Recap of the 2023 NBA All Star Weekend in Salt Lake City
By: Joshua Martin
Lebron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid, Ja Morant, and more!!
Salt Lake City, Utah was this year's destination the entire NBA world ascended upon for this year’s All-star weekend. The NBA’s brightest stars and celebrities alike were center stage as they showcased their abilities across a packed weekend full of exciting events for basketball fans.
Friday Night
The Jordan Rising Stars Challenge featured four teams coached by former NBA stars. Team Pau, Team Deron, Team Joakim and Team Jason competed in a mini tournament involving 21 rookie and second year NBA players along with a few players from the G League. Team Pau won the tournament while Pelicans Guard Jose Alvarado took home the tournament MVP trophy. .
The NBA Ruffles All Star Celebrity game featured a cross section of athletes and entertainers, which included Grammy Award winning rapper 21 Savage, musicians Cordae and Jonelle Monae, NFL Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson and recently retired MLB player Albert Pujols. The MVP of the game, D.K. Metcalf, was a clear overwhelming presence on the court and instantly became a crowd favorite with his powerful dunks. Team Dwayne Wade, NBA Legend, defeated Team Ryan Smith, Governor of Utah, in a highly competitive game that came down to a half court heave at the buzzer.
Saturday Night
NBA x HBCU Classic
The highly anticipated NBA HBCU Classic between Grambling State University and their long time rival Southern University gave a much needed spotlight to Historically Black Colleges. On the campus of the University of Utah, Grambling captured the victory as NBA analyst Stephanie Ready and Hall of Famer Grant Hill called the game. Southern Head coach Sean Woods applauded the NBA for the exposure.
“The NBA has given us this platform, but this isn’t the end. We’re getting more TV exposure, so you’re starting to see really big-time games. And with the transfer portal now, we’re getting transfers coming in from Power 5 schools. The talent pool is rising in our league.”
As part of their ongoing commitments to HBCUs, NBA and AT&T each donated $100,000 to Grambling State and Southern University.
In the 2023 KIa Skills Challenge, Team Jazz (Jordan Clarkson, Walker Kessler, and Collin Sexton) defeated Team Antetokounmpo (Thanasis and Alex Antetokounmpo, along with Jrue Holiday) and Team Rooks (Paolo Banchero, Jaden Ivey, and Jabari Smith) in front of their hometown crowd after trailing early.
The 2023 Starry 3-Point Contest featured some of the best shooters in the league today. The 8-man field included Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers, Tyler Herro of the Miami Heat, Buddy Heild of the Indiana Pacers, Kevin Hueter of the Sacramento Kings, Lauri Markkanen of the Utah Jazz, Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics, Julius Randle of the New York Knicks, and the eventual champion Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers. “Dame Dolla” defeated Buddy Heild with a moneyball on his last rack in the final round. Lillard, who is a superstar in this league, said winning the event undoubtedly made him one of the greatest shooters ever.
“I think all the best shooters in the history of our game, most of them have one of these… I just wanted to get it done at least one time. So I’m happy I got it, now I can retire from it.”
Damian Lillard | Patrick T. Fallon via AFP
Initially viewed as an afterthought, The 2023 AT&T Slam Dunk Contest was the best it's been in years. Philadelphia 76ers guard dazzled the crowd with his gravity defying dunks and creativity. Not to mention he completed all of his attempts on the first try. Houston Rockets forward Kenyon Martin Jr., New York Knicks big man Jericho Sims and New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III held their own but were no match for McClung who sealed his impressive night with an incredible 540.
Sunday Night
For the first time in All Star game history, the main event featured a pre draft where captains Lebron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo picked their teams. Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum led team Giannis to victory while also capturing the Kobe Bryant All Star MVP trophy by dropping 55 points, an all star game record previously held by Lakers forward Anthony Davis. The lack of defense and effort was jarring as the game has unfortunately dissolved into a glorified shootaround but that didn't stop JT from going after the award in honor of his childhood idol Kobe Bryant.
“It’s extremely special to me. My first All-Star Game was in Chicago in 2020 when they renamed the MVP after him and I remember telling myself that someday I got to get one of those.”
The captains played limited minutes because of minor injuries.
Overall, on a scale from 1 to 10, I'll give this year's All Star weekend a 7 with a few surprises here and there. The fans were amazing and in full force but maybe the NBA should look into some warmer locations. With no set destination for 2025, L.A. would be a dope changeup!! Let’s make that happen NBA!!
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