ESPN's Jalen Rose Claims He Voted Kyrie Irving To 2021-22 All-NBA Third Team

The 2021-22 Kia All-NBA Teams were revealed on Tuesday night and on Wednesday, the league released all of the ballots from the 100 media members that voted for this year’s awards.

Every year, we see some crazy votes, but Jalen Rose may just take the award for the worst vote for any award yet, as he admitted to voting for Kyrie Irving on the All-NBA list this year.

Irving played in just 29 games this season and sat out over half of the season due to New York City’s vaccination mandate. His refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine forced him to be ineligible to play in home games and because he was not going to be a “full-time” player, the Brooklyn Nets elected to keep him away from the team until they decided to start using him in away games in January.

One of the most controversial topics of the season, Kyrie Irving did play well in his 29 games for Brooklyn, but to throw him a vote over players that actually played and earned this title is absolute craziness. Jalen Rose voting for Irving doesn’t sit well with NBA fans around the world and it definitely did not sit well with Stephen A. Smith on Wednesday.

“I want you to explain,” Smith blasted. “What in God’s name made you think at any point that Kyrie Irving, who played 29 games this year, missed 53 games, how in God’s name is he third-team All NBA on any day, any hour, any minute of this season? HOW?!?!”

Being the lone person that voted for Kyrie Irving, Jalen Rose said that he did make a mistake, but he went on to say how he gets “mesmerized by his talent” in regards to Irving’s play.

For years now, there has been a major question pertaining to if the media should have a say in the NBA’s end of season awards, especially since these awards have massive implications on player’s futures and their contracts.

For example, Trae Young was selected to the All-NBA Third Team this year and as a result, his current five-year, $177 million deal converts to a $212 million deal, paying the young All-Star close to $35 million more over the length of his deal with the Hawks, per ESPN's Bobby Marks.

While Rose’s vote did not ultimately impact Trae Young being on the All-NBA list this year, what if it did? What if Young did not make the All-NBA Third Team by one vote this year?

Kyrie Irving is a terrific talent, do not twist my words on that, but to vote him All-NBA in a season where his situation was the most controversial and he only played in 29 games is not only selfish, but borderline incompetent.

Like ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, many are unhappy with Jalen Rose selecting Irving in his All-NBA ballot.