Despite starting in late October, the NBA season is said to unofficially begin on Christmas Day. Likewise, with the Super Bowl in the rearview mirror and baseball still around the corner, mid-February is the time when the basketball season really takes off. Before the beginning of the stretch run though, the league’s best headed north of the border for an All-Star Weekend in Toronto that exhibited the best that basketball has to offer — and they did not disappoint.
On Friday, the Rising Stars challenge kicked off the weekend with a terrific matchup. Team U.S. eked out the victory, edging the league’s young international players in a 157-154 thriller. Zach LaVine of the Minnesota Timberwolves led the way for Team U.S.A., putting up a team-high 30 points and seven rebounds. Knicks phenom Kristaps Porzingis, along with Denver Nuggets guard Emmanuel Mudiay and Timberwolves forward Andrew Wiggins put up strong numbers in Team World’s losing effort, scoring 30, 30 and 29 points, respectively.
The events on Saturday night took the weekend to another level entirely. The night started off with a newly structured Skills Challenge as some of the game’s big men took the court alongside the skilled guards who usually make up the entirety of the competition’s participants. The new format facilitated Timberwolves rookie center Karl-Anthony Towns’ improbable upset over Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas in the finals.
The second event of the night, the Three-Point Contest, pitted two familiar faces — and teammates — against each other. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, known as the “Splash Brothers” of the historically successful Golden State Warriors, met in the finals of the competition for the second consecutive year. Curry took home the title in 2015 but this time it was Thompson’s turn because the shooting guard took down Curry and Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker in the finals. Regardless of the winner, the “Splash Brothers” once again asserted their dominance as two of the best shooters in the game on quite possibly the greatest team of all time.
Curry and Thompson were spectacular but Saturday night’s best was saved for last when Zach LaVine and Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon stole the show in arguably the greatest Slam Dunk Contest ever.
The two second-year players put up dunk after sensational dunk, with most of them receiving a perfect score from the astonished judges, who included NBA legends Shaquille O’Neal and Magic Johnson. Each dunk was even more impressive and over-the-top than the last, with even the hoverboard making an appearance for one of Gordon’s dunks, but it was the dunk during which Gordon essentially sat down in mid-air on top of the Orlando mascot that absolutely stunned the crowd and will go down as one of the greatest dunks of all time. In the end, after each player performed two extra tie-breaking dunks, and LaVine barely edged out Gordon to win his second consecutive Slam Dunk Contest. If there was ever a time when there were truly two winners, this contest would have been it. The Slam Dunk Contest capped off a great Saturday night, captivating and entertaining the audience more than it had in years.
Finally, Sunday night came, and it was all about Kobe. The legendary Los Angeles Lakers guard, who was making his 18th and final appearance in the All-Star Game, was honored before the game by the NBA and
Magic Johnson in a truly heartfelt moment that celebrated the end of an era. Bryant ended up scoring 10 points in the game and was removed with a little more than a minute left in the fourth quarter to thunderous applause from the crowd.
The rest of the game was equally as entertaining, although it seemed like everybody’s defense had gotten lost somewhere when they were crossing the border. The West prevailed over the East with a score of 196-173, and the teams combined for the most points to ever be scored in an NBA game. Thunder guard Russell Westbrook took home the game’s MVP trophy for the second consecutive season, while Paul George of the Pacers went for 41 points, falling just one point shy of Wilt Chamberlain’s All-Star record score. All in all, the game was very exciting, featuring a plethora of monstrous alley-oops and an absurd 139 three-point attempts.
Here are some of All-Star Weekend’s big winners.
The city of Toronto: Despite frigid conditions, the Canadian city did a wonderful job serving as the first city outside of the United States to ever host the All-Star Game. Furthermore, its two All-Stars, Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, played well on their home court and have made the Raptors the most legitimate threat to knock off the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference. Watch out LeBron!
Karl-Anthony Towns: The first-overall pick in last year’s NBA draft finished off a strong first half at All-Star Weekend, playing well in the Rising Stars Challenge and then pulling off a stunning victory in the Skills Challenge. Expect the Rookie of the Year frontrunner to become a regular participant in the All-Star festivities for years to come.
Zach LaVine: This guy just owns All-Star Weekend. In his two seasons in the league, he has won two Slam Dunk Contests and one Rising Stars Challenge MVP. Things are certainly looking up for the Timberwolves, with Towns, LaVine and Andrew Wiggins, who won the Rising Stars Challenge MVP last year and played well again in the game this year.
Paul George: Less than a year removed from a devastating leg injury that forced him to miss almost all of last season, George has come back better than ever and played sensationally in the All-Star Game.
Kevin Hart: Who says a 5’4” man can’t ball? The actor and comedian, who has become a regular during the All-Star festivities, was at it once again, coaching Team U.S.A. in the Celebrity Game, serving as a commentator on Saturday night and, most impressively, tying Warriors All-Star Draymond Green in a three-point contest, during which he made 12 shots.
Kobe Bryant: The NBA put its bright future on display throughout the weekend but all eyes were on the “Black Mamba.” Bryant has earned so much respect over the years as a five-time champion, and it has all culminated in a farewell season unlike any other. The perfect blend of Kobe’s last hurrah and the showcasing of basketball’s next generation made this weekend extremely memorable.
With All-Star Weekend in the books, it is time to look forward to the second half of the season and see if anyone can take down the incredible Golden State Warriors, who will try to cement their place in history among the best teams of all time.
Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The News-Letter.