Currys: All-Star weekend ‘everything we hoped it would be’
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Sonya Curry hasn’t stopped smiling all weekend.
She has had quality time with her grandchildren with the entire family in town for AllStar Weekend festivities. She even hit a halfcourt shot at a community center her family helped refurbish.
On Saturday night, she emerged from Suite 21 at the Spectrum Center beaming after spending the evening with family and watching sons Stephen and Seth and husband Dell participate in the NBA All-Star 3-point contest.
“It’s been everything that I hoped it would be,” she said of her sons’ return to their hometown for All-Star weekend. “Seeing Dell out there on the court being able to share that moment with the boys was awesome. And having the family all here to watch — that’s hard to beat.”
With remnants of half-eaten appetizers and drinks still sitting on the counter, some of the young ones were starting to fuss having grown restless after being up well past their bedtimes.
Still, Sonya didn’t want the night to end.
Neither did her husband.
Dell had changed into a suit and tie after shooting a few balls alongside former NBA players Glen Rice, Mark Price and Ray Allen to raise money for charity before the main 3-point event began.
It didn’t come close to the most fun he had on Saturday — or this weekend.
“Look around, all of our family was in here,” he said pointing to a crowded suite as Stephen’s wife Ayesha put their 19-month old son Canon into a stroller. “They had a great time, you could tell. That’s what it is all about — to give our family a chance to experience this and be a part of it.” CHARLOTTE, N.C.— LeBron James was trading lob pass with Dwyane Wade again, one last time. Lobs from Kyrie Irving once again, too. And after making a stepback 3pointer late, he stared down Joel Embiid to send a message without saying a word. Oh, this mattered. Team LeBron, down by 20 in the second half, finally got firing and went on to beat Team Giannis 178-164 in the All-Star Game on Sunday night. MVP Kevin Durant scored 31 points for Team LeBron, the one that James drafted and led to victory in the captain’s-choice format for a second consecutive season. Klay Thompson scored 20, and James and Kawhi Leonard each scored 19 for the winners.
Giannis Antetokounmpo — the firsttime captain — led everybody with 38 points for the club he drafted. Paul George and Khris Middleton each scored 20 points for Team Giannis, which got 17 apiece from Stephen Curry and Russell Westbrook.
“We just started makThe ing shots,” Durant said.
Durant is now a two-time MVP, also winning it back in 2012. He lauded Charlotte for the weekend.
“Thanks for the hospitality,” Durant said. “It was an amazing weekend. Glad we capped it off with a ‘W.’”
The highlights, as would be expected, were absurdly good, time and again.
Curry slammed the ball off the floor on a first-half fast break and watched it ricochet toward the rim with an apex that flirted with the top of the backboard. Too high for most humans — but Antetokounmpo isn’t most humans. The freakishly long Greek star slammed Curry’s unconventional alleyoop pass home, with both benches reacting in disbelief.
Team Giannis set an All-Star record with 23 field goals in the first quarter, topping the mark of 22 set on four other occasions — by both the West and the East in the first quarter of the 2017 game, and by the West in both the second and third quarters of the 2016 game.