2023 All-Star Weekend.

[nuraman00]

 

[MHSL82]

 

[nuraman00]

TNT has started the weekend with a live pre-game show in Salt Lake City, before their scheduled double header today.

* Ryan Smith talked about the impact Hardy had on the team, during Hardy's first meeting.

* Conversations that were had to encourage Markkanen to be "The Guy".

* How Utah is the youngest NBA state, and how it's growing fast.

* The impact Smith can use with the NBA, to help the community.

* Charles Barkley's birthday is on Monday. Shaquille impromptu encouraged the crowd to sing Happy Birthday, today.

They did.

Also, Charles has a limited edition sponsorship with Ruffles this weekend. He's coming out with a new limited edition flavor, only available this weekend.

To do the reveal, they brought out a pinata.

After Barkley broke the pinata, bags of Ruffles came out.

His flavor is . . . hot dog flavored chips.

 

[nuraman00]

I like the guy in the crowd wearing a white Jazz sweatshirt, with a white Stockton jersey on top.

The color white on clothes, has been a little more appealing to me, over the past 14 months or so, then it was before.

Plus, I like how under the NBA's old jersey sponsorship under Champion, and Adidas, the home team wore white.

That's not the case anymore, and I missed it instantly as soon as that change was made, where the home team didn't have to wear white, under the current Nike deal.

NBA Jersey Manufacturer History: Licenses Timeline of Nike, Adidas and More - Wolfgang Sport

Who makes NBA jerseys? From Medalist Sand-Knit in the early 80’s to now, let's take a look at the NBA jersey manufacturer history timeline: NBA Jersey Manufacturer Timeline Champion Between 1989 to 2002 American sportswear manufacturer Champion has a staggered history as the NBA jersey...

www.wolfgangsport.com

 

[nuraman00]

EJ's Neat-O Stat Of The Night:

The TNT crew combine Kia branded inner tubes with shooting basketballs.

The crew tried to slide down a snowy driveway, and make a basket.

Ernie came the closest, his attempt hit a good part of the rim.

Shaquille and Barkley did not participate.

That was not cool. Your biggest stars have to participate.

Barkley did get in some good quips, both when Ernie and Kenny were in their inner tubes, before they were launched down the driveway.

"I need to get you a Weight Watchers program."

 

[nuraman00]

Friday, February 17, 2023:

1) All-Star Celebrity Game: Pick the winner and MVP.


2) Rising Stars: Pick the winning team and MVP.

https://cdn.nba.com/manage/2023/02/teamrosers-1568x1008.jpg

3) Skills Challenge:


4) 3-point shootout:


5) Dunk Contest:


Highlights:

Murphy III:


Martin Jr. :

Kenyon Martin Jr. throws down 2 slams worthy of the dunk contest

McClung:

Mac McClung Throws Down WILD 360 Slam #Shorts

The NBA's official minor league, the NBA G League prepares players, coaches, officials, trainers and front office staff for the NBA while acting as the leagu...

www.youtube.com

NBA Dunk Contest Champion Mac McClung

2023 NBA Dunk Contest Participant Mac McClung as INSANE Bounce

www.youtube.com

Jericho Sims:

D-Rose lob to Jericho Sims


6) All-Star game:

Without knowing the exact rosters of Team Giannis or Team LeBron, pick the winning team and MVP.

https://twitter.com/NBAAllStar/status/1624171217631563776

 

[nuraman00]

1) All-Star Celebrity Game:

Team Dwayne, MVP Hasan Minhaj.

I would not be disappointed if Team Ryan won with Albert Pujols as MVP.

2) Rising Stars:

Team Deron. Either Kessler or Sengun as MVP, I'll go with Kessler.

3) Skills Challenge:

Team Antetokounmpo.

4) 3-point shootout:

Lauri Markkanen.

Last place: Kevin Huerter.

5) Dunk Contest:

I think McClung may be the best dunker, but I don't think a two-way contract player will win it.

So I'll go with Martin Jr.

6) All-Star game:

I want to go with Jokic, but he's never played more than 21 minutes in the game.

So it will be either Doncic, Donovan Mitchell, or LeBron James for MVP.


Team Giannis, Donovan Mitchell MVP.

* Picks will be allowed to be changed once the draft happens.

 

[MHSL82]

Shaquille and Barkley did not participate.

That was not cool. Your biggest stars have to participate.

Load management. They better not complain like old school hosts.

 

[nuraman00]

I think they were concerned they would not fit in the inner tubes.

If that's the case:

1). It doesn't matter, this is for fun. The funnier they look, the better.

2). Kia could have made a larger branded inner tube for them.

 

[nuraman00]

Grand Theft Alvarado is trying to steal every ball.

Walker Kessler is trying to block every shot.

 

[nuraman00]

Haliburton wants to be drafted by Team LeBron, so he can throw an alley oop to him during the game.

 

[nuraman00]

Skills Challenge:

Cool to see Team Utah win.

Jordan Clarkson was the worst player among all three contests.

For the passing contest, who would have thought Kessler would have gotten 40 passing points, and Clarkson 14?

3-Point Shootout:

I hope Huerter gets to do this again next year. I want him to have an outing where he can show what he's capable of.

I'm glad Lillard won. It would be kind of weird for him to never win any.

However, I'm pissed he said he's retiring from the contest.

Why not try to win multiple? The great ones tried to win multiple.

One broadcasting item that I didn't like, was when one of them referred to this contest as the "Steph Curry" contest.

He's won it 2x. That's not the most ever. And, there have been others with multiple titles too.

Unless he won this 5x, while no one else had more than 3x, don't bring him into this.


Not only that, he's made the final round 4/7 times, which is decent, but not astounding. And, he's lost in the final round 2x, losing to Klay Thompson and Joe Harris.

I'm pretty sure there's others that have made more final rounds than him. And that does count for something.


Buddy Hield has made the final round every time he's been in it. He's 3/3.

They should call this the Buddy Hield contest. Every time he's been in it, he's had a shot at the title in the final round.


Dunk Contest:

I thought everyone did pretty well. Everyone did the best they could.

There weren't sequences with a bunch of misses.

My favorite dunk was the one that involved Grand Theft Alvarado stealing the ball. That should get a 50, because of the coordination and presentation involved.

AND, Trey Murphy made it on the first try too.

Mac McClung did well. Everyone one he did was well done, and he didn't screw up.

I'm happy for him.

In terms of broadcasting, right after he won, someone from TNT complained that Zion and Morant weren't there.

That's lame. This should be McClung's moment.

ALSO:

I would like to see someone from TNT (probably Barkley) throw a haymaker at Shaq and ridicule him for never participating in the dunk contest.

A center like Dwight Howard has won it before, and Howard was in the Finals during one of the years he didn't win it.

Lamest dunk:

The Sims dunk with the envelop.

Having an envelop with "50" is cheesy. It should have been a Knicks logo, or a picture of Spike Lee, or a picture of some former great Knickerbocker dunker.

Those ideas would have been better.

 

[nuraman00]

Markkanen might not have won, but he showed he belonged.

 

[nuraman00]

"The Finnish-er".

That is a great introduction for Markkanen.

 

[nuraman00]

I'm liking the draft.

* Team LeBron picked a lot of first-time All-Stars early.

* LeBron: "Hookah . . . I mean, Luka Doncic".

* Antetokounmpo made sure to give a proper introduction for Markkanen.

 

[nuraman00]

Markkanen with two alley oops and a 3-pointer.

James and Tatum with off the backboard dunks.

Antetokounmpo scored the first basket, then intentionally exited the game.

 

[nuraman00]

Markkanen getting enough opportunities to put him in MVP consideration.

 

[nuraman00]

I was soooooo close to posting a thread in the "Worst Team In Sports" thread, for Markkanen missing the game-winning shot.

In the end, what stopped me, was recognizing that Markkanen had several good plays, during the All-Star game.

Still, Markkanen hitting the game-winner would have been a very good ending.

 

[MHSL82]

The two players with Utah ties shot less than 50% and everyone else shot above. Damian Lillard played for Weber State, which is in northern Utah. Markkanen shot 6-13.

 

[nuraman00]

The two players with Utah ties shot less than 50% and everyone else shot above. Damian Lillard played for Weber State, which is in northern Utah. Markkanen shot 6-13.

Were they the worst players in sports on Sunday?