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SALT LAKE CITY -- Al Jefferson, Andrei Kirilenko, Mehmet Okur and Deron Williams are featured on the 2011 NBA All-Star ballot, unveiled Thursday during a special tip-off event in Los Angeles, the Official Host City of NBA All-Star 2011. Fans are also permitted to cast a write-in vote for players not on the ballot. Balloting presented by T-Mobile began this afternoon at 1 p.m. MT. The 60th NBA All-Star Game, which will air live on TNT and ESPN Radio in the U.S., and reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages, will be played at STAPLES Center on Sunday, Feb. 20, 2011.
Williams, a 2010 NBA All-Star, posted 14 points, six assists, three rebounds and four steals in front of his hometown crowd in Dallas during his first career appearance last season. Utah's leading scorer and assist man is averaging 22.3 points, 10.1 assists (third in NBA) and 4.6 rebounds a game and was named the NBA's Western Conference Player of the Week for November 8-14. Kirilenko was previously named an All-Star in 2004 and is posting 12.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks a game so far this season. While Okur has yet to appear in a game this season as he recovers from a left Achilles' tendon injury, Jefferson is vying for his first ever All-Star selection. The Jazz's offseason acquisition from Minnesota is averaging 16.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.4 blocks per game.
2011 NBA All-Star Balloting presented by T-Mobile, with associate partner 2K Sports, allows fans around the world to vote daily for their favorite players as starters for the 2011 NBA All-Star Game. There are several ways fans can cast their votes, including: at each NBA arena; in 20 languages on NBA.com; and through mobile phones by texting the player's last name to 6-9-6-2-2 ("MYNBA") or by visiting m.nba.com on any wireless carrier.
For SMS voting, fans can vote for All-Stars any time by texting a player's last name from their mobile phones on any wireless carrier. Fans can cast one SMS vote per day, per phone number. Message and data rates may apply. T-Mobile customers will receive an exclusive 15 percent discount code to NBAStore.com for voting via SMS voting. Upon voting, T-Mobile customers will get a bounceback message with a discount code for them to use on NBAStore.com.
Fans can vote directly on NBA.com or use their Facebook profile information to help create an NBA.com All-Access account, which enables them to complete a ballot. After submitting their All-Star selections, fans will have the ability to share them with their friends on Facebook and followers on Twitter, and encourage others to cast their ballots.
The NBA All-Star ballot lists 120 players - 60 each from the Eastern and Western Conferences - with 24 guards, 24 forwards, and 12 centers from each conference comprising the list. Voters select two guards, two forwards and one center from each conference.
