Kyle Lowry
Jan 21, 2015; Memphis, TN, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) goes to the basket against Memphis Grizzlies guard Courtney Lee (5) during the game at FedExForum. Memphis Grizzlies beat Toronto Raptors 92 - 86. Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

Justin Bieber’s Twitter endorsement of Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry was one of the instrumental factors in pushing the talented guard into the final lineup for the Eastern Conference’s All-Star starters. Lowry joins Washington Wizard’s John Wall in the backcourt as well as perennial All-stars Lebron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks and Pau Gasol of the Chicago Bulls.

Bieber, the Canadian pop star, made a late push on Twitter Jan. 19, indicating that the stocky guard has led the team to an impressive start and deserves to represent the team in the annual showcase of the league’s best players. The singer/songwriter almost botched the endorsement when his tweet did not include the hashtag #nbaballot, a pre-requisite in order for a vote to be counted whenever the status message was re-tweeted. Almost 30,000 votes were nullified due to the omission. Despite this, the endorsement still helped propel Lowry into the East’s starters.

The selection of Lowry will nudge former vote-leader Dwayne Wade of the Miami Heat, and his inclusion will now depend on the votes of the NBA coaches. Kyrie Irving’s missed opportunity to be named as a starter also forfeits him of the chance to earn an addition $7-10 million in additional revenue, which was hinged upon the “Derrick Rose “rule. The $90 contract extension Irving inked last year made him eligible for the bonus. The only way he can recuperate the missed income is by being named this year’s Most Valuable Player, but as things stand, that is highly unlikely.

For the Western Conference, the New Orleans Pelicans’ Anthony Davis headline a frontcourt-heavy starting lineup that also includes Memphis Grizzlies’ Marc Gasol and Los Angeles Clippers’ Blake Griffin. The two other starters are top vote-getter Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors with over 1.5 million in fan votes and 17-time All-Star selection Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers.

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