“I wanted to win the MVP award,” Tatum said, noting that the award trophy is named after his childhood hero, Lakers star Kobe Bryant. “I didn’t think I’d get 55. That’s the icing on the cake.”
James had 13 points, one rebound and four assists in 14 minutes before he was knocked out of the second half with a finger injury.[wasn’t] Much to worry about.” Despite missing crucial time after hitting his hand on the rim while blocking a shot, James was all over the place, participating in a live outfield-style draft with Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo to pick the team’s rosters and then being honored at the half. The first along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone, is the second and third all-time leading scorers in the NBA.
“No matter the challenge, no matter the noise, he was tough,” former Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade said when he gave James a standing ovation at halftime. “He’s not just a four-time MVP or a 19-time All-Star or a gold medalist or an NBA champion. He’s a son, father, husband and friend. Now he’s the all-time leading scorer in NBA history.”
James, Abdul-Jabbar and Malone then stood side by side, hugging and waving to the crowd. By earning the 19th All-Star selection of his career, James tied Abdul-Jabbar for the most in league history. His 19th All-Star appearance is a record.
“I haven’t had a chance to watch Karim live, but I know the history of the game,” said James. “I’ve had the opportunity to watch a lot of Karl Malone’s matches live. To see the way they’ve thrown themselves onto the field with their ability – you have physical strength in Malone’s game, but he also has some finesse with his middle jump shot, with his ability to sprint to the ground. The game generous [is] A unique game that no one has been able to patent or try to steal. They were just dominant in their era. I’m standing among these guys, and it feels surreal.”
In the NBA’s unconventional All-Star format, teams competed quarter by quarter for charity. They tied the game at 46 in the first quarter; Giannis’ team won the second quarter, 53-46, and won the third quarter, 59-49.
The clock was turned off for the fourth quarter as teams attempted to reach their target score of 182 points as part of the “Elam Ending”, which ensures that each contest ends with game-winning points. The surge in effort that usually comes in the fourth quarter never materialised, and Tatum acknowledged that the competition had a “safety first” feeling as players tried to avoid injuries as the season drew to a close.
Tatum broke Anthony Davis’ All-Star Game scoring record of 52 points set in 2017. With 27 points in the third quarter, the St. Louis native set a record for points in a quarter in an All-Star game.
“[The all-star scoring record] means the world,” he said. “Records must be broken. I’ll keep it for as long as I can, but I’m sure someone will come along and crack it.”
Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, who won a three-point game on Saturday, handed the winning three-point basket after Giannis’ team fouled several times in the half court. While the All-Star Saturday roster ended with a euphoric crowd reaction to Mac McClung’s unexpectedly sensational performance in a slam dunk contest, some fans began taking orders in the middle of the final quarter of Sunday’s show, which featured almost no defensive effort.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell added 40 points, four rebounds and 10 assists for Giannis’ team. Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving and Philadelphia quarterback Joel Embiid scored 32 points each for LeBron.
“This is the worst basketball game ever played,” said LeBron coach Michael Malone.
This year’s All-Star Game opened with a new twist: James and Antetokounmpo picked their rosters one by one as part of the pre-game show. To reduce the embarrassment associated with being selected last, the NBA and players’ union agreed that the captains would select their seats before selecting the starters.
“We thought this would be a fun experiment,” said commissioner Adam Silver. “I thought it would add more excitement to it.”
Antetokounmpo selected Lillard as the first pick among the reserves—to James’ surprise, given that Jrue Holiday, an Antetokounmpo Bucks teammate, was on the board. James later selected Embiid with the first pick among the starters, and Antetokoumpo followed with Tatum.
“He is one of the best players in the league,” explained Antetokounmo. “A capable goalscorer, as he showed. We had a little chat. I knew he was going to play hard.”
The project had its share of funny breaks, including Antetokounmpo mistakenly trying to pick Ja Morant into the reserves round even though the Memphis Grizzlies’ guard was slated as a starter.
“Giannis tries anything, y’all,” James joked.
After Jaren Jackson Jr. was the last backup selected, Denver’s Nikola Jokic made sure he didn’t suffer the same fate among the starters. Jokic jumped out of his seat early on before James made his final pick, leaving Utah’s Lauri Markkanen to shrug off the fumble once he realized he was the last person on stage.
Once Antetokounmpo finished his drafting duties, he took to the court with a cap protecting his injured right wrist. MVP dunked twice on the first possession and then promptly signed off to prevent further injury, saying he had to make a “tough but mature decision” so he could maximize his availability in the extended Milwaukee run. Although he spent most of the night cheering from the sidelines, the seven-time superstar claimed his first win in three attempts as captain.
“Winner, winner, chicken dinner,” Antetokounmpo said with a smile.
