DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings Center, Not Happy About NBA All-Star Voting 2016

DeMarcus Cousins is enjoying a tremendous year on the court. However, he may not be recognized for it. As of today, the Sacramento Kings big man hasn't been voted into the NBA All-Star game. There could be a number of reasons for it--lack of exposure, his reputation, the team he plays for, etc.--but it's something that Cousins doesn't agree with. Not necessarily his exclusion, that is, but the way that the voting for the game is conducted.

"It's disrespectful to big men," Cousins told Yahoo! Sports. It's not really fair. But that's how it is."

Cousins is, of course, a big man. But he has a legitimate gripe. He's averaging over 27 points and 11 rebounds on the year, and recently scored a career high 56 points in the Kings 129-128 double-overtime loss to the Charlotte Hornets. Undoubtedly All-Star numbers, but thus far, Cousins has been overlooked for players with more exposure and popularity. Something that he thinks warrants a change in the way the All-Star voting is conducted.

"There definitely wouldn't be fan voting," Cousins said. "You can't base it off of who is on TNT and ESPN every night. Of course, it's going to be most winning teams' [players], the most popular players [selected]. The other guys that play for the Milwaukee Bucks, and in our case the Sacramento Kings, who are playing just as good basketball, will never be seen. I don't think it's fair."

While Cousins hasn't been voted in as an All-Star by the fans, he may yet make the team by being voted in by the NBA coaches as a reserve.

The Kings are 20-24 on the year, but bost a winning record in games that Cousins plays in. There's no question he's been a leading catalyst to their success, something he is confident that the coaches will see.

"My play speaks for itself," Cousins continued. "If it was about play, I don't think there would be a question. There are a lot of politics involved. Popularity has a lot to do with it... There is a lot of stuff out of my control. That's just the card I am dealt."