(AP)-
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has selected Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins to replace injured Lakers star Kobe Bryant on the Western Conference All-Star team.
The commissioner’s decision Friday sends Cousins to the All-Star game for the first time in his five-year career. He becomes Sacramento’s first All-Star since Brad Miller and Peja Stojakovic in 2004.
Silver’s selection leaves Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard as the game’s biggest snub. Lillard was an All-Star last year and had made a strong case to go again this season.
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who is leading the West, will decide who replaces Bryant in the starting lineup. Kerr will choose from a roster that includes Houston’s James Harden and Warriors guard Klay Thompson.
