As the national news circulates around alleged Russian hacks of the U.S. electoral process, there appears to be another equally important consequence. At least according to Zaza Pachulia, hackers may have gotten a hold of the 2017 NBA All-Star Game voting.
Pachulia, of course, has been in the NBA news for the past few days as the first returns from voting have been released. The Warriors center is among the highest vote-getters, currently holding a spot among the Western Conference starters.
Zaza was asked about this after shootaround and had an amazing response (via Monte Poole of CSN Bay Area):
“Do you think it’s a (computer) hack?” Pachulia asked, facetiously, after shootaround.
Pachulia then turned serious, referencing the wars and the politics of Georgia, and acknowledging the national unity and resilience of 3.5 million fellow Georgians.
“All I can do is sit back and enjoy it and be thankful, be really thankful for all of this,” he said. “You can get mad if you want, or you can be happy if you want. But you can’t buy this. It’s a special moment and I really appreciate the support.
“And that’s what I care about. I don’t care about All-Star (status) and the fame that comes with it and the recognition that comes with it. I care about the support and the love I’m getting. It kind of tells me I’m doing something right. I’m not saying I’m perfect, but I’m doing something for me people, for my community.”
In all seriousness, Zaza Pachulia will almost certainly not be a starter in the All-Star game due to the voting process. Where he ranks among voters in the media and players will be averaged with his ranking with the fans. Regardless, this has been a hilarious story to follow.
