MIAMI (AP) — No Kobe. No D-Wade.Not even any wild Russell Westbrook outfits.New standouts might emerge during these playoffs, but there’s no arguing that there’s plenty of star power missing.If jersey sales are a true measure of a player’s popularity, then four of the NBA’s top nine stars — the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant, New York’s Carmelo Anthony and Miami’s Dwyane Wade — have already seen their seasons come to an end.So has Westbrook, the league’s first scoring champion to miss the playoffs since Tracy McGrady in 2004. And that means his collection of “what was he wearing” shirts won’t be on display in those postgame news conferences this year.“I’m at home, watching other teams play,” Westbrook said when asked about the scoring title after he and Oklahoma City saw their season end Wednesday night.
Playoffs set to open without Kobe, D-Wade and more stars
