The Lakers presence will be felt in the NBA D-League All-Star Game with a handful of D-Fenders earning the honor
Los Angeles D-Fenders star shooting guard Vander Blue and power forward Justin Harper found out about a week ago that they were going to take a trip without their teammates as they both earned spots on the NBA D-League All-Star team.
A couple of days later, D-Fenders shooting guard Andre Ingram found out he was taking the trip too. Ingram was selected to participate in the D-League’s 3-Point Contest. He ranks No. 2 in the league in three-point shooting completion, making 50.7 percent of the attempts he’s taken.
Eight NBA players are included on the list of 24 All-star players, six on the East and two on the West, and none of them are Lakers. Of the 16 players left, eight have NBA experience and eight do not. The D-Fenders Harper and Blue are two that have tasted what it feels like to play in the big leagues.
The difference between the D-League All-Star Game and the NBA All-Star team is simple: The NBA All-Star starters are determined by popularity and the reserves by merit whereas the D-League All-Stars are all based on performance. These three D-Fenders players should be proud.
We had a chance to talk to all three D-Fenders stars to get their reaction to Saturday’s win over the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, earning D-League All-Star honors, and being acknowledged for their effort by the league, their coach, and their teammates.
Next: Center Justin Harper