Some of the NBA's best players were in Chicago last night for the annual All-Star game. In the end, Team LeBron defeated Team Giannis by only two points in what was one of the most exciting All-Star games we have ever seen. The rules for the final quarter are what ultimately made this game so entertaining. Essentially, they took the winning score after three quarters and added 24 in honor of Kobe Bryant. Whoever reached that score first, would become the winner. This also meant that the last quarter wasn't timed.
Ice Cube's league, the Big3, plays all of their matches without a timer. Whoever reaches 50 points first, wins. In light of this, Cube took to Twitter where he immediately took credit for the success of the all-star game. As he explains, without the Big3, the NBA wouldn't have been able to come up with such a great idea.
While we appreciate Cube's eagerness to take credit, it's important to point out that the NBA was playing by the Elam rule which was developed over ten years ago. This rule is used in The Basketball Tournament and various other leagues throughout the world. The Big3 technically plays by the Elam Rule although Cube seems to think otherwise.
Either way, the All-Star game was pretty amazing regardless of who deserves the credit.
Kobe Bryant-Inspired All-Star Game Format Receives Rave Reviews
Some fans went in skeptical but as it turns out, the format was an overwhelming success.
Following the death of Kobe Bryant, the NBA began looking for ways to honor him at the All-Star Game. One of the things the league came up with was a fourth-quarter that would be first to 24 points, based on the score of the winning team after three quarters. Essentially, if the score is 100-96, the winning team would have to get to 124 points, first. It's also important to note that this format made it so that the final quarter isn't timed. It was completely based on the score.
At first, fans were skeptical of how this format would work but in the end, it turned out to be the best thing to ever happen to the All-Star Game. Team LeBron rallied to defeat Team Giannis by a score of 157-155 and the game was simply phenomenal. Throughout the final quarter, both teams were butting their best foot forward and doing everything they could to get calls. At one point, Kyle Lowry took a late charge just so he could prevent James Harden from scoring a late three-pointer to seal the win.
When all was said and done, the fans were beaming about the basketball they had just witnessed. Having said that, it would be smart for the league to keep this format going in the future. Check out some of the best reactions to the game, below.
Kobe Bryant Honored With All-Star Tribute From Jennifer Hudson, Common & More
The NBA pays tribute to Kobe.
Sunday night as the 69th annual NBA All-Star game got underway, a tribute to the late Kobe Bryant was naturally on the agenda as Chicago natives such as Jennifer Hudson and Common led a game-opener that would keep Bryant in mind.
In addition, Magic Johnson also made an appearance to speak about his friend.
"We'll never see another basketball player quite like Kobe," said Johnson, who also paid his respect to the late NBA Commissioner David Stern. "Scoring 81 points in one game. Scoring 60 points in his last game. And then winning five NBA championships [...] But what I'm really proud about when we think about Kobe Bryant, there's millions of people in Los Angeles that don't have a home. Kobe was fighting to get them homes and shelter every single day. He was passionate about that. He was also passionate about being a great father, husband, filmmaker. Young man won an Oscar. So we all are hurting. This is a tough time for the whole NBA family."
Johnson would lead those gathered at the United Center in Chicago in an eight-second moment of silence in Bryant's honor before Hudson appeared in purple to deliver on a stirring rendition of "For All We Know (We May Meet Again)."
Common would follow it up with a rap in which he would pay tribute to Chicago's greatest players while also mentioning Kobe by name with a line.
"A king named Kobe Bryant," Common rapped as the arena lights lit up people and gold. "Even in the darkest times, you'll feel Kobe's light."
NBA Renames All-Star Game MVP Award In Honor Of Kobe Bryant
The NBA honors the All-Star legend.
Saturday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver revealed that the NBA All-Star All-Star Game MVP award will be renamed in honor of Kobe Bryant, who was an 18-time All-Star with a record four All-Star Game MVP awards.
"Kobe Bryant is synonymous with NBA All-Star and embodies the spirit of this global celebration of our game," reads Silver's words. "He always relished the opportunity to compete with the best of the best and perform at the highest level for millions of fans around the world."
The late Bryant made his All-Star match debut in 1998 as the youngest athlete to ever play in the game at 19. He went on to add 17 more appearances, being recognized as the All-Star Game MVP in 2002, 2007, 2009, and 2011.
The first time the Kobe Bryant MVP trophy will be awarded will be Sunday evening following this year's All-Star matchup as Team Lebron and Team Giannis face off in Chicago.
"I know it will be especially meaningful to that player that wins the first Kobe Bryant MVP," Silver added. "So I'm sure there will be other honors as well, and as I mentioned, there are other things that we will be discussing with our board, the NBA board, when they meet in April to honor David [Stern]. But this one seems so appropriate here at All-Star because nobody embodied All-Star more than Kobe Bryant."
Zach LaVine Tries & Fails Insane 360 Dunk From The Free-Throw Line
Zach LaVine is known for his insane dunking ability.
Zach LaVine has consistently been one of the best dunkers in the entire NBA. This was discovered during the 2016 NBA All-Star Dunk Contest when LaVine went toe-to-toe with Aaron Gordon of the Orlando Magic. Many felt as though Gordon was robbed of a win although LaVine was simply magical as he came through with some incredibly heroic moves. While he isn't participating in the competition this year, it hasn't stopped him from trying out some incredible dunks in practice.
In the clip below, LaVine attempts to pull off a 360 dunk all while jumping from the free-throw line. Of course, Michael Jordan infamously dunked from the free-throw line except the major difference is that Jordan went straight to the hoop as opposed to LaVine who tried to spin all the way around.
Unfortunately, LaVine wasn't able to make the dunk although he came dangerously close. Given some extra practice, we're sure he'd be able to nail it no problem. With this clip in mind, it kind of makes us wish that he would participate in this year's contest. It would certainly create some interesting content for the league, particularly in relation to the renewed rivalry between LaVine and Gordon.
Perhaps LaVine will even make a surprise appearance although, at this point, we doubt it.
Stephen A. Smith Reveals His Top 5 NBA Dunk Contest Champions
Stephen A. Smith has a pretty stacked list.
This weekend, some of the NBA's best players will be in Chicago for NBA All-Star weekend. The actual game is taking place on Sunday but the skills competition will go down on Saturday. Perhaps the best part of the skills competition is the dunk contest which typically provides some of the best highlights of the entire weekend. First Take's Stephen A. Smith is a huge fan of the dunk contest and today on the show, he counted down the five best dunk content champions of all-time.
Smith started the list with Spud Webb at number 5, Zach LaVine at 4, Dominique Wilkins at 3, Michael Jordan at 2, and finally, Vince Carter at number one. All five of these men had iconic dunk contest performances, especially Webb who was able to pull off some incredible moves despite only being 5'8."
The crowd in Chicago seemed to be big fans of Smith's list although you could tell they had beef with Carter being ranked above Jordan. Chicago is MJ's city and they'll always be biased towards the Bulls legend. Regardless, you can't deny Carter's influence on the younger generation and how he changed the dunk contest forever.
Let us know in the comments below if you agree with Smith's list.
Air Jordan "New Beginnings" Pack Coming Soon: Official Images
There is a lot of history in this pack.
In the lead up to All-Star weekend in Chicago, Nike and Jordan Brand have been busy promoting their new shoes that will celebrate the event. Of course, Michael Jordan played for the Chicago Bulls so it would only make sense that the brand would come together for some retros of iconic sneakers. One of the releases fans are most excited about is the Air Jordan “New Beginnings” pack which features the Air Jordan 1 Hi ’85 and the Nike Air Ship.
For those who don’t know, the Nike Air Ship is the first shoe Jordan wore before creating his very own signature sneaker, in 1984. In this pack, both sneakers are white and red which plays into the Bulls aesthetic. Recently, the official images were revealed and it’s quite clear that this will be the Holy Grail of All-Star weekend’s big sneaker releases. It is expected to be very limited and will surely sell out almost instantly.
According to Sole Collector, these are dropping on Wednesday, February 12th for $350 USD. Let us know in the comments below what you think of these and whether or not you plan on copping.
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LeBron James & Giannis Draft Their All-Star Teams: Full Results
Giannis isn’t very good at drafting.
Last night, LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo took part in the NBA All-Star game draft. The two had been chosen as captains and had to make some hard decisions in regards to who they wanted on their squads. Just like last year, Giannis was exposed as a pretty awful general manager. LeBron ended up with the better team and ended up with all of the Western Conference starters on his team. He also picked up the likes of Damian Lillard, Ben Simmons, and Russell Westbrook. You can see how the teams shaped up, below.
Team LeBron: LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard, Luka Doncic, James Harden, Damian Lillard, Ben Simmons, Nikola Jokic, Jayson Tatum, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Domantas Sabonis
Team Giannis: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Pascal Siakam, Kemba Walker, Trae Young, Khris Middleton, Bam Adebayo, Rudy Gobert, Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry, Brandon Ingram, Donovan Mitchell
The NBA All-Star game will be taking place on Sunday, February 16th in Chicago. For now, it seems like Team LeBron has a clear advantage although it’s an All-Star match so anything can happen. Some guys don’t put in very much effort which means the game can be wide open. It also means we will be made privy to a whole lot of offense. We can’t wait.
Nike LeBron 7 "All-Star" Release Date Revealed: Official Images
Nike is back with some more LeBron-related nostalgia.
LeBron James is one of the best players we have ever seen and he has the signature shoes to match. One of his most beloved models is the Nike LeBron 7 which saw a brand new era of dope colorways and on-court triumphs. With the All-Star game quickly approaching, Nike is coming through with a retro of the Nike LeBron 7 “All-Star” which is known for its all-over blue aesthetic and black Nike swoosh.
The all-star weekend is a perfect time to play on people’s nostalgia and that’s exactly what Nike is doing here. If you’re a LeBron fan, you will surely remember these sneakers as they came at an interesting time in LeBron’s career. For those who want to cop these, they will be available on Wednesday, February 12th for $200 USD which is the standard price for LeBron retros. This information comes courtesy of Sole Collector.
Let us know in the comments below what you think of these and whether or not you plan on copping. Also, let us know if you plan to hoop in these or if you want to keep them for more casual occasions.
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Adam Silver Comments On Kobe Bryant’s Passing, Commends Players
Players are still mourning the death of Kobe Bryant.
Kobe Bryant tragically passed away alongside his daughter and seven others in a helicopter crash last weekend. Basketball fans around the world were devastated by the news and tributes have been pouring in ever since. On Friday night, the Lakers played their first game since his passing and offered what was a phenomenal and emotional tribute.
Heading into the All-Star Game, the league has some interesting plans to honor Kobe’s legacy. The fourth quarter won’t be timed and instead, the final score will be the leading team’s score after three quarters, plus 24. From there, LeBron James’ team will wear the number two to honor Gianna Bryant while Giannis Antetokounmpo’s squad will wear 24. Recently, NBA commissioner Adam Silver spoke about Bryant’s passing and how the league has responded to it all.
Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
Per Adam Silver K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago:
“It’s celebratory but emotional. This is what makes these great athletes such special people too. I think what we forget sometimes as fans is that this is a very public mourning period. But at any given time, in a league of 450 players, dozens of coaches, hundreds of league executives, somebody is invariably going through some sort of personal tragedy — most often not known to the public. Yet our players and teams continue to compete. It’s in some ways why these athletes are so inspirational to people. And Kobe in particular because Kobe was all about competition, maybe more than any player I’ve known in the league. Not to take anything away from the greatest players ever, but his off-the-floor work ethic was beyond belief to other players in some cases.”
Tragic events can never be easy to deal with although the players have done an amazing job handling the grief. Kobe was like a family member to many of these players who are trying to carry on his legacy every single game.
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