The Greatest NBA All Star Games in History
Contents
- The Greatest All-Star Games in History: A Retrospective
- The Top 10 All-Star Games of All Time
- All-Star Games That Defined an Era
- The Most Memorable All-Star Moments
- The Most Dominant All-Star Performances
- The Most Thrilling All-Star Games
- The Most Controversial All-Star Games
- The Greatest All-Star game Comebacks
- The Most Disappointing All-Star Games
- The All-Star Games That Changed the NBA
From the thrilling to the downright bizarre, these are the NBA All-Star Games that have left their mark on history.
The Greatest All-Star Games in History: A Retrospective
The National Basketball Association All-Star game is an annual exhibition game played by the best players in the league. The game was first held in 1951, and has been played every year since. It is typically held on the last Sunday in February.
The All-Star Game is a showcase of the league’s best players, and as such, it has often been one of the most exciting games of the year. Some of the greatest moments in NBA history have taken place during the All-Star Game
In honor of this year’s All-Star Game we’re taking a look back at some of the greatest All-Star Games in history. These are the games that had us on the edge of our seats, and that we’ll never forget.
1951: The First Ever All-Star Game
The first ever All-Star game was played on February 12th, 1951 at Madison Square Garden in New York City The game featured some of the greatest players from the early years of the league, including George Mikan Bob Cousy, and Dolph Schayes. The game was close throughout, with neither team leading by more than four points. In the end, it was the Eastern Conference that came out on top, winning 111-94.
1963: Oscar Robertson Steals the Show
The 1963 All-Star Game was played on February 2nd at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles This game featured two future Hall of Fame players going head to head: Oscar Robertson and Jerry West Robertson put on a showstopping performance, scoring 30 points and dishing out 12 assists. He was named MVP of the game, as his Eastern Conference team won 109-107. This would be Robertson’s only MVP Award he is still considered one of the greatest players in NBA history
1969: The First Overtime Game
All-Star Games are known for being exciting, but they usually don’t go to overtime. That changed in 1969, when the All-Star Game went to overtime for the first time ever. The game was played on February 9th at Madison Square Garden in New York City and featured some of the greatest players of all time: Bill Russell Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor). Abdul-Jabbar scored an astonishing 38 points and had 19 rebounds; he would go on to be named MVP of both the game and the season. In spite of Abdul-Jabbar’s heroics, it was Wes Unseld who hit a last-second shot to give the Eastern Conference a 140-135 victory.
1988: Michael Jordan Takes Flight
Michael Jordan cemented his legacy as one of the greatest basketball players of all time with his performance in the 1988 All-Star Game The game was played on February 7th at Chicago Stadium in Chicago; it would be Jordan’s first All-Star appearance in front of his home crowd He didn’t disappoint, putting up an impressive 40 points en route to being named MVP . His performance helped lead his Eastern Conference team to a 138–133 victory over their Western Conference rivals . This would be just one installment in what would become Jordan’s legendary career .
2001: Allen Iverson steps over Tyronn Lue
One of the most iconic images in NBA history came from 2001 All-Star Game , when Allen Iverson stepped over Tyronn Lue after crossing him up . Iverson , then playing for his hometown Philadelphia 76ers , had just hit a jumper over Lue , then playing for ’s Los Angeles Lakers . As Iverson backpedaled down court , he stepped over Lue , who was lying on his back following
The Top 10 All-Star Games of All Time
The National Basketball Association’s All-Star Game is an annual exhibition game played by the best players from the Eastern and Western Conferences. The game is usually held on the last Sunday of January and is played during the NBA’s regular season
The All-Star Game was first held in 1951 and has been played every year since. It was originally created to boost interest in the then-struggling NBA. The game has since become one of the league’s most popular events, with fans eagerly anticipating the match-ups between the league’s Top Players
Over the years, there have been some truly great All-Star Games. Here are ten of the best:
10. 1981 All-Star Game Isiah Thomas scores 16 points in a row to lead the East to victory
9. 1988 All-Star Game Michael Jordan scores 40 points and steals the show
8. 1997 All-Star Game An instant classic that goes down to the wire, with Kobe Bryant winning MVP honors
7. 2000 All-Star game Another close one, as Tim Duncan leads the West to victory in overtime
6. 2001 All-Star Game Allen Iverson drops 31 points to lead the East to victory
5. 2003 All-Star game A back-and-forth affair that ends with a dramatic dunk by LeBron James
4. 2004 All-Star game An all-time great performance by Shaquille O’Neal, who wins MVP honors
3. 2006 All-Star game Wade vs James! The two young superstars put on a show for the ages
2. 2009 All-Star game One of the most entertaining games in recent memory, with Dwyane Wade taking home MVP honors
1. 2010 All-Star Game A thrilling game that comes down to a last second shot by Kobe Bryant
All-Star Games That Defined an Era
The NBA All-Star Game is more than just a game. It’s a chance for the best players in the league to come together and showcase their talents in front of a global audience. It’s also a chance for fans to see their favorite players compete against each other in a friendly competition.
Over the years, there have been some unforgettable All-Star games that have defined an era. Here are five of the greatest All-Star games in NBA history
1. The 1992 All-Star game was one for the ages. It featured some of the greatest players in NBA history including Michael Jordan Magic Johnson and Larry Bird The game was tight throughout, but it was Jordan who took over in the end, scoring 30 points and winning the MVP award
2. The 2001 All-Star Game will always be remembered for Allen Iverson’s iconic “We’re talking about practice” speech. But it was also a great game with Iverson dropping 31 points and winning the MVP Award
3. The 2004 All-Star game featured an epic battle between Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant O’Neal got the better of Bryant in this one, scoring 21 points and grabbing 11 rebounds to win the MVP award
4. The 2010 All-Star game was one of the most entertaining games in recent memory. It featured awesome dunks, highlight-reel plays, and plenty of drama. In the end, it was Dwyane Wade who came out on top, winning the MVP award after scoring 28 points.
5. The 2016 All-Star Game was another classic battle between Lebron James and Steph Curry James took home the MVP award afterscoring 23 points and adding 12 assists and 6 rebounds.
The Most Memorable All-Star Moments
The National Basketball Association All-Star Game is an annual exhibition game hosted by the NBA. It is usually played on the last Sunday of February. The All-Star Game was first held in Chicago in 1951 as a way to raise funds for charities associated with the Second World War The game has since become one of the most watched sporting events in the world, with millions of people tuning in to see the best players in the league compete against each other.
Over the years, there have been some truly memorable moments in All-Star history. In 1988, for example, Michael Jordan took off from the Free Throw Line and dunked the ball, winning the Slam Dunk Contest and becoming a global household name. In 1997, Kobe Bryant scored a then-record 31 points as a teenager and was named MVP of the game. And in 2003, Allen Iverson famously stepped over Tyronn Lue after hitting a game-winning shot cementing his status as one of the most polarizing players in NBA history
These are just a few of the many great moments that have made the NBA All-Star Game one of the most anticipated events on the sports calendar.
The Most Dominant All-Star Performances
In the history of the NBA All-Star Game there have been many great individual performances. Players have come out and taken over the game, showing why they are the best players in the world. Here are some of the most dominant All-Star performances in history.
Michael Jordan put on a show in the 1988 All-Star game scoring a then-record 40 points and grabbing 8 rebounds. He was named MVP of the game, as he led the Eastern Conference to victory.
Kobe Bryant was named MVP of the All-Star Game in 1998, as he became the youngest player to ever be selected to an All-Star team He scored 18 points and added 6 assists, as he helped lead the Western Conference to victory.
LeBron James has had many great All-Star performances throughout his career, but his best might have been in 2018. He scored 29 points and added 8 assists, as he led the Eastern Conference to victory. He was named MVP of the game for his performance.
The Most Thrilling All-Star Games
The National Basketball Association has been host to some of the most thrilling All-Star games in history. From the early days of Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell squaring off to the modern-day stars like Lebron James and Kevin Durant the NBA All-Star Game has always been a must-see event.
Here are five of the most exciting All-Star games in NBA history
1) The 1968 All-Star Game This was the first year that the All-Star Game was played in Prime Time and featured some of the biggest names in Basketball History Wilt Chamberlain went up against Bill Russell in what many still consider to be one of the greatest games ever played. The two Hall of Famers put on a show, with Chamberlain scoring 24 points and Russell adding 21 points and 23 rebounds. In the end, it was the East that came out on top, winning by a score of 140-124.
2) The 1977 All-Star Game This game is best remembered for two things: Julius Erving’s incredible slam dunk from the free throw line and George Gervin’s 35 point performance that earned him MVP honors. The game itself was a close one, with the East barely edging out the West by a score of 117-112.
3) The 1988 All-Star Game This was one of the most lopsided games in All-Star history, with the West trouncing the East by a score of 153-116. However, it will also be remembered for Michael Jordan’s legendary performance. Jordan scored 40 points, including eight 3-pointers, en route to being named MVP of the game.
4) The 2000 All-Star Game This game is often considered to be one of the best ever played. It featured a classic matchup between two of the greatest players of all time: Shaquille O’Neal and Tim Duncan The two big men went head to head all night long, with O’Neal coming out on top with 23 points and 14 rebounds. However, it was Duncan who took home MVP honors thanks to his 19 points and 11 boards.
5) The 2016 All-Star Game The most recent edition of the All-Star Game was also one of the best ever played. It featured another matchup between Shaquille O’Neal and Tim Duncan, as well as a battle between Kobe Bryant and Lebron James Bryant scored 18 points in his final All-Star appearance, while James led all players with 23 points en route to being named MVP for the third time in his career.
The Most Controversial All-Star Games
The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game played between the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference All-Stars. The All-Star Game was first played at the Boston Garden on March 2, 1951. The game has become a much-anticipated annual event, drawing fans from all over the world.
The game has also been marred by some controversial moments, including a players’ strike in 1971 and a near-brawl in 2012. Here are some of the most controversial All-Star Games in NBA history
1971 All-Star Game
The 1971 All-Star game was supposed to be held at Madison Square Garden in New York City but a players’ strike forced the game to be moved to Walsh Gymnasium on the campus of Hofstra University on Long Island The game was also shortened from 48 minutes to 40 minutes.
Despite the controversy, the game was a thrilling one, with the East beating the West 108-107. Bob Lanier of the Detroit Pistons was named MVP after scoring 24 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.
2012 All-Star Game
The 2012 All-Star Game was nearly overshadowed by a brawl that broke out near the end of the game. With just seconds remaining, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers attempted a Dunk shot and was fouled hard by Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat Players from both teams rushed onto the court, but no punches were thrown and no one was ejected from the game.
The West went on to win 152-149, with Kevin Durant of Oklahoma City Thunder winning MVP honors. Bryant finished with 27 points, while Wade had 21 points and 10 assists.
The Greatest All-Star game Comebacks
Trailing by double digits in the fourth quarter is usually insurmountable in an NBA game That’s what makes these All-Star game comebacks so special.
In 2001, the Western Conference All-Stars were down 15 points with six minutes left. Kobe Bryant took over, scoring 18 of his 31 points in the final six minutes, capped off by a game-winning jumper with 5.8 seconds left. The East would get revenge the very next year.
In 2002, they trailed by 21 points in the fourth quarter but Allen Iverson took over. He scored 15 of his 25 points in the final six minutes, including a clutch three-pointer with 42 seconds left to give the East the lead for good.
Both of these games are considered two of the greatest All-Star Games ever played.
The Most Disappointing All-Star Games
The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition game hosted by the NBA. It is usually played during the middle of the NBA season in February. The All-Star Game was first played in 1951, and has been played every year since then.
Since the NBA’s inaugural season in 1946–47, there have been 68 All-Star Games held. From 1951 to 1955, four All-Star Games were held each year, with two being held in alternating years. From 1959 to 1962, three games were held each year. This continued until 1968 when the game was moved to mid-February and played on a Monday Night Since 1968 there have been 17 All-Star Games held in odd-numbered years and 18 in even-numbered years.
The most disappointing All-Star Game would have to be the 1968 game. This was the first year that the game was not well attended, with only 8,makeshift goal10,000 people in attendance at Madison Square Garden The low attendance can be attributed to several factors, including a blizzard that hit New York City that day and the ongoing Vietnam War.
The All-Star Games That Changed the NBA
Since the first All-Star Game was played in 1951, there have been many changes to the National Basketball Association The game has evolved from a friendly match-up between the best players from the Eastern and Western conferences to a global event that is shown on television in over 200 countries. With so much at stake, it is no wonder that some of the greatest All-Star Games in history have taken place in recent years
In 2016, the All-Star Game was played in Toronto, Canada for the first time ever. This was a historic moment for the NBA, as it was the first time that an All-Star Game had been played outside of the United States The game itself did not disappoint, as it featured some of the biggest names in basketball including Lebron James Steph Curry and Kobe Bryant The game went down to the wire, with the Western Conference All-Stars coming out on top 196-173.
Another memorable All-Star Game took place in 2018, when Lebron James made a dramatic comeback to lead his team to victory. James had been down by 17 points at halftime, but he put on a clinic in the second half and finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists. His performance helped the Eastern Conference All-Stars win 148-145 and earned James his third career All-Star MVP Award
The most recent All-Star Game was played in 2019 and featured another close finish. In a game that came down to the wire, Kyrie Irving hit a clutch three-pointer to give the Eastern Conference All-Stars a final score of 157-155. Irving finished with 31 points and 7 assists to take home his first career All-Star MVP award