Kevin Durant: 'I don't need All-Star vote to validate me'

OKLAHOMA CITY, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant is not phased by his perceived snub during the All-Star cote, saying he doesn't need it for validation.

Durant saw a major drop-off in fan votes that led him to miss out on starting this year's NBA All-Star game, but said it doesn't distract him from his goals.

"I don't need the All-Star vote to validate me as a player," he said Friday. "I'm always motivated. This is my eighth year in the league. I've been on All-Star teams before. I've done things in this league. I don't need that to validate me."

Durant is the reigning MVP, making his exclusion from the starting lineup unusual. One of the reasons behind the vote night be the series of injuries that have kept him off the court in the last year including a broken bone in his right foot and a sprained ankle.

Curry, Kobe Bryant, Blake Griffin and first-time starters Marc Gasol and Anthony Davis were named as starters to the West squad. LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and first-time starters John Wall, Kyle Lowry and Pau Gasol took the East.

While Durant might shake the vote off, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban called the voting system "absolutely, positively broken" and said fan-voting should come to an end.

The All-Star Game will take place in New York City on Feb. 15.