There was a time and place when hoop fans looked forward to February and the NBA All-Star Game. With the wonky rules and lack of defense, it’s now a glorified shootaround with no drama. Let’s reminisce about classics from the past and the greatest performances in NBA All-Star Game history.
Wilt Chamberlain’s Losing Effort
Wilt “The Stilt” wasn’t a stranger to filling up the box score, considering he averaged 50.4 points and 25.7 rebounds in the 1961-62 season. Everyone remembers Chamberlain for scoring 100 points in a single game in 1962, but you could argue that his performance in the All-Star Game was better.
“The Big Dipper” scored 42 points and 24 rebounds against the best the Western Conference had to offer, which included the game’s MVP, Bob Pettit, and his record-setting 27 rebounds.
Kobe Bryant Impresses at the Staples Center
Whenever players can show out for the home crowd, it adds a little extra to their performance. In 2011 in front of the Lakers’ faithful at the Staples Center, Kobe Bryant carried the West past the villainous “Heatles” and LeBron James’s triple-double 148-143. “The Black Mamba” had 37 points and an astounding 10 offensive rebounds to take home his fourth All-Star Game MVP, tying him with the aforementioned Bob Pettit.
Allen Iverson Puts His Team on His Back
There was no question that “The Answer” would do everything he could to bring the Eastern Conference back from the dead in the 2001 All-Star Game. Allen Iverson was looking at a 19-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter. The six-foot guard had to battle against the West’s prodigious front court featuring Tim Duncan, Chris Webber, and Kevin Garnett patrolling the lane.
The West increased their lead to 21 points with nine minutes left to play, only to see the 160-pound soaking-wet guard score 15 of his 25 points in that span to ignite a miraculous 111-110 victory.
Do You Believe in Magic?
The HIV/AIDS epidemic in the early 1990s was as scary as the general public’s ignorance about the issue. When Magic Johnson announced he was stepping away from the game because he contracted HIV, the sports world stopped.
At the time, many thought it was a death sentence and that the greatest passer in basketball history’s time was short. So, when Johnson appeared in the 1992 All-Star Game, even after his preseason retirement, it felt like a farewell to “The Magic Man.”
The fact that Johnson even played was a miracle, so there’s no way anyone could have predicted he’d put up 25 points, five boards, and nine assists en route to his second MVP award and 153-113 throttling of the Eastern Conference.
Michael Jordan Begins His Legacy
Although it’s hard to fathom, there was a time when the world didn’t consider his “Airness” the greatest player ever on a basketball court.
The Bulls were on the up-and-up with Jordan and Doug Collins on the bench, taking the Bulls to the playoffs a year prior. It was evident after MJ’s 61-point game in a losing effort to the Celtics that we had something special. But after beating Dominue Wilkins in a Slam-Dunk Contest for the ages and scoring 40 points in the Eastern Conference’s 138-133 win, Jordan planted his flag as the next big thing.
Since the game lost its competitive edge, the greatest performances in NBA All-Star Game history will likely stay the same for the rest of time. One thing that will change is your account’s zeroes from following Pregame’s NBA expert picks. We supply the knowledge, leaving you to decide on the action.