It’s all about the team for Kyle Korver.

That concept and reality has helped the 33-year-old sharpshooter become an All-Star for the first time. But he isn’t the typical selection for the mid-season classic. While he’s on a historic pace shooting the ball, and his percentages are off the charts, Korver’s averages don’t scream All-Star.

That inescapable fact is the reason his appearance is so important.

In a league where reputations are born due in large part to gaudy averages, Korver reminds us that a player’s impact is so much more than numbers. He has mastered his role and that role is essential to the Hawks’ success. Much of what he does when he’s not shooting the ball can’t be measured numerically, but anyone who has faced the Hawks will tell you that Korver is a guy that must be accounted for at all times. And that, along with the blistering shooting percentages, is the reason why the basketball community wanted to see Korver in the All-Star game. He makes the conversation smarter and no doubt is making the Hawks better. As for Korver, he’s just excited to play with his three teammates and their coach.

“It’s a great reflection of our season so far,” Korver said. “We’re a well-coached team and we play together as a team. To be at this point and have all of these guys here is a special thing.”

Everything in Atlanta is about the team and this weekend won’t be any different. It seems at times that Korver, along with his three All-Star teammates, are almost uncomfortable approaching the honor as individuals. No matter what’s asked or said, the concept of putting the team first always finds its way back into the conversation. For Korver, there is an appreciation about the way he earned his first trip to the All-Star Game because everyone has been rewarded.

“It’s a total team effort,” he said. “It’s so fitting that we have four guys here because we don’t have one guy that we’re giving the ball to, hoping he takes us to the promise land. We’re all playing together and it’s really fun team basketball.”

Watching how the Hawks have grown in a year is almost as fun as looking back on Korver over his 12 years in the league. Korver arrived in Philadelphia back in 2003. In those days he was known more for his striking resemblance to actor Ashton Kutcher than his shooting. Through hard work, patience and opportunity, Korver has changed the conversation. Nobody cares who he may look like anymore, but everyone knows when this guy has the ball because his ability to make shots changes the game. He worked hard to make himself an All-Star, something that seemed very unlikely in the beginning. 

“It’s pretty amazing,” Korver said. “I’ve never been the prodigy where people have said, ‘Kyle’s going to be an All-Star.’ You just do the work every day and try to stay consistent. Try to absorb and learn as much as you can. This is an incredible accomplishment for me.”

When Korver and his teammates are introduced, fans of team-first basketball will cheer a little louder. It’s truly a win for the basketball purist to see a team playing so great rewarded with four selections. It will be a big moment for Korver if he and his teammates can all share the floor. They got here together and it’s only right to see them get a few minutes together; at least that’s something he’s hoping for.

“Hopefully we can all check in together,” he said. “It would be kind of cool. We can go out there and probably run some of our plays; it would be cool.”