A look back at some of the most unforgettable NBA All-Star moments
Wilt Chamberlain is best known for his 100-point NBA single-game scoring record, but he also holds the All-Star Game record as well, putting up 42 points for the East in a 150–130 loss in the 1962 game.
Chamberlain's first three seasons in the league saw him and Bill Russell serve as All-Star teammates for the East, so when the Philadelphia Warriors moved out west to San Francisco, the two went head-on for the first time in the All-Star Game. Russell's East squad bested Chamberlain and the West, and Russell earned his only All-Star MVP award in his 12 appearances.
The 1968 All-Star Game boasted a record 17 future Hall of Famers, including 76ers guard Hal Greer. Greer stood above them all that night at Madison Square Garden, putting up 21 points in only 17 minutes and going 8-for-8 from the floor. Assisted in part by Sixers teammate Wilt Chamberlain, Greer scored 14 points in a crucial 22–6 run that helped put the East ahead for good, earning him MVP honors.
1970 was, to put it mildly, a good year for Willis Reed and the Knicks. Reed became the first player to earn MVP honors in the All-Star Game, the regular season and the NBA Finals.
Wilt Chamberlain's 42 points and 24 rebounds in the 1962 All-Star Game were certainly MVP-worthy, though voters didn't agree due to the East getting blown out. Fifteen years later, however, Julius Erving became the first and only player to earn MVP honors in a losing effort, with a 30-point, 12-rebound performance in the East's 125–124 loss.
The Buffalo Braves (later the Los Angeles Clippers) selected local Buffalo State product Randy Smith in the seventh round, back when the NBA Draft went through 10 rounds. Smith would make two All-Star appearances (the first in 1976), and his 29-point performance off the bench for a victorious East squad was a highlight of an amazing, unlikely career.
A year before his tragic death, the legendary singer gave a stirring, soulful performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the 1983 All-Star Game in Los Angeles. Gaye's version of the National Anthem was unlike any before it, and his daughter Nona paid tribute by performing a duet with him via video for the 2004 All-Star Game.
The Slam Dunk Contest had its roots in the ABA, so it was fitting that Julius Erving squared off in the final round of the NBA's first official contest at the 1984 All-Star Game. A heavy favorite, Dr. J lost in an upset to Larry Nance, and the Dunk Contest went on to be a favorite of fans for years to come, overshadowing the game itself.
One of the All-Star Game's most infamous moments may have never actually occurred, at least not if you ask the participants. Rookie Michael Jordan, averaging 28 points per game, suited up for his first All-Star appearance with high expectations, only to go 2-for-9 from the field and scoring a mere seven points. Rumors surfaced immediately that Isiah Thomas froze out Jordan, though both have denied it.
The diminutive Spud Webb will forever be an NBA legend for showing up his teammate (and defending champ) Dominique Wilkins in the '86 Dunk Contest. Webb, who didn't get a chance to practice, had the element of surprise (and his hometown Dallas crowd) on his side, stunning Wilkins. To this day, this Dunk Contest performance from the 5'7" Webb is one of the most memorable.
Larry Legend will forever be one of the greatest trash talkers to grace the Association. After strolling into the All-Star locker room, where the other Long Distance Shootout contestants were congregated, he brashly asked, "So, who's coming in second?" Spoiler alert: It wasn't him.
MJ's Dunk Contest victory over Dominique Wilkins has sparked controversy, due to Wilkins' own allegations that Jordan may have benefited by hometown bias (All-Star Weekend was in Chicago that year). But there was no denying his All-Star Game dominance, when Jordan nearly tied Wilt Chamberlain's ASG scoring record by scoring 40 points and adding eight rebounds, three assists, four steals and four blocks.
Magic retired prior to the 1991-1992 season after learning he'd contracted HIV, though he had decided to return for the 1992 All-Star Game in Orlando as a final send-off. Johnson put up 25 points, five rebounds and nine assists, also beating Isiah Thomas and Michael Jordan in one-on-one showdowns and hitting a long-distance three-pointer to cap off his illustrious career.
The NBA decided to commemorate its 50th anniversary by celebrating its 50 greatest players during halftime of the 1997 All-Star Game. Forty-seven took the court, with only Pete Maravich (who passed away in 1988), Shaquille O'Neal (injured) and Jerry West (surgery) unable to attend.
Michael Jordan may not have gotten an MVP for his performance at the 1997 All-Star Game, but he made history by posting the first ASG triple-double, with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. The latter went mostly to Glen Rice, who earned MVP honors for his 26-point performance.
Jordan in 1998: on his way to his final championship with the Bulls and his second retirement. Kobe in 1998: in his second season and the youngest All-Star Game starter ever at 19. This marked the only showdown between Bulls-era Jordan and Kobe. We may not have known at the time, but it was as big a changing of the guard moment as we'd ever see in sports.
Vince Carter gave a moribund Dunk Contest the jolt it needed with his immortal 2000 performance. With reverse 360 windmills, spinning windmills, between-the-legs insanity (sorry, Vinsanity), Carter's performance might have ruined the Dunk Contest forever. You'd be hard-pressed to think of one since that can measure up.
Down 21 points with nine minutes left to play, the East had the answer: the Answer. Allen Iverson rallied his teammates, scoring 15 of his 25 points in the last nine minutes as he brought the East back to a 111–110 victory and earned MVP honors. His memorable MVP acceptance saw him kiss his mom and pay tribute his coaches, the 76ers' (and East) coach Larry Brown and Georgetown's John Thompson.
The 2003 All-Star Game saw a number of pregame tributes to His Airness, making his final appearance. Fans witnessed one last classic ASG Jordan moment when he hit the would-be game-winner on a wild fade-away with Shawn Marion in his face. Though the shot would be spoiled after the game ended with a West victory in double-OT, Jordan's 30-point farewell was one for the history books.
A Dwyane Wade forearm smash to the face didn't hamper Kobe Bryant's triple-double performance, making him the third player after Michael Jordan and LeBron James to do so in an All-Star Game. Bloodied, Kobe sank his first free throw, went to the bench to have his nose examined, and came back and sunk the second, later capping off the game by surpassing Jordan as the no. 1 career scorer in All-Star Game history on a breakaway dunk.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!