20 Second Timeout

NBA Formally Honors the 75th Anniversary Team, Stephen Curry Wins the All-Star Game MVP

Team LeBron's Stephen Curry scored 50 points and he made an All-Star Game record 16 three pointers en route to claiming the beautifully redesigned Kobe Bryant All-Star Game MVP trophy. LeBron James delivered the game-winning basket, hitting a turnaround jumper as Team LeBron defeated Team Durant, 163-160. Team Durant led 139-138 entering the fourth quarter, so by rule the winner would be the first team to score 163 points (139 plus 24, with the 24 serving as a tribute to one of Bryant's jersey numbers). James' team is now 5-0 in the All-Star Game format that scrapped the traditional East versus West battle in favor of the two All-Stars who receive the most votes conducting a draft among the remaining All-Stars to select each roster. James finished with 24 points, eight assists, and six rebounds. Giannis Antetokounmpo, one of the few All-Stars who played any defense, led Team LeBron with 12 rebounds in addition to scoring 30 points and dishing for six assists. Joel Embiid led Team Durant in both scoring (36 points) and rebounds (10).

After Curry reached the 50 point mark he kept firing away in an attempt to break Anthony Davis' All-Star Game scoring record (52 points in 2017), but Curry admitted after the game that his legs grew weary once Team Durant began playing defense. It is interesting that Curry mentioned his record-chasing being cut short by defense, because--other than Antetokounmpo--very little defense was played until the fourth quarter, which diminishes the value and meaning of the individual statistics compiled by Curry and the other players. 

Curry put on an incredible display by making so many open three point shots--but that kind of display is supposed to take place in the Three Point Shootout, not the All-Star Game. Similarly, many players converted a host of uncontested dunks--but that kind of display is supposed to take place in the Slam Dunk Contest, not the All-Star Game.

How much has the All-Star Game devolved from an actual competition featuring the league's best players to an exhibition of players demonstrating individual skills devoid of competition or team play? Free throws are a quick way to gauge physicality/defense. The 2022 All-Star Game included eight fouls, four of which were called in the fourth quarter, and Team LeBron shot 2-2 from the free throw line while Team Durant shot 7-7 from the free throw line. This season, NBA teams average a little over 21 free throw attempts per game, so it is obvious that the All-Star Game featured few fouls, few free throws, very little physicality, and token defense compared to a normal NBA game.

All-Star Games used to be played much differently. In the first NBA All-Star Game, the East beat the West 98-93 in overtime in 1954 with the East shooting 36 of 44 from the free throw line and the West shooting 17-26 from the free throw line. In 1962, Wilt Chamberlain set an All-Star single game scoring record (42 points) that stood for 55 years. Chamberlain shot 8-16 from the free throw line, and his East squad shot 24-43 from the free throw line. The West, which won 150-130, shot 36-51 from the free throw line. Chamberlain's scoring record took place during a competitive game, and the record stood until long after NBA All-Star Games ceased to be competitive; his record is so exceptional that even in an era during which it is much easier to score in All-Star Games only two players have surpassed the standard that he set--and Curry did so by making a bunch of uncontested three pointers.

For most of All-Star Game history, players from both sides played hard, played defense, and committed a normal amount of fouls. Things began to change in 2007, when the victorious West only attempted nine free throws and the East only attempted 13 free throws, a big decline from 24 and 28 respectively in the 2006 All-Star Game. The 2008 All-Star Game was more of the same. Matters improved a bit during the next several All-Star Games, but in 2014 the East attempted nine free throws and the West attempted 12 free throws. Since 2014, single digit free throw attempts per team have been the norm rather than the exception--and on the rare occasion that a team has attempted more than 10 free throws most of those free throw attempts have happened in the fourth quarter, when the new scoring rules inspire (or shame) the All-Stars into playing some defense.

Around the time that the All-Star Games began to degenerate into defense-optional showcases of individual skills, Julius Erving told me that he is disappointed with the way that All-Star Games are played in the current era: "Today's game, some of these All-Star Games, players have figured out a way to allow guys to dunk the ball and not have it perceived as the guy dunking on somebody. When I was coming up, you rarely could dunk on people and people did not want to get dunked on, it was almost like being 'posterized' if somebody dunked on you. Guys tried their best not to let anybody dunk on them. Sometimes they would just grab you rather than let you dunk. That seems to be lost somewhere in what I see with a lot of the high wire act performances. It is almost like, 'I'm going to let the guy dunk. And I'm going to get far enough out of the picture so nobody is perceiving this as me being dunked on or being posterized.' I don't understand the mentality of just letting a guy go in there and throw it down and applauding it, if he's wearing a different colored uniform. It's just playing to the crowd but I think that the crowd would respect and appreciate a play being made when somebody is trying to contest it. I think it makes for a great photo-op and a great poster if somebody is there. I remember being in Madison Square Garden and going up for a dunk and Lonnie Shelton was there and my knees were up on his shoulders. He was trying to draw a charge, I guess. Looking at that shot, when somebody is there, it is poetry in motion. Just throwing the ball up and going through the motions, I guess guys don't want to get hurt. I like watching the dunk contests—but I don't like a game to turn into a dunk contest with no defense. That does nothing for me."

The crowd reaction--or, lack of crowd reaction--during most of the 2022 All-Star Game proves Erving's point about what fans want to see. In general, the crowd was not loud and not into the game, except for a few plays made by Cavalier All-Stars Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland and a couple of Curry's three pointers from far behind the arc. Fans want to see competition, not empty displays of skill. It was also a mistake to get rid of the East-West rivalry; instead of rooting for a team, fans are being encouraged to just root for--or, as was the case during the 2022 All-Star Game, passively consume--displays of individual skill.

During a weekend dedicated to honoring the NBA's greatest players, the current All-Stars disrespected the spirit of competition that is an essential component of greatness. All-Stars who want to shoot open three point shots and convert open dunks should participate in All-Star Saturday Night. All-Stars who want to play in a competitive game should participate in the All-Star Game.

No one is suggesting that the All-Star Game should feature full-court pressing or the intensity of game seven of the NBA Finals--but there is no reason that the All-Star Game cannot at least passably resemble a regular season NBA game. For fans who are too young to remember and/or not informed enough to know, check out the 1987 NBA All-Star Game and compare it to the 2022 NBA All-Star Game. The 1987 NBA All-Star Game featured Julius Erving in his final season, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson in their primes, Michael Jordan in his third season, and a host of All-Stars who younger fans may not have heard of but who had better fundamentals than many current All-Stars--and, more importantly, who played harder than the current All-Stars:

The highlight of the 2022 NBA All-Star Game was the halftime ceremony honoring the members of the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team. It was poignant to see 89 year old Bob Pettit, one of the greatest power forwards in pro basketball history, attending in person and walking with a cane. It was great to see several legends from the 1960s, including 83 year old Oscar Robertson, 83 year old Jerry West, and 81 year old Jerry Lucas. Throughout the All-Star Weekend, Robertson and West were often next to each other, laughing and talking; they share a bond forged over more than 60 years of basketball history. I am always happy to see the elite players from the 1970s, because that is the earliest era that I remember watching live; Julius Erving is my favorite player of all-time, but it was also a treat to watch Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, George Gervin, and several other legends during their primes, and it was great to see Erving, Abdul-Jabbar, Gervin, and many other 1970s greats appear in person at the ceremony. The 1980s were well-represented by, among others, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Isiah Thomas, Kevin McHale, and James Worthy. Most of the honorees from the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s showed up in person, and the interactions among the stars from the various eras evinced mutual respect and love.

Kevin Durant was unable to attend the ceremony because of his grandmother's death. I can understand why 93 year old Bob Cousy and 88 year old Bill Russell were not able to attend. However, the absences of several other honorees are puzzling. During the post-game show, Isiah Thomas chastised several absentees by mentioning that they had missed out on a unique experience and opportunity. It hurts my heart that the late, great Kobe Bryant was not there, and it baffles me that anyone who is alive and healthy enough to attend would choose to not be there.

Kenny Smith often speaks of All-Star Weekend being a time when trading cards come to life, and that is a very apt description of what it was like to see so many of the NBA's greatest players gathered together in the same place at the same time. I look forward to seeing the 100th Anniversary Team in 25 years; I just hope that it does not take 25 years for the All-Star Game to return to its former glory.

Recent NBA All-Star Game Recaps:

Giannis Antetokounmpo Wins All-Star MVP With Perfect Shooting, Leads Team LeBron to 170-150 Win Over Team Durant (2021)

"Giannis Antetokounmpo did not have the first perfect shooting performance in NBA All-Star Game history--Hal Greer shot 8-8 from the field en route to scoring 21 points and winning the 1968 NBA All-Star Game MVP--but he set the NBA All-Star Game record for most field goals without a miss (16), and he captured his first All-Star Game MVP by scoring a game-high 35 points as his Team LeBron routed Team Durant, 170-150. Antetokounmpo played just 19 minutes, so he scored nearly two points per minute. Most of Antetokounmpo's shots were lightly contested--if not uncontested--dunks, but he also shot 3-3 from three point range. Each team shot 3-5 from the free throw line as both teams spent most of the game not even pretending to care about defense. Perhaps the league and/or the players think that the fans want to see uncontested dunks and wide open three pointers, but I think/hope that true basketball fans want to see competition. A contested dunk is a great play; an uncontested dunk is just performance art."

Kawhi Leonard Leads Team LeBron to 157-155 Win over Team Giannis as New Format Results in Exciting Fourth Quarter Competition (2020)

"After three quarters, it seemed that the new NBA All-Star Game format had not inspired many players from either team to even pretend to play at a fraction of their full capabilities. Fortunately, the fourth quarter--a race to 157 points based on adding 24 points (in honor of Kobe Bryant) to the 133-124 lead enjoyed by Team Giannis over Team LeBron at the end of the third quarter--featured high level play as both teams looked fully engaged: Team Giannis' Kyle Lowry seemed to try to take a charge on every defensive possession, players from both teams contested almost every shot, and the level of physicality ramped up to top notch regular season levels, if not even first round playoff levels.

It is mystifying that most NBA players seem to need external motivation to play their best in the All-Star Game, but with a substantial portion of the weekend's festivities dedicated to the memory of Bryant--including naming the All-Star MVP award for him--it would have been a travesty for the players to just sleepwalk through the entire proceedings. Kawhi Leonard is a pioneer of the less than commendable load management scourge, but at least he always plays hard when he is on the court. Leonard scored a game-high 30 points on 11-18 field goal shooting (including 8-14 from three point range), grabbed seven rebounds, dished for four assists, and received the first Kobe Bryant All-Star Game MVP Award as his Team LeBron won, 157-155."

Kevin Durant Wins his Second All-Star MVP as Team LeBron Overcomes 20 Point Deficit to Defeat Team Giannis, 178-164 (2019)

"The All-Star Game sunk to such depths a few years ago that there were even whispers that it might be discontinued. Instead, the league changed the format from East versus West to a format in which the top two vote-getters conduct a draft consisting of a pool of other All-Stars selected by fans, coaches and media members. LeBron James faced off against Giannis Antetokounmpo in this year's All-Star draft. Popular consensus was that James, whose draft strategy seemed to be focused on acquiring every major player who will be a free agent soon, got the better of Antetokounmpo--but it did not look like that initially, as Team Giannis led 53-37 after the first quarter and 95-82 at halftime. Antetokounmpo scored a game-high 38 points on 17-23 field goal shooting, including 10 dunks. He also had 11 rebounds and five assists. He set the tone in the first quarter with 16 points. Antetokounmpo's Milwaukee teammate/All-Star teammate Khris Middleton added 20 points on 7-13 field goal shooting, including 6-10 from three point range. Middleton scored 12 first quarter points.

To coin--or repeat--a phrase, it seemed like Team LeBron was in 'chill mode' during the first half, but in the second half they exerted at least some defensive effort and they rained down a barrage of three pointers. Team LeBron outscored Team Giannis 96-69 in the second half while shooting 22-49 from three point range. The teams combined to attempt 167 three pointers during the game, compared to 108 two pointers attempted.

Kevin Durant earned MVP honors by scoring 31 points on 10-15 field goal shooting (including 6-9 from three point range) while also contributing seven rebounds. He had 11 points on 4-4 field goal shooting in the fourth quarter. Durant's Golden State teammate Klay Thompson finished second on Team LeBron with 20 points on 7-16 field goal shooting (6-12 from three point range) and he had eight rebounds and four assists as well."

LeBron James Earns Third All-Star Game MVP as Team LeBron Outlasts Team Stephen, 148-145 (2018):

"LeBron James scored a game-high 29 points on 12-17 field goal shooting, grabbed a game-high tying 10 rebounds and dished eight assists as Team LeBron defeated Team Stephen 148-145 in the first year of the NBA's new All-Star selection format; instead of the traditional matchup featuring the Eastern Conference facing the Western Conference, a team of All-Stars picked by LeBron James faced a team of All-Stars picked by Stephen Curry. The NBA tweaked the All-Star Game in the wake of several subpar All-Star Games, culminating in last year's farce.

Before the 2018 All-Star Game, James already held the NBA All-Star Game career scoring record (314 points) and yesterday he surpassed Julius Erving (321 points) to set the record for most points scored in ABA and NBA All-Star Games combined. Bob Pettit (1956, 58, 59, 62) and Kobe Bryant (2002, 2007, 2009, 2011) share the record with four All-Star Game MVPs each, while James joined Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal as three-time winners; James previously earned the All-Star Game MVP in 2006 and 2008."

The NBA All-Star Game Has Become a Farce (2017):

"The Western Conference's 192-182 victory over the Eastern Conference is without question the worst NBA All-Star Game that I have ever watched. Other than the MLB All-Star Game that ended in a tie (and many NFL Pro Bowls of recent vintage) it may be the worst major professional league All-Star Game ever. When the reigning two-time regular season MVP literally lies down on the court instead of attempting to play defense, you know that the event has jumped the shark."

Labels: 2022 NBA All-Star Game, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jerry West, Julius Erving, LeBron James, Oscar Robertson, Stephen Curry, Wilt Chamberlain

posted by David Friedman @ 2:57 AM

4 comments