Despite All-Star Snub, Jimmy Butler and Trae Young Get ‘Love’ From Kyrie Irving on Top-5 List

Miami Heat‘s Jimmy Butler and Atlanta Hawks‘ Trae Young were left out of the 2024 All-Star rosters. The duo might not have earned a trip to Indianapolis for the All-Star weekend as their stats this season has been impressive. However, they have Kyrie Irving‘s admiration in their bags.

The Dallas Mavericks superstar recently hosted a Q&A on his Discord channel and was asked to name the five NBA players that he loved watching. Irving named Butler, Young, Minnesota Timberwolves‘ Anthony Edwards, Oklahoma City Thunder‘s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and his Mavericks teammate Luka Doncic.

Irving’s love for Doncic is unsurprising. The Mavericks superstar is a magician on the basketball court, often banking ridiculous shots and making jaw-dropping passes. Edwards is one of the most explosive players in the league, and his thunderous dunks make him must-watch television. Shai has established himself as an MVP-calibre player. His smooth ball-handling and nifty dribbling have endeared his peers and fans.

All three young stars have earned a trip to the All-Star weekend in Indianapolis. However, Butler and Young missed out for the second year running but, they’ll take solace in knowing that one of the game’s premier guards enjoys watching them play and admires their talent.

Trae Young’s All-Star snub leaves LeBron James baffled

Trae Young missed out on an All-Star selection despite averaging 27.1 points, 11 assists, and 2.9 rebounds. In a league filled to the brim with superstar guards who run their team’s offense, the Hawks star is the only player averaging 25+ points and 10+ assists. Despite being exceptional in that sense, Young was left out of the Eastern Conference’s All-Star roster.

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James voiced his frustration about Young’s snub on X (formerly called Twitter). Replying to a post talking about the guard’s exclusion from the East’s All-Star team, the four-time MVP wrote,

“I’m not quite understanding this! Cause it can’t be about Ws/Ls cause cats have definitely gotten in with wayyy nastier records in the past. He be cooking EVERY NIGHT! Stop it! He’s an All-Star for sure. Something is REAL FISHY.”

While James hinted there’s an agenda against Young, the Hawks guard did what he does best: dominate on the court. On Friday, he led his team to a 129-120 win over the Phoenix Suns, who had won nine of their previous 11 matches. Young scored 32 points, dished 15 assists, and grabbed one rebound in a terrific display.

Post-game, he took a dig at those who didn’t vote him into the All-Star game on Instagram. He posted a photo from the win over the Suns and captioned it,

“Born a Star, still a Star.. Always will be a Star”

Young’s outstanding display helped the Hawks hold onto their play-in spot. There isn’t anything the guard can do to affect the voters’ perception, but he can keep proving them wrong by leading the Hawks to wins.