2011 NBA All-Star Weekend Recap
By Chase Ruttig
All-Star weekend is a blogger’s dream, with so many events and no basketball on the slate it is just a fun weekend to sit and relax. But All-Star weekend has been off in recent years and lacks the same feel it once had when the Dunk Contest was hype, and people actually broke a sweat in the All-Star game.
But we always watch, because, you know, we have a huge addiction to basketball. Here is my take on the festivities in Los Angeles.
Friday
BBVA Celeb Game
Highlights: Scottie Pippen blocking Justin Bieber’s shot, Justin Bieber crossing up Common and hearing Trey Songz in the play by play. This game probably belongs in the Unintentional Comedy Hall of Fame.
Lowlight: “The Green Screen of Death” the stupid rehashing of famous movies using former players/celebs in the game. Oh and Justin Bieber winning the game MVP.
This game serves its purpose well and should exist, but every year it is an awkward cluster of aging players not trying hard and Celebs trying way too hard (The Miller Clan, Master P, and Lil Romeo) but it is what it is, a slightly funny mostly awkward combination of fringe legends and fringe celebs.
Grade: C+, just because I laughed a little
Rookie/Sophomore Game
I love this game, and it always seems to have the best moments. From the one Power Forward who always tries way harder than the rest (David Lee, DeJuan Blair), to all the crazy dunks that go down in this game. The Rookies and Sophomoresalways bring it and put on a show and this year it was no different.
Highlight: John Wall’s alley-oop bounce pass to Blake Griffin
Lowlight: Those ugly as sin yellow shoes Adidas made everyone wear.
Grade: B+
Saturday
TNT Ultimate Fantasy Draft
Things We Learned: Charles Barkley will never be a GM, after Kevin McHale picked ten Celtics the KG deal is even more suspicious, and Kenny Smith’s wife is fine as hell.
I liked this idea, but it did not really translate to TV well as most things on TNT do. Some very interesting picks, good way to lead in to the Skills Competition.
Grade: B- Looking at Kenny Smith’s wife for an hour was cool.
Haier Shooting Stars
Get. Rid. Of. This.
This event makes zero sense at all. This year was no exception. I get it gets the WNBA involved, but a crazy game of H-O-R-S-E would be much better in this place.
And Team Texas? Seriously Team F-ing Texas. They realize the Clippers probably deserved a spot in this right? This event is a joke
Grade: F and always will be
Skills Course
This event is mediocre, nothing great about it, nothing terrible about it. And Steph Curry won, which is cool.
Grade: B
3-Point Contest
This actually is my favorite event, and it always has the best subplots. One shooter always slumps, this year it was Durant. Teammates usually battle, Pierce and Allen this year. And 75% of the time a role player wins. James Jones got it done this year and hopefully the Raptors don’t give him a Jason Kapono-like 5$ million a year contract for winning.
Grade: A-
Slam Dunk Contest
Ugh. I know everyone is super stoked on this Dunk Contest saying “it’s back” and all. But I have a few complaints:
- Demar got robbed. Sorry everyone, but his second dunk was way better than Blake’s and there is absolutely zero explanation for why he got the cut. That first dunk also was not a 44, he was a victim of going first and got robbed AGAIN.
- The fan voting needs to stop. No one wants to see the fans vote, it takes all the drama out of the Finals and just creates negative press EVERY year. Take it out now.
- Gimmicks+Weak Dunk=50 Great dunk+no gimmicks=Mid 40’s.
- Three Power Forwards is a little too much, they got away with it this year, but there is no variety in that.
The contest was very entertaining it just can be so much better. Blake’s car dunk was cool and all, but the dunk was super weak. It was like a Hulk Hogan Leg Drop, you get excited, but you know a Tombstone Pile Driver is much more legit. All four participants brought it and put on a show that was much better than recent years’ it just is not fully back yet.
Grade: A-
Sunday
The Magenta Carpet
This is one of those “Good on Paper, Boneheaded in Real Life” ideas. The amount of celebs coming to the game and it being in L.A. made this make sense, but the fact half the celebs got thrown under the bus brought the Unintentional Comedy Scale out once again.
Highlights: P. Diddy not knowing Blake Griffin was in the All-Star Game, Steven Tyler calling Doc Rivers “Doctor Rivers”
Also picture Kevin McHale wearing those Skull Candy headphones, just do it.
Grade: C+
The 2011 All-Star Game
Pregame
Lenny Kravitz, this would have been so cool at the 1994 All-Star Game!
Grade: D+
First Half
Kobe did work and the West took a commanding lead. A usual ho-hum first half before everyone starts to semi-try in the second half.
Grade: B-
Halftime
Rihanna and her thighs probably deserved the MVP, and Kanye coming out for All of the Lights was epic, overall great job by the NBA.
Grade: A+
Second Half
Kobe nearly gettingthe scoring record, LeBron’s triple double and the East’s near comeback made this a memorable game and salvaged what could have been an embarrassing blowout game and a boring second half.
Grade: B+
Game Total Grade: A-
A few thoughts
- Chris Bosh actually had a great game. Not joking, he had a huge dunk and put up the most points in the first half, and if he hit that three he would have had a performance close to the LeBron/Kobe level.
- Kevin Love disappointed, as was expected, but i thought he maybe would have put up a better showing than he did.
- LeBron and Kobe are the two players who took this game to a competitive level and put on a show for the fans when they didn’t have to. But people always find a way to tear them down and label them as “douche bags” and “ego maniacs” I was actually impressed with their professional attitude towards the game
- The “Melo Drama” has gone way too far. Why is there this much hype for a poor man’s Tracy McGrady? Everyone is tired of hearing it, and it may be the most overhyped trade story of all-time.
2011 All-Star Game had some laughs, had some good and some bad, and most importantly entertained. Here is to a great second half.