Los Angeles Lakers

Mark Jackson: Kobe should be All-Star starter as thanks to one of the 'true greats'

Published Dec. 12, 2015 11:44 a.m. ET

Brett Pollakoff

The NBA All-Star Voting 2016 presented by Verizon kicked off this week, and it provided a new reason for fans to be divided on their opinions of Kobe Bryant.

Bryant has announced that this will be his final NBA season, and as one of the game's all-time greats, it would seem fitting that he appear in the All-Star game, just as he has for the past 16 seasons. The problem, however, is that Bryant's game no longer warrants inclusion in the midseason exhibition.

But Adam Silver believes Bryant should be there for all he's previously accomplished, and Mark Jackson, who appeared in 17 NBA seasons and was a one-time All-Star, took it a step further and said that he believes Bryant should be one of the starters.

"To me, I believe that a starter would be Kobe Bryant," the former NBA player told FOX Sports. "I’m not co-signing the way he’s playing or the way his team is playing. It would be a way for me as a fan — because the voting is for the fans — it would be a way for me as a fan, a former player and a coach to say thank you to one of the true greats in the history of the game."

This makes perfect sense, and in all likelihood, it's how things will play out. Bryant remains incredibly popular in spite of his physical decline, and with fans having the power to vote for who they want to see, Bryant is a lock to appear in the starting lineup, even now as he's listed on the ballot in an entirely new position.

There's a legitimate issue here, though, because of the limits in place of just how many players can appear on the All-Star roster. Bryant's inclusion means that a borderline player will be left off who's more deserving, and it's been suggested in recent years that the commissioner be able to add players in Bryant's situation when it's warranted so that another player doesn't need to be snubbed.

But the fact that Bryant belongs outweighs this concern, and Jackson explained perfectly why that's the case.

“I can remember Michael’s All-Star game and Magic’s All-Star game where we as fans and players said thank you," Jackson told FOX Sports. "Let’s give the fans and the players the opportunity to say thank you (to Kobe) in the same way."