Best of Yardbarker: NBA All-Star Games past, present and future

With MJ just turning 54 Friday, it was only right to go to the Rewind for his final All-Star Game: "Michael Jordan wasn’t supposed to be in Atlanta on February 9, 2003. That’s somewhat literal—he was going to turn 40 years old over a week later and should have been throwing an absurdly lavish gala in his mansion or playing a round of 18 at his favorite golf course."

While Jordan and his East squad didn't win that game, he always shined this time of year, including during the dunk contest. That got us thinking about Slam Dunk winners and Jordan's chances in today's NBA:

Keeping with the nostalgia theme, we took a look at the aesthetic of NBA All-Star Game jerseys: "With the All-Star game held in San Antonio in 1996, these were the most ambitious All-Star jerseys yet, a teal body with a southwest inspired design that has become one of the most popular throwback jerseys among the ones released by retailer Mitchell & Ness."

We also took a walk down memory lane with some of the most popular NBA All-Stars of the past and some of their ugliest breakups. First up are two-time All-Star coach Don Nelson and five-time All-Star Chris Webber: When a perfect match fails: "When the Warriors got Webber, they signed him to a 15-year contract for $75 million, but he got a one-year escape clause. That is like marrying someone without a prenup and immediately making it an open relationship."

Then there was how the Knicks stupidly broke up with 11-time All-Star Patrick Ewing: "What made the inevitable breakup even worse in retrospect was that it essentially spawned the toxic environment that exists today."

Finally, we looked at a promise left unfilled between eight-time All-Star and Slam Dunk champion Vince Carter and the Raptors: "Carter went into full superstar pouting his way out of town mode, declaring that he didn't want to dunk anymore, even going as far as saying, 'For what? You can make a lay-up and get fouled.' This is coming from the guy who once jumped over Frederic Weis at the 2000 Olympics."

There was a lot of talk about All-Star Games of past this week — so does that mean NBA All-Star Weekend has lost some of its luster? Perhaps. We have a few ideas on how to reboot NBA All-Star Weekend: "In the regular Skills Challenge, players demonstrate their mastery of basketball skills like dribbling, passing and shooting. The Life Skills Challenge is a series of tasks designed to test a player’s mastery of life skills."

Finally, we leave you with some fun trivia honor of Boston Celtics All-Star Isaiah Thomas with the "most relevant Mr. Irrelevant ever" quiz: