Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic has been named the injury replacement for Cleveland Cavaliers star Kevin Love. The forward left a recent game after suffering a hand injury and he was later diagnosed with a broken hand. Love’s injury marks the third member of Team LeBron to be sidelined for the game after DeMarcus Cousins ruptured his Achilles and John Wall underwent knee surgery.
The NBA announced the decision earlier today.
Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic has been named by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to replace injured Cleveland Cavaliers forward/center Kevin Love on Team LeBron in the 2018 NBA All-Star Game, to be played Sunday, Feb. 18 at Staples Center in Los Angeles (8 p.m. ET).
This marks the first NBA All-Star selection for Dragic, who becomes the first player from Slovenia to earn the honor.
Some believed it was a snub to the Miami Heat team overall to not have an all-star selection given their success this season but it was hard to pinpoint one player to select. It appears that Silver made the choice to select the next player in line according to the coach vote.
The 10-year veteran is averaging team highs of 17.0 points and 4.8 assists per game for Southeast Division-leading Miami (29-22), which has the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference. Dragic also joins Kyle Korver (2015), Tyson Chandler (2013) and Sam Cassell (2004) as recent players to be named an All-Star for the first time in their 10th season or later.
