We’ve seen explosive dunks, downright hot shooting, an intense rookie vs. sophomore game, the Taco Bell Skills Challenge, a Guinness record set, and of course the much-anticipated 2011 NBA All Star Game. It is indeed as epic as ever, wherein if not all, most of the events were breath-captivating.
Every day of the weekend was spearheaded with memorable moments. The amazing display of ball-handling skills by Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry with 28.2 seconds, one of the fastest ever. Then, came the Rookie Challenge where DeMarcus Cousins carded 33 points and pulled down 14 rebounds, and John Wall who dished 22 dimes to outwit the Sophomore Team 148-140. The Sophomore team was led by James Harden with 33 points, DeJuan Blair with 15 rebounds, and Steph Curry with 8 in the assist department.
Meanwhile, the elite sharpshooters around the league shot the lights off with their eye-popping performance however, most bids were broken as James Jones of the Miami Heat scored 20 shots in the second round to beat the all-time league leader in three-point field goals made in the history of the NBA Boston Celtics swingman Ray Allen and his co-star teammate Paul Pierce: 15; 18 respectively in the Foot Locker Three Point Contest.
The respected high flyers around the league clashed in the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest and the its highlights included: Thunder forward Serge Ibaka’s rendition of Dr. J’s signature dunk however, with a longer distance that is leaping from the free-throw line. It should have been a 50 but the crowd favored the three ball-dunk by Wizards bigman Javale McGee and Clippers forward Blake Griffin. Toronto Raptors star Demar Derozan’s dunks were good but it could have been better if there was a better passer than Amir Johnson who is listed as a power forward and it could have been Jose Calderon or a point guard that could provide a more reliable pass for a more stellar performance. In the end, it was Blake’s dunk over a brand-new Kia while being themed with the Crenshaw Select Choir singing R. Kelly’s ‘I Believe I Can Fly’ which became the most appealing to the crowd that gave him the win.
Of course, the main event is the All-Star game game itself that is hosting the most elite players of the NBA’s two conferences and staging them to one intense hard court action. The first-half was dominated by the West defense led by Chris Paul and Deron Williams who carded a lot of steals and with Kobe Bryant’s 37 points leading the way for the West in terms of offensive production. LeBron James on the other hand carded a triple-double for the East. With such feat, he is the 2nd player in NBA All-Star history to have finished with a triple-double. Who is the other guy? His name is Michael Jordan. Kevin Durant scored 34 points as well and in the end the West go out with the win : 148-143. Bryant was named All-Star MVP.
The event has not failed to amaze fans : both young and old. Despite being around for lots of years, the All-Star Weekend has remained entertaining. Opinions will always vary regarding the said event. But personally, the concept of Los Angeles as the home of entertainment giants, Hollywood and the Lakeshow will always be intact.
Note: This entry was written by Christian, a friend of mine who is an avid basketball fan. Expect more entries from him in the coming days. Please do comment in the entries. It will definitely help us when it comes to the direction that the blog will take. The musical content will remain. It is just that more sports content will be thrown into the mix.
