Sports

#LetBonnerShoot Goes Viral

Brother says Concord's favorite basketball player should be invited to the NBA Three-Point Shootout in February.

An effort to get Matt Bonner invited to the 2013 NBA All-Star Game Three-Point Shootout in February in Houston is gathering steam across the Twittersphere.

According to a blog post two days ago, Bonner’s younger brother, Luke Bonner, sent a letter to the NBA requesting the San Antonio Spurs player's inclusion in the contest. His brother noted that while he isn’t the most popular player in the NBA, he consistently one of the top three-point throwers in the game.

Now in his ninth NBA season, Luke Bonner stated that his older brother currently stands 12th in all-time three-point field goal percentages and is fifth amongst active players in the league.

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“He’s paid his dues and proven his worth as a contributor to one of the most successful franchises in professional sports, the San Antonio Spurs,” he wrote.

One reason Matt Bonner might not be getting the recognition he deserves is that he “isn’t marketable enough,” Luke Bonner wrote, noting that he wasn’t as flashy as other players. But, he noted, that has allowed Matt Bonner to “differentiate himself … By playing in New Balance sneakers and wearing post-game corduroy jackets, he has developed his own easily recognizable personal brand and stands out more than most.”

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In the past 24 hours, Luke Bonner’s letter and blog post, and the #letbonnershoot Twitter hashtag, have caught the attention of just about everyone – from Spurs and other basketball fans, to Concord residents, to alt-rock bands like Arcade Fire.

Even Granite State politicians have jumped into the fray, with U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen writing on Twitter, "NH is proud of #MattBonner and we would love to see him represent our state in the 3 point contest." Gov. Maggie Hassan retweeted Shaheen's comments and added, "Agreed!"

A Facebook site, with more than 900 friends, was also set up to promote the effort.

So far, there’s been no response from the NBA about the request. 


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