• Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

February 11th 2016

All Star Break

Well folks, its once again time for one of the more exciting weekends in North American Sports. The NBA All-star weekend features some of the leagues top players showcasing their talent for three days in a variety of competitions.

This year the weekend begins with the BBVA Rising Stars competition formerly called the rookie game highlighting Friday night, NBA Saturday Night which consists of a few different skill challenges (most notably the dunk contest) and finally the NBA All-star game on Sunday.

I myself have watched almost every all-star game since I can remember, probably since elementary school when my love for the game began. Being that today is Thursday and most social media outlets bombard us with the Throwback Thursday hash-tag reliving memories from years past I wanted to join the crowd.

My favorite All-Star game came in the year 2001. Allen Iverson took home MVP honors that night in what was one of the more exciting games. It went down to the wire as the East made a valiant come back to win the game. Iverson and Stephon Marbury (New Jersey Nets) led the East to a one-point victory in the final minutes. Both conferences had a wealth of talent on their rosters and looking back I could see how much the game now has changed. The West roster was big, Chris Webber, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Karl Malone, Rasheed Wallace, David Robinson and Antonio McDyess were all on this one roster and they dominated from the beginning. Their size helped them to a 21-point lead in this game.

The East countered with a small line up in the final minutes of the game with Iverson and Marbury on the court at the same time making it difficult for the bigger West players to guard them on the perimeter. Iverson scored 15-points in last nine minutes of the game while Marbury hit two key 3’s, one which ultimately became the game winner for the East. That night the smaller line-up prevailed, flash-forward to this weekend’s all-star festivities we see that the game has changed in favor of the smaller line up. There is only on true 7-footer on either roster and only five players 6’10 and above.

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Stephon Marbury (New Jersey Nets) 2001 All-Star Game Photo: Andrew D Bernstein NBAE

 

This weekend the evolution of the game to the small line-up will once again be on display. The players and fans look forward to this weekend, for the players it a chance to showcase their talents on the big stage and for the fans it a time where they get to see all their favorite players on the court at the same time. The festivities will be in Toronto as the game continues to become a global phenomenon. Stay tuned and enjoy.

Twitter: sherman@shermangmz1

Email: shermangmz1@gmail.com

Photo: Andrew D Bernstein NBAE via Getty images

By Sherman Gomez

"Basketball is my favorite sport, I like the way they dribble up and down the court." "I wish I was a little bit taller, I wish I was a baller." "Last week messed around and got a triple double." I write about basketball sometimes and then I try to go play....

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