This past weekend's NBA All-Star festivities in Charlotte, North Carolina marked the 68th time the annual event was held.
For some time the game, like most All-Star games, has been bashed for being slow, boring and simply unwatchable. That sentiment is fair, but what separates the NBA from the rest is its flair throughout the weekend that no other sports league can match.
The festivities began Friday with the Celebrity All-Star game. Although Kevin Hart did not make his regular appearance, there were plenty of household names on the court. Future Hall of Famer Ray Allen played under Head Coach Sue Bird with Migos rapper Quavo joining him on a Home Team — a squad comprised of only players from North and South Carolina.
On the other side was University of South Carolina women’s basketball Head Coach Dawn Staley, who led her team to a 82-80 victory, with names like Dr. Oz, ESPN analyst and former NBA player Jay Williams and Carolina Panthers legend Steve Smith leading the way to the win.
Each team also featured a hometown hero. James Shaw Jr., the man who disarmed a gunman at a Waffle House shooting in Tennessee, played for the home side, while 47-year-old U.S. Marine Jason Weinmann was his counterpart. Weinmann used his military vehicle to rescue people during Hurricane Florence last year.
The night also included the Rising Stars Challenge, with Team USA defeating Team World, 161-144.
Saturday’s events were also entertaining. The Skills Challenge pitted some of the sports budding stars against one another, such as Luka Dončić, De’Aaron Fox, Kyle Kuzma and winner Jayson Tatum.
Of course the stars of the show would come later.
The 3-point contest saw five players score 23 points or higher but only the top three advanced. Dirk Nowitzki, the 2006 winner who is expected to retire after this season, finished his first round with 17.
The final three was headlined by Stephen Curry, but it would be little-known Brooklyn Nets forward Joe Harris who would take the win with a final round score of 26.
Shortly after was the fan-favorite dunk contest, which lacked star power, but was fun nonetheless.
Shaquille O’Neal, Dwayne Wade, J. Cole and even Quavo were involved in different acts.
Contest winner and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Hamidou Diallo stole the show with a dunk over O'Neal while plunging his whole forearm in the basket — an homage to Vince Carter. Hanging on the rim, Diallo ripped his jersey open to show a Superman undershirt — a reference to O'Neal's "Superman" nickname.
The weekend ended with Sunday night’s All-Star game between Team Lebron and Team Giannis. The game was actually better than expected. Although scoring was down, there were plenty of deep threes and high flying antics throughout.
At one point Team Giannis held a 20-point lead, but LeBron James and his teammates roared roaring back to win it 178-164. Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant took home Most Valuable Player honors with 31 points and seven rebounds.
There will still be plenty that complain about the weekend, but for those that watched it, they could still find enjoyment in this year's event and in the future.
