All-Star Saturday Night has reached the point where the skills challenge and the three-point contest are more exciting than the slam dunk contest that took place in Charlotte’s Spectrum Center. NBA All-Star weekend is for big names but role player Joe Harris and Hamidou Diallo stole the show.
Here are my takeaways from a full day of NBA action.
Green shows well and shoots quick
Danny Green elected to wear the Raptors OVO jersey in the competition. He put a 23 in the first round. His release was so quick throughout that he had four seconds left after he shot his final ball at the last rack.
Tampering Teammates
The photo of the day that sent Twitter ablaze was LeBron James greeting a couple all-star teammates that have been rumoured to be joining him with the Los Angeles Lakers this off-season. Much ado about nothing or tampering confirmation? Either way, the drama based off of simple things like still photography is what makes the NBA the best soap opera on TV.
“Tampering doesn’t apply during All-Star weekend.” –@KingJames pic.twitter.com/lnIe3aHlrx
— Lakers Raw (@LakersRaw) February 16, 2019
Big guys represent in the Skills Challenge
The most unintentionally funny matchup was battle of the big men named Nikola which went to Jokic.
Nikola Jokic wins the battle of the Nikolas to advance to the #TacoBellSkills semifinals! pic.twitter.com/0AxwTBN7cm
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 17, 2019
Tatum shows off his skills
Jayson Tatum showed that in a competition where everyone is going through the motions you can always come from behind. After coming from behind to win in the first round the Boston Celtics forward hit a half-court shot to defeat Trae Young in the final is likely the last time Tatum is at the All-Star weekend and not playing in the actual game.
Jayson Tatum became the first Celtics player in franchise history to win the NBA Skills Challenge. pic.twitter.com/9VbN1QuYD7
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 17, 2019
Curry 6 throwbacks
Stephen Curry has seen the NBA three-point contest up close before. It inspired the best shoes of the night that were inspired by NBA all-star nostalgia.
Dad Dell can still shoot it
Before the Curry brothers competed in the three-point competition, Dell Curry took a try. The eldest Curry was the Hornets franchise leader in three-point makes and points when he retired and was received with a warm ovation from the crowd. Curry brought out some of his legendary teammates Mark Price, Glen Rice and Ray Allen to help him with the racks. Surprisingly, Allen, the most recent of the quartet to stop playing, struggled the most and missed all of his shots. It was all for a good cause as the Curry Brothers donated $1,000 dollars for every shot made.
Dell Curry recruited Ray Allen, Glen Rice and Mark Price to help raise $35,000 for Charlotte charity Classroom Central! pic.twitter.com/ZUSiQGMp45
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 17, 2019
Former G league sniper beats three-point GOAT
Joe Harris is a second-round pick but followed up his 25 in the first round with a score of 26 in the finals against Steph Curry.
Curry made his last 10 in the first round including all five of his money balls on the last rack to put up 27. After the two-time MVP had three perfect racks to take over first place the crowd gave him a standing ovation.
Steph is just UNREAL. #MtnDew3PT pic.twitter.com/uCGAtZey6Q
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 17, 2019
Curry made his first nine in the finals but then slowed down. He had to hit all five of his money balls on his last rack to tie but missed his second last one and fell just short.
Harris becomes the first Brooklyn Nets player to win the three-point contest after hitting 12 straight shots. It’s quite the rags to riches story for Harris, who averaged 2.5 points in his first two seasons and was assigned to the G League 17 times but is now averaging 13.9 points and shooting 47.1 per cent from three — good for second in the NBA on the playoff-bound Nets.
Joe Harris goes perfect on his money ball rack and wins the #MtnDew3PT contest with a final round score of 26! #NBAAllStar #WeGoHard #StateFarmSaturday on @NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/xw7WABBHeW
— NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2019
Joe Harris on beating Steph in three point contest finals. “It’s incredible. Steph is the best shooter of all time.” pic.twitter.com/ZZdRXbazhi
— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) February 17, 2019
Steph did beat his brother Seth, who scored 16 in the first round, and won the brotherly bet where the loser had to pay for family tickets for their games against each other for the rest of their careers.
Steph's not really going to make Seth make good on their bet and pay for every family ticket for the rest of their careers, right?
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) February 17, 2019
The dunk contest isn’t dead, but it’s close
This much is certain, the dunk contest has lost its prestige. It is no longer the premier competition of the night, that now belongs to the three-point competition. Miss after miss after miss made this year’s dunk contest an eye-sore, none more than Miles Bridges‘ four straight misses.
OH. SO. CLOSE.#ATTSlamDunk #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/k8IYx9MEyM
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) February 17, 2019
Even the makes with some thought and creativity were found wanting like this effort from John Collins.
John Collins took out the plane but still threw it down! #ATTSlamDunk pic.twitter.com/HrYAt25rnm
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 17, 2019
OH. SO. CLOSE.#ATTSlamDunk #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/k8IYx9MEyM
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) February 17, 2019
Hamidou Diallo, who is 6-foot-5, offered some relief when he brought Shaq out as a prop and dunked it over the 7-foot-2 Hall-of-Famer. The dunk was an homage to Vince Carter as not only did he clear O’Neal he put his entire forearm in the rim after he dunked it and hung on the rim by his elbow the way Carter did to seal his Slam Dunk championship win.
SUPERMAN ALERT!
Hamidou Diallo leaps over @SHAQ and finishes with the HONEY DIP DUNK for a #ATTSlamDunk #StateFarmSaturday @NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/izASQbFDYC
— NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2019
Half-man, half-amazing x Hami. #ATTSlamDunk pic.twitter.com/VrlogpPl10
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 17, 2019
With the proliferation of the three-point shot, the three-ball is basketball’s equivalent to the home run. Dunks, however, have plateaued. Despite the crazy athleticism, we’ve run out of new things these guys can attempt and none of the big stars want to get in the competition out of fear of losing.
I’m not willing to say the competition is dead, though.
With R.J. Barrett and Zion Williamson likely in the league next year, the competition could be saved or at least put on life support.
The 2019 edition was another reminder just how special Zach LaVine, Aaron Gordon and Vince Carter are. Michael Jordan turns 56 on all-star Sunday and I’m pretty sure his airness could have acquitted himself better in the dunk competition than what we witnessed on Saturday night.
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