LeBron, George in LA lead All-Star story lines
Summer free agency already on horizon as hoops’ best gather for mid-season marquee
The glitz and glamor of the NBA’s annual All-Star Weekend doesn’t change much year to year. Pro hoops’ most prominent figures are always in attendance, and memorable moments – whether they be in the Dunk Contest, Skills Challenge or All-Star Game itself – are always sure to come.
It’s the story lines, both on and off the court, that make each year’s All-Star Weekend different from the last.
Here are a few to keep an eye on during this year’s festivities, which tipped off Friday and conclude Sunday.
LeBron James and Paul George visit the City of Angels
James and George, both set to hit free agency in July, have ties to the Los Angeles area, with James recently buying a second home in Brentwood and George growing up in Palmdale.
Cue the media’s Los Angeles-related questions.
George has repeatedly and openly discussed the possibility of one day heading home for Laker Land, though those talks have cooled as of late.
“I’m happy here,” George said recently of Oklahoma City . “I’m happy with this group. At the end of the season, it’s still on my decision on what I need to do for my family. That has nothing to do with my happiness here though. I’ve been really happy. It’s a great organization to be a part of, but again, you know, I don’t want people looking at this and saying like, ‘Hey, because he said it’s his happiness at the end of the day’ that I’m definitely re-signing.”
James, on the other hand, has been much more reserved when it comes to his free agency desires.
“Any time I’m able to be a free agent or my contract is ending, I’ll approach that when the summer comes,” James said before the start of the season. “I don’t ever cheat my teammates or cheat the fans or talk about free agency all year long because I’m not going to give energy to something I can handle in the summertime when I should be focused on what I’m doing on a day-today basis to help this franchise compete for a championship.” Competitiveness of the All-Star Game This year’s new format – two team captains, James and Stephen Curry, drafted their teammates regardless of conference affiliation – was created primarily for the fans, as the competitiveness of last year’s game reached an all-time low.
The final score (West: 192, East: 182) was the highest in the game’s 66-year history. The two teams combined to take 280 shots, making 162 of them. Every other possession ended with a wide-open dunk or three-pointer.
James has backed the league’s newest experiment and the need for change, saying, “I’m going to take it upon myself and obviously the rest of the guys to go out there and play the game the right way and compete. Our fans deserve it.”
In addition to doubling the prize money – $100,000 for each player on the winning team – the NBA will also donate $350,000 to a charity selected by the captain of the squad that comes out on top. Ex-teammates reunited James and Kyrie Irving. Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. The two most-talked about pairs of teammates-turned-rivals will be teammates once more.
Will James and Irving have a mending-of-the-fences moment? Will Durant and Westbrook connect on an alley-oop similar to last year’s during the All-Star Game in New Orleans?
What about first-time All-Star Victor Oladipo? Will he try and outshine Westbrook, his former Oklahoma City Thunder running mate? Or George, who he was traded to the Indiana Pacers for?
James’ roster is nothing if not drama-filled.
Then come the current NBA teammates. Durant, also on Team James, has to compete against three of his fellow Golden State Warriors in Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, which, in and of itself, is sure to deliver in the must-see moments department.
Hield, Bogdanovic shine as World routs US in Rising Stars game
Sacramento Kings guard and Bahamas native Buddy Hield scored a teamhigh 29 points in 26 minutes, and the World team cruised to a 155-124 win over the US team on Friday night in the NBA Rising Stars game at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic finished with 26 points on 9-for-16 shooting, including 7-for-13 from three-point range, and was named the game’s most valuable player. Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray scored 21 points for the World team, while Ben Simmons (11 points, 13 rebounds) of the Philadelphia 76ers and Domantas Sabonis (13 points, 11 rebounds) of the Indiana Pacers each recorded a double-double.
The Sixers’ Joel Embiid played just nine minutes in the contest, recording five points.
Boston Celtics second-year forward Jaylen Brown led the US team with 35 points on 14-for-21 shooting in 24 minutes. Brown grabbed 10 rebounds and showed off his athleticism with a between-the-legs slam dunk in the fourth quarter.
Los Angeles Lakers rookie forward Kyle Kuzma added 20 points and seven rebounds for the US team. Celtics rookie forward Jayson Tatum finished with 15 points.
The US team faced a 30-point deficit entering the fourth quarter. Embiid contributed to the 118-88 advantage when he dribbled the ball from the top of the key, spun past Brown at the free throw line and finished with a two-handed slam.
By halftime, the World surged to a 78-59 lead. Bogdanovic and Hield led the team with 14 points apiece in the first half as they combined to hit 8-of11 shots from beyond the arc.
The World led 40-32 at the end of the first quarter. Utah Jazz rookie Donovan Mitchell provided a highlight-reel play when he lobbed a pass to himself off the top of the backboard and threw down a one-handed slam dunk for the US.
The game featured 10 first- and second-year players from the US against the same number of first-and second-year players from the rest of the world. The players were selected by the NBA’s assistant coaches, who collaborated for one vote per team.
Houston Rockets assistant Roy Rogers coached the US team. Toronto Raptors assistant Rex Kalamian coached the World team.