The NBA All-Star Game 2010
The NBA All-Star game is one of the most anticipated traditions in the National Basketball Association since 1952. This game is played between a combination of players who are selected from the west and the east coast, through the number of votes that each
player received from their respective fans.
The 2010 NBA All-star game celebrated its 59th year in 2010 with the usual fan-fare and excitement. This was also the second time that the “Dallas/Fort Worth Metropolitan area was the host to an All-Star game. The games began on Friday, February
12, 2010. The event took off with a celebrity game where retired NBA players along with players from the WNBA, actors, musicians and other athletes played against each other. The game was followed by the Rookie Challenge which was a 28 minute game against
the rookies and sophomore NBA players.
Other games included the Shooting Stars competition, Skills Challenge, Three-Point Shootout, the ever famous Slam Dunk Contest, and the H-O-R-S-E Competition. The 2010 edition also saw the East Coast defeat the West Coast with a score of 141 points. Dwayne
Wade was honoured with the MVP for this seasons’ game.
Another highlight this season was the first time since 2002 that the Rookies defeated the sophomores. Tyreke Evans was named the game’s MVP in front of a record highest attendance with 108,713 people showing up at the event which is the highest in NBA history.
On a different note, the coaches for an All-Star Game are selected based on the number of votes they get from the public as well. Voting starts only two weeks prior to the games. This year saw George Karl, the coach of the Denver Nuggets, being selected
by the public to lead the West Coast team while Stan Van Gundy of the Orlando Magic was selected to coach the East Coast team.
The teams for the All-Star games are selected in a similar method as the coaches. The team consists of two guards, two forwards and one centre. The East Coast team had players such as Allen Iverson, Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, and Dwight Howard.
The West Coast team included Canadian ball player Steve Nash, LA’s Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Tim Duncan and Amar’e Stoudemire. Kobe however was replaced by a substitute due to his injury.
The wait starts for the real event once the All-Star game concludes - the All-Star weekend. The first event of the weekend was the Rookie Challenge. This was a game played against the new comers in the NBA and the players who in their second year. The game
usually lasts for a total of 40 minutes. The rookie team included Stephen Curry, Tyreke Evans, Jonny Flynn, James Harden, and Brandon Jennings. The sophomore team had the services of Michael Beasley, Marc Gasol, Eric Gordon, Brook Lopez, O.J. Mayo, Derrick
Rose and Russell Westbrook playing for them. The head coaches for the game were the assistance coaches for the head coaches who coached the All-Star game. Adrian Dantley coached for the west coast, and Patrick Ewing for the east coast.
Perhaps one of the most anticipated events in the All-Star weekend is the slam dunk contest. This is the event where the players can show off their game by performing ridiculous stunts, while trying to score a basket. The contestants for this years’ slam
dunk contest included Nate Robinson (5 feet 9 inches), DeMar DeRozan (6 feet 7 inches), Shannon Brown (6 feet 4 inches), and Gerald Wallace (6 feet 7 inches). Nate Robinson surprised everyone by winning this contest even though he was the shortest of the four.
He beat DeRozan by only 1 percent.
The three point shootout was next in the list of events on the weekend. The players who took part in this contest where they had to score a basket from the three point line included Paul Pierce, Stephen Curry, Chauncey Billups, Daequan Cook, Channing Frye
and Danilo Gallinari. Frye was the first centre to participate in this event since 1997. In this contest, the players had to make as many three-point baskets as possible from five stations placed on the three point arc in one minute. Each station had four
standard balls and one green “money” ball which were worth two points each. The winner of this event was Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics, becoming the first Celtic to win this event.
The last proper event of the weekend was the skills challenge. In this event, the player had to complete an obstacle course which involved dribbling, passing and shooting. The players who played in this event included Steve Nash, Deron Williams, Brandon
Jennings, Russell Westbrook, and Derrick Rose. Steve Nash took the win and became the second two-time winner of the event.
The NBA All-Star games are a refreshing break from the monotony of basketball. The change brings back the interest of the viewer and keeps them watching the sport. Moreover, it gives the players to have a game against each other that does not involve proper
competition. It also allows them to have a chance to show off their stuff, and make their name jump further in their careers.
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