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Cleveland Cavaliers' Jarrett Allen sticks with video game after receiving All-Star news
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- Cleveland Cavaliers' Jarrett Allen sticks with video game after receiving All-Star news
Center Jarrett Allen was immersed in a video game on his phone during the Cavaliers' flight to Atlanta when the news came he'd long-awaited.
Unable to put the game on pause, the five-year veteran postponed his celebration.
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In the midst of his career-best season, Allen was passed over in initial voting for Sunday's All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. His name wasn't called when reserve selections were announced on Feb. 3 and when two injury replacements were chosen by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on Feb. 7.
But Silver tabbed Allen on Monday , picking him to replace injured Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden on Team LeBron, with Allen joining Cavs point guard Darius Garland .
Relaying the story of Allen learning he'd been chosen, Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff was so struck by the mental picture that he couldn't help laughing.
"It's a great moment, obviously, but it's so Jarrett at the same time," Bickerstaff said Tuesday before the Cavs (35-23) fell 124-116 to the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena. "It was like, literally, he couldn't pause his video game, so we tell him and he goes right back to his video game.
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"But you knew how much it meant to him; you could tell by the smile on his face. It's always great to enjoy other people's successes, and I'm happy for him."
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During his first press conference with the Cavs after arriving in a multi-team trade from the Brooklyn Nets in January 2021, Allen, now 23, admitted he once built his own computer. He has closely followed NASA's Mars rover Perseverance as it searches for signs of past or present life.
"My family has been into tech my whole life," Allen said a year ago. "I like tinkering with things. I like pressing buttons I shouldn't be pressing when I go places."
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Although he chuckles over that side of Allen, Bickerstaff was thrilled that Allen was chosen as an All-Star, lobbying for him repeatedly over the last month. LaMelo Ball of the Charlotte Hornets and Dejounte Murray of the San Antonio Spurs were the first injury replacements selected for Kevin Durant and Draymond Green.
"I think our league did the right thing," Bickerstaff said. "Of all the guys who [are] deserving, you don't want to knock anybody else or take anything away from anybody else, but we thought JA had the best case. When you take into account impacting winning, you throw in numbers, both sides of the ball, the type of human being he is, the type of person you want to represent this league, Jarrett's the guy.
"We're proud of him, we're extremely happy for him. This is something we know he wanted. It means a lot, the recognition from the league and from your peers and being able to participate in the league's biggest party is a big deal for guys."
Allen will also participate with Garland and Evan Mobley in the Skills Challenge during All-Star Saturday Night, while rookie Mobley and second-year guard Isaac Okoro will represent the Cavs in the Rising Stars competition on Friday.
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Bickerstaff knows what he wants the four to take from this weekend's events.
"This one is unique because it is the 75th [anniversary]. When you look at the guest list of people who are going to be in town, former players, I hope our guys get an opportunity to sit and talk with those guys," Bickerstaff said. "Have conversations with the greatest of all time, whether it's their position, whether it's a point guard to a big, a big to a small, whatever it may be ... because I believe they can go a long way.
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"I want the guys to truly enjoy it and enjoy it for what it's worth and value the experiences because those experiences don't come around every day or every year. So I want them to take advantage of that."
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Cavs at www.beaconjournal.com/cavs. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MRidenourABJ.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavs All-Star injury replacement Jarrett Allen initially unfazed
