NBA fans who want to get their favorite player into this season's All-Star game will for the first time be able to cast votes through Twitter and Facebook, the league announced Tuesday.
Here's how it works on Twitter: simply tweet the player's first and last names with the #NBABALLOT hashtag. Fans' tweeted votes are limited to one player per day from now through Jan. 14, when All-Star voting concludes (the game itself is Feb. 17). Meanwhile, a custom app on the NBA's official Facebook page allows fans to vote for five starters once per day there.
Voting is also possible via Sina Weibo and Tencent QQ — two popular social networks in China — where the NBA has a massive and growing fan base.
The move is in keeping with the NBA's longstanding leadership in the social media space among pro sports leagues. Last May, it became the first sports league to reach 5 million Twitter followers (its official page now has over 6.2 million). Twitter itself says that nearly 90% of current NBA players are on the social network. Last season also saw the NBA's first ever "Social Media Awards," in which it recognized viral moments and players who resonated with fans online. Major League Baseball let fans vote for this year's All-Star selections via Twitter as well.
Tuesday's social All-Star voting announcement proved an immediate hit on Twitter, where the #NBABALLOT hashtag quickly became a worldwide trend. Wise acre fans also had some fun with the spinoff hashtag #NBAPalate, which gave players' names a gastronomical spin:
Manudo Ginobili #NBAPalate
— dan mccarney (@danmccarneysaen) November 13, 2012
Tim Dunkin' Donuts #NBAPalate
— Graydon Gordian (@therealgraydon) November 13, 2012
Steve Nash Browns #NBAPalate
— Gabrielle Tang (@_gabrielle) November 13, 2012
Is social media voting a smart move by the NBA, or does it fall flat? Give us your take in the comments.
BONUS: 30 Must-Follow Twitter Accounts This NBA SEASON
The NBA is arguably the world's most engaging sports league on social media. Follow its official Twitter account for news, highlights and promotions.
Adrian Wojnarowski runs the NBA reporting game. The Yahoo Sports writer is equally adept at breaking big news and writing insightful columns. Follow him for links to content as well as 140-character bursts of analysis.
From his handle, to his never-ceasing promotion of his rap career, to his stated location — "Wherever its Trill" — San Antonio Spurs swingman Stephen Jackson is easily the trillest NBA follow on Twitter.
This NBA season looks to be epic, but who are the game's next stars? When it comes to scouting future pros, no one matches DraftExpress. Follow for links, as well as quick updates and insights from NBA feeder leagues around the world.
Going back to its early days as "the in-your-face basketball magazine," SLAM has been a fun counterpoint to mainstream sports media since the mid-1990s. Follow for news roundups, highlights and a window into the fan conversation.
Whitaker writes and talks NBA for SLAM, GQ, NBATV and other outlets. He's a fun follow for casual hoops talk and smart insight into the pro basketball world.
The New York Times' ace NBA reporter will also be covering the Nets during the team's inaugural season in Brooklyn. If you're interested in how Brooklyn takes to its new home team, Beck is a must-follow now more than ever.
Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey is one of the league's most web-savvy executives, as evidenced by a Reddit AMA he held recently. He's candid and surprisingly willing to discuss his job and the NBA in general on social media — giving fans a unique perspective not found elsewhere.
Ballard covers the NBA and writes longform features for Sports Illustrated. One of the best reasons to follow him is the bevy of factoids and outtakes he'll share via Twitter after a feature comes out in SI.
The NBA's most advanced offensive weapon, Kevin Durant is honest and (usually) active on Twitter. This tweet, his unfiltered reaction to the Oklahoma City Thunder's recent trade of James Harden, gained more than 24,000 retweets.
Lowe recently moved from SI.com to the ESPN website Grantland.com. He's a rare breed in NBA media circles, able to combine advanced statistics with compelling copy for must-read articles.
For one of the world's most recognizable celebrities, Miami Heat superstar LeBron James is surprisingly active and personable on Twitter.
ESPN columnist Bill Simmons tracks the NBA obsessively. His humor and insight are followed religiously by more than 1.8 million fans on Twitter.
NBA writer Holly MacKenzie tweets funny one-liners, pens terrific longer pieces and provides a rare bit of variety in the male-dominated (to say the least) world of basketball coverage.
Warriors guard Stephen Curry is extremely popular on Twitter, and it's easy to see why — few NBA players are as engaging or appreciative of their fans.
The ESPN blog TrueHoop is a one-stop shop for all things NBA and constantly shares items of interest on Twitter. Particularly worthwhile are its link roundups from across the web.
Steve Nash has long been one of the league's most accessible superstars on social media. Follow his journey 140 characters at a time as he settles into a new role with the Los Angeles Lakers and looks to win his first championship.
Few pro sports owners are as compelling to follow on Twitter as Mark Cuban of the Dallas Mavericks. He'll talk both basketball and business, so he's likely of particular interest to Mashable readers.
NBA blogger and podcaster Tas Melas is a funny fellow who tweets frequently.
Brian Windhorst has covered LeBron James for different outlets since the NBA's best player was a budding high school phenom. He now covers the Miami Heat and NBA at large for ESPN, and is one of the better reporters involved in the game.
ESPN web writer and TV personality Adande is a great follow to keep up with the NBA conversation.
Kevin Love has been on top of Twitter as long as any pro athlete. He uses Twitter to crack funny jokes and share news, as he did here to thank fans for their well wishes after sustaining a hand injury that will keep him out for the first couple months of the season.
Amick just left SI.com to cover the NBA for USA Today, where he's sure to keep up his quality stream of NBA news and analysis.
Another funny blogger to follow, Kerby's writing pops up around the web and he makes adept use of the quick-hitting Twitter format.
Dave McMenamin covers the Lakers for ESPNLA.com. He'll be a fascinating follow as the Lakers try to successfully blend a collection of superstars and dethrone the mighty Miami Heat next spring.
The NBA is arguably the world's most engaging sports league on social media. Follow its official Twitter account for news, highlights and promotions.
Adrian Wojnarowski runs the NBA reporting game. The Yahoo Sports writer is equally adept at breaking big news and writing insightful columns. Follow him for links to content as well as 140-character bursts of analysis.
From his handle, to his never-ceasing promotion of his rap career, to his stated location — "Wherever its Trill" — San Antonio Spurs swingman Stephen Jackson is easily the trillest NBA follow on Twitter.
This NBA season looks to be epic, but who are the game's next stars? When it comes to scouting future pros, no one matches DraftExpress. Follow for links, as well as quick updates and insights from NBA feeder leagues around the world.
Jeremy Lin burst onto the NBA scene out of nowhere last season with the New York Knicks. He's a centerpiece for the Houston Rockets now, and it will be interesting to see where his story goes from here. Twitter should be one great way to follow along.
Going back to its early days as "the in-your-face basketball magazine," SLAM has been a fun counterpoint to mainstream sports media since the mid-1990s. Follow for news roundups, highlights and a window into the fan conversation.
Whitaker writes and talks NBA for SLAM, GQ, NBATV and other outlets. He's a fun follow for casual hoops talk and smart insight into the pro basketball world.
While his NBA career is currently somewhat in limbo, chances are Delonte West will find a new team to help out soon enough. He's also one of the NBA's funniest players.
The New York Times' ace NBA reporter will also be covering the Nets during the team's inaugural season in Brooklyn. If you're interested in how Brooklyn takes to its new home team, Beck is a must-follow now more than ever.
Pacers center Roy Hibbert recently told us all about how he wins the Internet. He's one of the most down-to-earth and digitally savvy players in the league. In related news, he's also on a quest to get K-pop star Psy to tweet his "Gangnam Style" flash mob, as evidenced in the tweet at left.
On and off the court, intentionally and unintentionally, the Denver Nuggets' JaVale McGee is quite possibly the NBA's most entertaining player. He used Twitter last season to fake out NBA reporters by saying he'd bought a platypus, only to later chastise journalists who ran with the story before fact-checking its veracity. Can you imagine any other NBA player pulling a stunt like that?
Nate Jones works in digital marketing for Goodwin Sports Management, helping some of the league's best players connect with fans online. He interacts with followers nonstop, and his feed functions as a sort of digital sports bar for discussing all things NBA.
Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey is one of the league's most web-savvy executives, as evidenced by a Reddit AMA he held recently. He's candid and surprisingly willing to discuss his job and the NBA in general on social media — giving fans a unique perspective not found elsewhere.
Ballard covers the NBA and writes longform features for Sports Illustrated. One of the best reasons to follow him is the bevy of factoids and outtakes he'll share via Twitter after a feature comes out in SI.
The NBA's most advanced offensive weapon, Kevin Durant is honest and (usually) active on Twitter. This tweet, his unfiltered reaction to the Oklahoma City Thunder's recent trade of James Harden, gained more than 24,000 retweets.
Lowe recently moved from SI.com to the ESPN website Grantland.com. He's a rare breed in NBA media circles, able to combine advanced statistics with compelling copy for must-read articles.
For one of the world's most recognizable celebrities, Miami Heat superstar LeBron James is surprisingly active and personable on Twitter.
ESPN columnist Bill Simmons tracks the NBA obsessively. His humor and insight are followed religiously by more than 1.8 million fans on Twitter.
NBA writer Holly MacKenzie tweets funny one-liners, pens terrific longer pieces and provides a rare bit of variety in the male-dominated (to say the least) world of basketball coverage.
Warriors guard Stephen Curry is extremely popular on Twitter, and it's easy to see why — few NBA players are as engaging or appreciative of their fans.
The ESPN blog TrueHoop is a one-stop shop for all things NBA and constantly shares items of interest on Twitter. Particularly worthwhile are its link roundups from across the web.
Steve Nash has long been one of the league's most accessible superstars on social media. Follow his journey 140 characters at a time as he settles into a new role with the Los Angeles Lakers and looks to win his first championship.
Few pro sports owners are as compelling to follow on Twitter as Mark Cuban of the Dallas Mavericks. He'll talk both basketball and business, so he's likely of particular interest to Mashable readers.
NBA blogger and podcaster Tas Melas is a funny fellow who tweets frequently.
Brian Windhorst has covered LeBron James for different outlets since the NBA's best player was a budding high school phenom. He now covers the Miami Heat and NBA at large for ESPN, and is one of the better reporters involved in the game.
ESPN web writer and TV personality Adande is a great follow to keep up with the NBA conversation.
Kevin Love has been on top of Twitter as long as any pro athlete. He uses Twitter to crack funny jokes and share news, as he did here to thank fans for their well wishes after sustaining a hand injury that will keep him out for the first couple months of the season.
Amick just left SI.com to cover the NBA for USA Today, where he's sure to keep up his quality stream of NBA news and analysis.
Another funny blogger to follow, Kerby's writing pops up around the web and he makes adept use of the quick-hitting Twitter format.
Dave McMenamin covers the Lakers for ESPNLA.com. He'll be a fascinating follow as the Lakers try to successfully blend a collection of superstars and dethrone the mighty Miami Heat next spring.
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