Saturday, February 19, 2011

NBA Saturday All-Star Night Wrap-Up


Saturday All-Star Night reminisces the old days with style, recreating the Vince Carter "Honey Dip" dunk, and out-showing Dr. J and Michael Jordan by jumping beyond the free throw line.
The Ambitious winners from Foot Locker 3-Pt Contest, Taco Bell Skills Challenge, and the Sprite Slam Dunk Contests hold their individual trophies up high on Feb 2nd 2011 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
The Taco Bell Skills Challenge was not played out nor thought out tonight, some players didn’t have their head in the game, or on the scholarships offered to the students that were rewarded with the opportunity.
Sure sitting side by side with professionals was a great reward for the community service, grade point average, and other student accomplishments. Though that wasn’t provided by the players; players whom showed a little selfish style tonight.
Stephen Curry was not one of those players; he topped Westbrook score in Skills tonight and brought home a $30,000 scholarship for a girl who currently goes to a local Boys & Girls club, what an assist by the Golden State Warriors point guard.
More impressively than the Golden State warriors are the 2 players, both from the Celtics, made their way to the Final Round in the Foot Locker 3-Pt Challenge, not easily though.
Following Ray Allens huge 20pt shootout, Kevin Durant put up 11, and stood in 3rd place. Paul Pierce was the only player yet to perform.
Pierce didn’t start off too great, in-fact had commentators saying he wouldn’t win, but he made 4 of his 5 shots in the middle, and took off from there. Made his last 3 on the final shot, and had 10pts with only one shot left.
His last shot was the ‘Money Ball’ with the American Red, White, and Blue stripes, worth 2pts. Paul released his final shot right before the buzzer sounded and sinked it, getting a standing ovation from the crowd and applause from his team mate Kevin Garnett.
The friendly challenge amptosphere wasn’t enough for the Celtics 3-Pt stars, James Jones came home with the trophy out-shooting Pierce and Allen in the final round.
Jones actually matched Allens first score and put up 20 out of a 30 possible combination but Allens 2nd performance just wasn’t up to par with his first.
The Sprite Slam Dunk Contest was by far the most anticipated contest tonight. With former slam dunk star Dwight Howard commentating, Blake Griffin, Serge Ibaka, JaVale McGee, and DeMar DeRozan.
Serge Ibaka was one of the first to perform in the Sprite Slam Dunk contest and showed off with a marvelous dunk. You can say it’s been done before, but not to this element. Dr. J and Michael Jordan have dunked from leaping on the free throw line, but Ibaka started his leap beyond the free throw line, something that has never been done—publicly that is.
That wasn’t the only dunk that was brought back by the outstanding 2011 NBA Roster. The old Vince Carter ‘Honey Dip’ was recreated tonight. Though Blake Griffin managed to bounce the ball off the backboard before hanging his elbow on the rim in the Final Round.
JaVale McGee matched that, though he dodged excoriating pain, rather than suffering it. The seven footer got up under the rim like a 6-8 player would. He had his head ducked as far as he possibly could under the backboard while simultaneously dunking the basketball.
Griffin wouldn’t let it end there though, in-fact, he went original yet extreme with his dunk. Something so simple, but nobody in staples center expected. He brought in a car, and you guessed it, he leaped it.
Of course, he was assisted with a brilliant creative pass through the sunroof, and scored 10’s to take home the Sprite Slam Dunk Trophy.

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