All Star Game and Rising Stars
The players who will participate in the All Star Game (tonight we will know the teams chosen by LeBron James and Stephen Curry) and the Rising Stars have already been revealed. It seems that this 2018 edition of the All Star Weekend will not include any Spanish representation. However, the official names of the participants in Saturday's contests have not been announced yet. There is a very remote possibility that Mirotic, in the three-point contest, has a slim chance. Despite the denial of some of the players, the first leaks known this week support this information. Another option to avoid this void is if one of the chosen players cannot participate due to injury and a Spanish player is called to replace them. That was the case last year, held in New Orleans, which allowed Willy Hernangómez and Álex Abrines to join the Rising Stars game.
In Los Angeles, it seems that we will go from having three Spanish players (Marc played his third All Star on Sunday) in 2017 to none in Los Angeles. This has only happened once before, in 2005 in New Orleans 2014. Therefore, since Pau Gasol made his debut in the All Star Game in Houston 2006, there has always been a Spanish presence in the NBA's great basketball celebration, except in 2014 and, still unconfirmed, in this 2018 that has just begun. Beyond the contests, we will have to settle for the presence of players with Spanish roots: the Andalusian players Domantas Sabonis and Kristaps Porzingis.
Spanish presence in the NBA All Star
2017: Marc Gasol (All Star Game), Willy Hernangómez and Álex Abrines (Rising Stars).
2016: Pau Gasol (All Star Game), Nikola Mirotic (Rising Stars).
2015: Marc* and Pau Gasol* (All Star Game) and Nikola Mirotic** (Rising Stars).
2013: Ricky Rubio* (Rising Stars).
2012: Marc Gasol (All Star Game) and Ricky Rubio* (Rising Stars).
2011: Pau Gasol (All Star Game), Serge Ibaka (Rising Stars), Pau Gasol (shooting stars contest), and Serge Ibaka (slam dunk contest).
2010: Pau Gasol (All Star Game), Marc Gasol (Rising Stars), and Pau Gasol (shooting stars contest).
2009: Pau Gasol (All Star Game), Marc Gasol*, and Rudy Fernández* (Rising Stars) and Rudy Fernández (slam dunk contest).
2008: Juan Carlos Navarro (Rising Stars).
2007: Jorge Garbajosa (Rising Stars).
2006: Pau Gasol (All Star Game).
2003: Pau Gasol* (Rising Stars).
2002: Pau Gasol* (Rising Stars).
*Starters
**An appendectomy forced him to withdraw.