2007 NBA All Star Game a letdown
Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter, Dwayne Wade all skipped the Slam Dunk
Is the All Star Game about playing or partying? With basketball greats such as Lebron James and Tracy McGrady avoiding some main events, it was hard to say.
Remember the days when superstar Michael Jordan faced off against superstar Dominique Wilkins in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest? Remember when Tim Hardaway gave up his starting NBA All Star spot on the roster for Magic Johnson because he was playing in his last All Star Game? Does anybody remember the passion for NBA All Star Weekend?
The 2007 NBA All Star Game was much like it’s been the last few seasons – boring. Watching stars cherry pick back and forth for wide-open dunks suggests either one of two things. One, NBA stars are truly not capable of playing any kind of defense whatsoever, or, two, NBA stars simply don’t care.
With cameras flashing and reporters thrusting microphones at their faces, NBA stars like Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and others tell the world that the weekend event is for the fans. Yet, Gerald Green’s competition for the NBA Slam Dunk competition, once heralded as the prime event on NBA All Star Saturday, didn’t include some the NBA’s top dunkers. No offense to Dwight Howard and the other contestants, but when Vince Carter, Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade and Tracy McGrady are still playing and dunking at such a high level, it’s laughable that the only contestants the league can find are less proven players. If NBA All Star Weekend is truly “for the fans,” then why do the top NBA Stars shy away from the intended competitive nature of it and view it rather as one big party? If the NBA superstars of NBA All Star Weekend were truly into putting on a show for the fans, why do they skip out on the competitions and give a half-assed effort at the All Star Game?
It’s understandable that players of that caliber don’t want to get injured, but how many players have ever been seriously hurt at a Slam Dunk Competition, or at an All-Star Game for that matter?
It’s supposed to be an honor to participate in All Star Weekend and it’s supposed to be a display of the world’s best talent for the fans to appreciate. Instead, it seems like one giant party for the players that the fans aren’t invited to.
For those who missed it,...
- The Sophomores defeated the Rookies 155-114 - David Lee of the New York Knicks received MVP honors with 30 points, while hitting all 14 of his shot attempts, 11 rebounds and four assists.
- Gerald Green of the Boston Celtics won the Slam Dunk Competition with the only perfect 50.
- Jason Kapono of the Miami Heat tied a record with 24 points to win the three-point shooting contest.
- Dwayne Wade of the Miami Heat defended his title for the Playstation Skills Challenge.
- Kobe Bryant of the LA Lakers won MVP honors at the 2007 NBA All Star Game, scoring 31 points, as the West defeated the East 153 - 132.
