Josh Smith: 'Politics is involved in the All-Star Selection'

Josh Smith was left off the All-Star roster by the Eastern Conference coaches, who picked the reserves earlier this week.

 “You’ve got to factor in there is a lot of politics involved in the All-Star selection,” Smith said Friday. “Once you get that it’s really about politics, then nothing really surprises you. I call it ‘Nothing But Associates,’ NBA. It’s all who you know.”

Andre Iguodala, Paul Pierce, and Luol Deng were chosen as reserve forwards.

Smith said “I guess I don’t know the right people” and didn’t have people lobbying on his behalf.

“I can’t really point a finger and blame anybody because, at the end of the day, when you leave it up to certain people that still have ties to their agents, [and] players in this game today probably [are] just putting in a bid over the phone, or however they do it,” he said. “You have to factor that in.”