BY KEVIN KOPLIN
It’s that time of year again NBA fans, the annual All Star Weekend is almost upon us. It’s the one weekend where 24 of the NBA’s best athletes play together under one roof in front of thousands of fans. From February 18th to the 20th in Los Angeles, California, the league’s top players will compete in an array of events from the Slam Dunk Contest to the All Star game itself.
Starting things off on Friday the 18th is the Rookie Challenge, where the brightest rookies in the league face off against the second year players. Last years Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans of the Sacramento Kings will lead the sophomore team against rookie sensations John Wall of the Washington Wizards and the Los Angeles Clippers Blake Griffin.
Following the Rookie Challenge is the Celebrity All Star game, where stars from television, music, movies, and even NBA legends compete against one another. Headlining the event is singing sensation Justin Bieber, who will take the court with Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, rapper Common, Modern Family’s Ty Burrel, and others.
Saturday night may be the most enjoyable night of All Star weekend. The Skills Challenge showcases the leagues top ball handlers, who compete through an obstacle course where they have to dribble, pass, and score in the fastest time to win. After the Skills Challenge is the 3- Point Contest. Paul Pierce of the Boston Celitics, the defending champion, will compete against teammate Ray Allen, James Jones of the Miami Heat, Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Daniel Gibson of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Dorrel Wright of the Golden State Warriors. Participants must make as many three pointers as they can from five positions within the one minute time limit to win.
“The 3 point contest truly shows the players skill from long range”, junior Steven Roberts said.
Finishing off All Star Saturday Night is the popular Slam Dunk Contest. The high flying rookie Blake Griffin will compete against DeMar DeRozan of the Toronto Raptors, Serge Ibaka of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and JaVale McGee of the Washington Wizards. Their objective is to complete the most original and insane slam dunks and earn the highest score from the panel of judges.
“Its amazing to see the dunks these guys come up with”, junior Joey Mandel said.
On Sunday, the leagues elite players will play in the 60th annual All Star game. Fans were able to vote their favorite players into the starting lineups. The Eastern All Stars starting five consist of Dwyane Wade and LeBron James of the Miami Heat, Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls, Amare Stoudemire of the New York Knicks, and Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic. The Western starters are Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets, Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets, Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets, and Kevin Durant.
“The All Star game is always entertaining,” Mandel said. “Having all of these superstars playing in one game is really cool.”
Coaches from every team picked two guards, two forwards, a center, and two other players regardless of position to represent their conference in the game. The reserves for the East are Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics, Joe Johnson and Al Horford of the Atlanta Hawks, and the Miami Heat’s Chris Bosh. The West’s reserves are Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobli of the San Antonio Spurs, Pau Gasol of the LA Lakers, Deron Williams of the Utah Jazz, Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Blake Griffin, and due to Yao Ming’s injury Kevin Love of the Minnesota Timberwolves was chosen to be his replacement.
Last year, the East won 141-139, Dwyane Wade had 28 points, 11 assists, 6 rebounds, and 5 steals and was named the MVP. This year’s game is also anticipated to be a shootout. Both teams are stacked offensively but the East has the advantage with Rose, James, and Wade’s ability to get to the rim at will. Dwight Howard is a dominating presence in the paint, and due to his size he will be a huge factor in the game. A close, high scoring affair is definitely expected, and I predict the East will repeat, winning 127-119.
All Star Weekend is a great break halfway through the NBA’s regular season, giving fans and players a weekend to enjoy watching the league’s best compete in a fun, exciting environment.
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