On Sunday NBA fans were witness to the most entertaining NBA All Star game in years. It had intensity and a very interesting sub plot.
The game actually featured defense and intense play (yes, by the end of the game it was a dunk contest of such with the west leading by 20 or so). Typically the All Star game would only get defensive if the game was close near the end. So how could this be? I think we can all thank Kevin Garnett. As much as I hate the Celtics for beating my beloved Lakers in last year’s finals, I have to credit KG and the dominating Celtics team defense for making it cool to play hard-nose defense again. And just like trickle down economics, the defensive-mindedness and intensity of the Celtics has seeped down into the rest of the NBA. Hence, an All Star game with some actual defense.
There is a battle between several of the NBAs top dogs to be named the league’s alpha dog. Players like D Wade, Amare Stoudemire, Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Paul Pierce know that an All Star MVP is a chance for them to separate themselves from the rest of the pack. With all of these top players wanting to be the leader the game was played at a high level. In the end, Kobe, claimed half of the All Star MVP honors, to establish himself as the reigning NBA alpha dog.
Lastly, the subplot of Kobe, Shaq, and Phil Jackson playing together again for the first time since their break up of 5 years ago was so overblown that it threatened to bore us all enough to turn the game off. But by the end of the third, Kobe and Shaq had become the front-runners for the MVP honor of the game. Who could turn the game off now! If one of these former teammates won it over the other, who knew what Shaq would say in his next free style rhyme fest. But fortunately (or unfortunately) they were Co-winners of the MVP award. Makes you wonder, how many championships they could have won together.
Now, if somebody could only put some life back into the rest of the All Star weekend. The dunk contest was the weakest it has ever been. The self proclaimed addition of Lebron in the Dunk Contest for 2010 could help to change that. The game of HORSE was intriguing except for the fact that the players involved don’t have enough of a fan base to make it interesting. How about a horse game featuring Kobe, Lebron and D Wade? Now, I’d watch that.
