While baseball and football have struggled with maintaining interest and excitement around their All-Star games, the NBA seems to have the right ingredients to make the All-Star Game and All-Star Weekend something anticipated each year by both players and fans.
The NBA All-Star Game has always included great matchups like Magic vs. Michael.
From Slam Dunk contests to high scoring games, there have been many exciting moments in All-Star Game history.
In this installment of Vintage Video, we remember some of the great games and highlights from All-Star Game history.
The Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Month may have had a pretty common name, but his iron man streak as an NBA player was anything but ordinary.
In a streak that lasted more than a decade, Randy Smith played in 906 consecutive NBA games to establish an NBA iron man record that lasted more than a decade.
That Smith made it to the NBA at all was somewhat of an underdog story.
A three-sport standout at Bellsport High School in Long Island (basketball, soccer and track), Smith also was a three-sport All-American at Division II Buffalo State College. He helped lead the Bengals to three straight basketball conference championships and a spot in the 1970 Division II Final Four. Read the rest of this entry →
LeBron James and Stephon Curry are the captains as the NBA All-Star Game tries a new format.
The NBA All-Star Weekend has become a great mid-season opportunity to celebrate and enjoy the great athletes of the NBA.
NASCAR does things a little different than other sports as they start each year with their biggest and most prestigious race, the Daytona 500.
NBA All-Star Game is a Star Studded Event
Professional sports All-Star games are kind of like new pennies. They are too bright and alluring not to pick up, but you quickly realize that they aren’t really worth much.
Of the “big 3” sports, the NBA All-Star Game is probably the best, if only because the rosters are small enough that you have some of the best stars on the court from opening tip to final horn.
In recent years, the NBA has turned the concept of the All-Star Game into a star-studded three-day extravaganza where the actual game can almost be anti-climatic to all the events that precede it.
The idea of special events in advance of the All-Star Game actually dates back to the ABA when Julius Erving dazzled fans with his famous foul line dunk. The NBA created its own dunk contest in 1984 and added a three-point shootout two years later. The weekend now includes a celebrity and rising stars games that were played last night as well as the dunk contest, three-point contest and skills challenge that will happen tonight.
By the time the actual All-Stars take to the court on Sunday night, seemingly half the players in the NBA will have participated in one event or another. Read the rest of this entry →
Kevin Durant and LeBron James should be the leading stars in the 2014 NBA All-Star Game.
Since the first NBA All-Star Game in 1951, the annual gathering of the best players in professional basketball has provided an opportunity to revel in the amazing talents of these stars.
The 2014 game includes six first-time All-Stars, including two former number one overall picks (John Wall and Anthony Davis) that will be able to get off the dubious list of number one overall picks that didn’t make an All-Star Game. Read the rest of this entry →
Dwyane Wade was the MVP of a super-sized All-Star Game.
The 2010 NBA All-Star Game told us a lot. First, pro basketball has a huge fan appeal that is Texas-sized! We can thank two of the most visible and dynamic owners of professional sports franchises for that as Dallas Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones and Dallas Mavericks’ owner Mark Cuban made much of this event possible in a plush new stadium that is less than a year old.
According to TNT NBA Anchor Ernie Johnson, a Guinness Book of World Records for attendance at a basketball game was set with 108,713 people attending the game at Cowboys’ Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Feb. 14.
Second, after trailing throughout most of the game, the world’s greatest collection of athletes proved that coming from behind is no big deal if none at all as the West refused to let the East pull away.
Third, we are seeing a changing of the guard in terms of the best-of-the-best players in the NBA as we enter a new decade. The good news here for basketball fans is that the best players in the league are still very young and while many are veterans, they are in their prime or just reaching it.
In football, it is said that many players need four years to develop to become an all-pro caliber and championship player. The speed of the game is faster and some differences in rules between the college and pro game factor into that. The same can be said in basketball give a year or two shorter or longer. There is also a learning curve with things like the pick-and-roll, help side defense, and clock management. Read the rest of this entry →
You can always count on LeBron James to put on a show at the All-Star Game.
Professional sports All-Star games are kind of like new pennies. They are too bright and alluring not to pick up, but you quickly realize that they aren’t really worth much.
Of the “big 3” sports, the NBA All-Star Game is probably the best, if only because the rosters are small enough that you have some of the best stars on the court from opening tip to final horn.
In recent years, the NBA has turned the concept of the All-Star Game into a star-studded three-day extravaganza where the actual game can almost be anti-climatic to all the events that precede it.
The idea of special events in advance of the All-Star Game actually dates back to the ABA when Julius Erving dazzled fans with his famous foul line dunk. The NBA created its own dunk contest in 1984 and added a three-point shootout two years later. The weekend now also includes skills and horse competitions, a celebrity game and a game between first and second year NBA players.
By the time the actual All-Stars take to the court on Sunday night, seemingly half the players in the NBA will have participated in one event or another. Read the rest of this entry →
Louie Dampier’s name might not resonate as widely as other basketball legends, but the Sports Then & Now Vintage Athlete of the Month’s impact on the game, particularly during the American Basketball Association (ABA) era, is undeniable. Known for his pinpoint shooting, exceptional ball handling, and relentless work ethic, Dampier enjoyed a stellar basketball career that saw him thrive in both the ABA and NBA. As one of the most consistent and prolific guards of his time, Dampier left a lasting legacy, and his role in the ABA’s history solidified his place in the annals of basketball greatness.
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