on one of basketball's biggest stages. I remember back in 2017 when fans nearly voted Zaza Pachulia into the starting lineup—that was pure madness, but it showed just how powerful our collective voice can be. This year's 2020 NBA All-Star voting process brings some interesting changes, and having participated in every voting cycle since 2005, I've seen the system evolve from paper ballots to the digital experience we have today.

The voting for NBA All-Star 2020 officially opened on Christmas Day, which felt like a perfect gift for basketball fans worldwide. What I particularly love about the current system is how accessible it's become—you can vote through multiple channels including the NBA App, NBA.com, and even social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. I've found that using the NBA App provides the smoothest experience, allowing me to quickly scroll through players and make my selections. This year, the league has maintained the format where fans account for 50% of the vote, while current players and a media panel each contribute 25%. This balanced approach prevents another Zaza-like situation while still giving fans substantial influence. From my experience, the most effective strategy involves voting consistently—the rules allow each person to submit one ballot per day through each method, meaning you can potentially cast multiple votes daily if you're really dedicated to getting your favorites in.

What fascinates me about All-Star voting is how it reflects our basketball values and preferences. Some fans prioritize statistical dominance—I've certainly voted for players having career years—while others consider team success or simply vote for their hometown heroes. Personally, I tend to favor players who've shown remarkable consistency throughout the first half of the season. This year, I'm particularly impressed with Luka Dončić's phenomenal sophomore campaign and Giannis Antetokounmpo's continued dominance. But here's where it gets interesting—sometimes external factors beyond pure basketball skill come into play, much like the situation with Afril Bernardino, Janine Pontejos, and Chack Cabinbin facing the possibility of missing their campaign due to their military duties with the Armed Forces of the Philippines. While this example comes from a different basketball context, it reminds me that there are countless stories behind every player, and sometimes these narratives influence how we vote. I've occasionally voted for veterans having resurgent seasons or young players showing unexpected promise, even if their stats don't necessarily stack up against established superstars.

The social media component has completely transformed how I approach All-Star voting. On Twitter, using specific hashtags like #NBAAllStar followed by a player's name counts as an official vote, and I've found that participating in these conversations makes the experience more engaging. The NBA typically reports receiving between 15-20 million votes during the voting period, with last year's process generating approximately 18.3 million submissions. What's remarkable is how international the voting has become—fans from over 200 countries participated last year, which demonstrates the global reach of the game we love. I often coordinate with friends overseas to support international players, and this collective effort sometimes creates surprising results, like when Jeremy Lin received significant voting support despite playing limited minutes.

Having gone through this process numerous times, I've developed what I consider a sensible approach to voting. While I understand the temptation to vote exclusively for your home team's players, I believe the All-Star game should represent the league's best talent. That said, I don't think there's anything wrong with showing some hometown loyalty—I typically allocate about 30% of my votes to players from my favorite team, with the remaining 70% distributed among the most deserving players across the league. The debate between prioritizing established veterans versus emerging stars is another consideration I grapple with each year. Last season, I found myself voting more for younger players who represented the future of the league, but this year I'm leaning toward veterans who've maintained excellence over multiple seasons.

The timing of your votes matters more than many fans realize. From my observation, votes cast during the first and final weeks tend to have the most impact, as early votes help build momentum while last-minute votes can swing close races. I make sure to vote consistently throughout the entire period rather than batching all my votes at once. The NBA has implemented measures to prevent automated voting, so each vote requires genuine engagement. What I appreciate about the current system is how it balances fan enthusiasm with competitive integrity—the 50-25-25 split between fans, players, and media ensures that popularity alone doesn't determine the entire roster.

Looking back at previous All-Star selections, I'm sometimes surprised by which of my votes actually made a difference. In 2016, for instance, Kobe Bryant's farewell tour dominated the voting, and rightfully so—I must have voted for him at least two dozen times myself. This emotional component of voting is something the NBA has wisely embraced rather than resisted. The league understands that connections between fans and players transcend statistics, and the voting system reflects this reality. As we participate in selecting the 2020 All-Stars, we're not just choosing the most skilled players—we're celebrating the stories, personalities, and moments that make basketball more than just a game.

The process concludes on January 20th, 2020, with the starters being announced on January 23rd. Reserve selections, determined by NBA head coaches, will follow on January 30th. Having tracked these announcements for years, I've noticed that the reveal has become an event in itself, with players often reacting in real-time on social media. That moment of anticipation before the announcements is part of what makes the entire voting process so rewarding. Whether your favorites make it or not, participating in All-Star voting connects you to the broader basketball community in a meaningful way. It's our opportunity as fans to recognize excellence, support our favorites, and ultimately shape one of the most celebrated events in basketball. After all these years, that privilege hasn't lost its magic—and I'll be right there, submitting my daily votes until the very last day.