"Pretty much we created the hype by us playing this game of basketball," he said. "We created it."
Flip Saunders, the Minnesota Timberwolves' coach, compared the disappointment of not making an All-Star team to playing in the Continental Basketball Association, where he used to coach.
Snubs can provide motivation.
"I've always said the player that plays in the CBA, then gets to the NBA, really appreciates it maybe a little bit more because they know what it's like to not be here," he said.
"Sometimes when you don't have something, when you do get it, it's something you do appreciate more.
"I'm sure that they'll look at it the same way," said Saunders, who is coaching the West's All-Stars.
"From a selfish standpoint, sure you'd like to see them here, but I'm glad we didn't have a situation where one of them made it and one of them didn't."
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