The Crossroads of America Host The Games
The 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend has concluded with a record-shattering All-Star Game in Indianapolis, Indiana. The weekend’s story started with a Stephen vs. Sabrina shoot-off, and saw a familiar face wearing the dunk contest gold.
Friday, February 16, 2024: Celebrity All-Star Game
The highlight of Friday’s events was the lovable Celebrity All-Star Game, with Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons winning the MVP. Other celebrities, such as streamer Kai Cenat, singer and actress Jennifer Hudson, and quarterback CJ Stroud, all participated in the Shannon vs. Stephen A. classic. Team Shannon Sharpe won behind Parsons’ 37 points and 16 rebounds, sending Team Stephen A. Smith home empty handed.
Saturday, February 17, 2024: 3-Point and Dunk Contests
Arguably the most anticipated day, Saturday held the fun and lighthearted competitions, starting with the Starry 3-Point Contest. Milwaukee Bucks superstar Damian Lillard was crowned for a second-straight year, becoming the first repeat winner since 2007-2008. A nail-biting competition saw Lillard’s last shot earn him the win after a tie-breaker round.
Following the Starry 3-Point Contest was easily the most public event of the weekend: the 3-Point Contest between Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors and Sabrina Ionescu of the New York Liberty. This was the first co-ed “him vs. her” match-up in NBA history, and Sabrina gave Steph a run for his money. Putting up 26, Ionescu had the same number of points that Lillard did when he won earlier in the day, placing Curry in a position of needing 27 or more to win. With 29 points, Curry bested Ionescu, but the spectacle opened incredible doors for more star-studded matchups in the future.
To cap off the night, Osceola Magic’s Mac McClung (G-League Player at that) won his second straight Dunk Contest title, earning a perfect score on his final dunk by jumping over NBA Legend Shaquille O’Neal. Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics was the runner-up, while Jaime Jaquez Jr. of the Miami Heat and Jacob Toppin of the New York Knicks made up the Top 4.
Sunday, February 18, 2024: 73rd All-Star Game
A record-shattering end to the weekend, the 73rd Annual All-Star Game saw the Eastern Conference defeat the Western Conference 211-186. This year marked the first time a team surpassed 200 points and broke the record for most combined points. Additionally, the East made 42 three-pointers, also a new record. The winner of the Starry 3-Point Contest Damian Lillard also took home the Kobe Bryant All-Star Game MVP trophy.
However, this incredible barrage of scoring seems to have halted any interest in the All-Star Game from fans, with Shannon Sharpe proclaiming that the game has turned into “shooting 3’s and dunks.” Many fans feel the game’s lack of competitive edge goes against what makes basketball so enthralling, and are considering not watching any longer.
Overall, this weekend’s events saw a door opening match-up and a good storyline of repeat winners. However, the controversy following the All-Star Game has clouded a successful weekend in Indianapolis. NBA Basketball is reaching its back-half of the season, and frontrunners like the Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves are preparing for their final pushes. One thing’s for sure: neither of them will be scoring 200 points in a game anytime soon. We can thank competitive nature for that!