David Lee and LeBron James will be teammates for a weekend.
The Knicks have their All-Star after all as Commissioner David Stern announced Lee will replace Allen Iverson on the Eastern Conference team after Iverson dropped out for personal reasons.
Lee was transported to Dallas last night on a charter from Newark as most flights from New York were cancelled because of a snowstorm that hit North Texas, creating havoc for All-Star Weekend.
“I am happy for him,” Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni said. “It will be a great experience.”
“It is a great honor for David and the franchise,”‘ team president Donnie Walsh said. “I hope he enjoys it. He deserves it and all New York is happy and proud.”‘
Lee is averaging 20 points and 11.4 rebounds, which is tied for fifth in the league, and has recorded 30 double-doubles. Lee, who is shooting 56 percent, was bypassed in the coaches’ vote, losing out to Al Horford and Gerald Wallace due to the Knicks’ sliding record.
Lee will become the first Knick to compete in Sunday’s All-Star Game since 2001, when Allan Houston and Latrell Sprewell made it. Sprewell, too, was selected by the commissioner, who makes the call on replacements.
Ironically, James may not be thrilled with Lee getting the nod over Cavaliers center Shaquille O’Neal. With the Knicks at 19-32, Lee will be the lone player on the Eastern Conference from a losing club. The Knicks will have as many All-Stars as the league-best Cavaliers. In fact, they’ll have three players involved in All-Star festivities to the Cavaliers’ one.
“It’s good to see someone who works as hard as David and does everything the right way get rewarded,” Lee’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, said. “[Cleveland’s] Mo Williams was one of my guys and he should’ve made it too. But David no question is worthy of being an All-Star.”
Earlier in the day, Danilo Gallinari and Nate Robinson chartered a flight to Dallas after their flights were cancelled due to the New York blizzard. Gallinari will participate in the rookie-sophomore game tonight and the 3-point shooting contest tomorrow despite a forearm injury he suffered vs. Sacramento Tuesday.
Robinson, battling a strained hamstring, still plans to compete in tomorrow’s Slam-Dunk competition and defend his crown. The extra festivities will be staged at the AmericanAirlines Arena, but Lee will compete in the main event at the new Cowboys Stadium, where attendance records will be set.
It was the second straight day Lee has been honored. He was named Wednesday as one of the 27 members of Team USA’s 2010-2012 Olympic squad and could play in this summer’s World Championship.
When Lee didn’t get in on the coaches’ vote, he seemed genuinely disappointed, blaming it on the team’s record and vowing to use it as motivation for the rest of the season. But since the snub two weeks ago, Lee hasn’t been a big factor late in games and the Knicks have tumbled badly.
The game will miss Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, who is nursing an injured right ankle. Mavericks guard Jason Kidd was named to replace him.