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Main >> Previous Updates >> February 2004 >> Article ID 4189
 All-Stars go all out to put on big show | Type: Internet Article |
| | All-Stars go all out to put on big show | Feb 16, 2004 | by Geoffrey Arnold
Summary:
Singer Nelly Furtado performed the Canadian anthem, and Christina Aguilera sang the U.S. anthem. |
LOS ANGELES -- One need look no further than the players to realize the NBA All-Star Game is not an ordinary basketball game.
Ben Wallace was sporting an Afro. Nearly every player had a new pair of sneakers coated with a shiny, potentially vision-impairing patent-leather exterior. Fans spent nearly as much time rubber-necking to catch a glimpse of celebrities as they did watching the game, won by the West 136-132 on Sunday at the Staples Center.
Of course, since the game was played in the land of Hollywood and glitz, the players -- possibly thinking about post-basketball careers in acting -- tried extra hard to give a crowd-pleasing show.
When else would you see 7-foot-6 Yao Ming -- simply standing on his toes while dunking apparently wasn't satisfactory -- shoot an airball on a three-point attempt? Later, he looked absolutely Jason Kidd-like with a no-look pass.
Then there was 7-1, 340-pound Shaquille O'Neal dribbling the ball the length of the court, attempting a stutter-step move and trying to drive to the basket.
"People told me that if I get a chance, I should take it coast to coast," O'Neal said. "There wasn't a lot of defense being played, so I just took it and threw it down."
However, O'Neal played well enough to earn the most valuable player award after he had 24 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.
"I'm not really known for taking over in the All-Star Game," he said. "Nobody was doing that much, so I just decided to go for it."
Nobody was inclined to try to stop O'Neal by taking a charge.
"I didn't move a little out of the way, I just got out of the way," Kidd said. "I didn't know if he had anti-lock brakes. So I just moved."
Of course, no All-Star Game would be complete without a few dunks from high-flying players such as Vince Carter. Tracy McGrady performed his signature All-Star move -- bouncing the ball off the backboard to himself and dunking.
The emphasis was so focused on offense and the many offcourt sideshows -- "American Idol" winner Kelly Clarkson serenading Bill Russell on his 70th birthday during a timeout -- that the first foul wasn't called until the first quarter had nearly ended. A total of four fouls were called as the teams combined for 122 first-half points.
"The game was really the kind of game we wanted. It was up-tempo," East coach Rick Carlisle said. "Their size caught up with us in the second half, and they made one more play than we did."
By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, however, the fun dissipated, players started to get serious, and officials started calling fouls as they would in a regular season game. The referees called 14 fouls in the fourth quarter after calling 11 in the previous three.
Next thing you knew, players were chasing loose balls into the crowd and the defensive intensity increased markedly.
"There was a lot of energy. We started trying to win the game," Kobe Bryant said. "Being a competitor, I'm very happy we pulled it out. The West still has bragging rights."
The West has won three consecutive All-Star Games and hasn't lost since it blew a 21-point fourth-quarter lead and lost 111-110 in the 2001 game in Washington.
For all of the talk about how players don't take the game seriously, the West players haven't forgotten that defeat. They managed to shove aside the playfulness, glitz and glamour long enough to win.
"It was a competitive game," Carlisle said. "That was very important."
Notes:
The East team didn't remain in the locker room long during halftime, with singers Michael McDonald and Beyonce performing. "They all wanted to see the show, and I don't blame them," Carlisle said. "We kept the halftime meeting short." . . . Kidd ended his postgame news conference with a bold prediction, saying, "See you in the Finals." . . . Bryant, the final player to emerge during pregame introductions, was cheered loudly when his name was announced. Bryant, a late arrival for the game, blamed his tardiness on traffic. . . . O'Neal blew off a rumor that Sacramento Kings players have had their fingers measured for championship rings. . . . Singer Nelly Furtado performed the Canadian anthem, and Christina Aguilera sang the U.S. anthem. |
 Source: The Oregonian | |
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