With the 68th All-Star Game in the books, now it’s time to focus on the stretch run of this regular season.
But before we do that, we must look back at some of the best moments from NBA All-Star 2019.
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MJ pays homage at Legends Brunch
The man who was the toast of the town was tough to spot for much of the weekend. That’s what made Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan’s surprise appearance at Sunday’s legends brunch on the morning of his 56th birthday such a pleasant surprise.
Well done, MJ. And Charlotte put on a fine show with the eyes of the world watching for the 68th Alll-Star Game.
Momma Curry with the shot!
Sonya Curry’s underhanded halfcourt shot at the Curry Family Foundation event Friday was the first viral clip from All-Star weekend. She upstaged her sons Steph and Seth and her husband, Dell, with that shot – all while making it clear who the real star of the (unofficial) Curry Family Reunion weekend would be.
He get it from his mama. @StephenCurry30 mom Sonya Curry makes halfcourt underhand shot. pic.twitter.com/3KQEGAzSSK
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) February 15, 2019
But the entire family was celebrated all weekend as Charlotte’s first family of basketball played the role of gracious hosts.
Some truth serum for Davis
New Orleans Pelicans big man Anthony Davis played just four first half minutes in Sunday’s All-Star Game, slowed by a sore shoulder. That said, he still certainly got everything done he needed to. He let it all out during Saturday morning’s media day festivities. After being the talk of the league in the 10 days leading up to the Feb. 7 trade deadline – which came days after his trade request was made public — Davis cleared the air about … basically everything.
Yes, he intends to continue playing for the Pelicans this season (we’ll see how long that lasts). And, no, he has not eliminated any of the league’s other 29 teams from the list of places he’d consider playing for in the future (a list that does include the Boston Celtics).
Where the drama goes from here is anyone’s guess. It’s your move Danny Ferry, who replaced the fired Dell Demps on Friday as the Pelicans’ interim general manager.
Perfectly in tune
Between Meek Mill’s splendid work during the player introductions for Sunday’s game to Fayetteville, N.C.’s own J. Cole bringing the house down with his halftime show, there would be no Maroon 5 Super Bowl controversy for this NBA All-Star weekend. It pays to know your audience and what will resonate.
Lil’ Superman from OKC
Were you underwhelmed by the AT&T Slam Dunk contest? That’s fine. But take another look at Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Hamidou Diallo’s work to win the title. Young fella was a worthy champion. Go ahead, check the vertical, the creativity and calling out Shaq was a stroke of genius.
Say hello to Lil’ Superman folks!
So hard to say goodbye …
Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade will be linked forever, having battled twice in The Finals during their surefire Hall of Fame careers. Since they split those meetings it’s only fitting that these two living legends went out together in their final All-Star Game appearance.
And they didn’t disappoint. Dirk knocked down three deep 3-pointers for Team Giannis before halftime. Wade drained a 3-pointer of his own for Team LeBron before halftime. And he started the second half as Team LeBron rallied from a 13-point first-half deficit to take the lead at the end of the third quarter. Salute to two of the game’s all-time greats.
A ‘Greek Freak’-y kind of finish
Stephen Curry’s bounce pass. Giannis Antetokounmpo’s head-at-the-rim-finish. Kevin Durant’s reaction after being the victim of the dunk of the first half and perhaps the entire weekend.
What was there not to love about a dunk that will forever be a part of All-Star Game lore?
A glimpse of the future …
One of the most fascinating events during All-Star weekend every year is the Technology Summit, where the focus is on about basketball’s future and the role of evolving technology.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver kicked things off Saturday morning by using an app on a phone to change the number and name on the back of a jersey, flipping it from a Kemba Walker model to a Stephen Curry model to a Michael Jordan model.
The real MVP (KD) delivers again
Kevin Durant ended up stealing the show in a game dominated early by Team Giannis (and its namesake in particular).
Antetokounmpo was certainly spectacular, finishing with a game-high 38 points. KD’s late-game work, however, proved critical as Team LeBron rallied from a 20-point deficit. He earned his second All-Star MVP trophy to go along with the one he bagged in 2012.
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Sekou Smith is a veteran NBA reporter and NBA TV analyst. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
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