Posted Feb 20 2011 5:54PM
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- All-Star Saturday night was watched by 8.1 million viewers, making it the most-watched event in its 26-year history.
TNT says its coverage drew 23 percent more viewers than its previous record of 6.5 million in 2009.
Saturday's event, highlighted by Clippers rookie Blake Griffin leaping over a car to win the slam dunk contest, drew a 4.4 national rating, a 13 percent increase over the 3.9 in 2009.
The viewers and ratings were both more than 40 percent higher than last year, when the event featured a lackluster dunk contest in Dallas.
 | Plays of the Week Check out the top plays of the week from the NBA Playoffs. |
 | USA Basketball 2010: In Training Players and coaches talk about what it means to represent their country at the 2010 World Championships. |
 | USA Basketbal 2010: Co-Captains Chauncey Billups and Lamar Odom talk about taking a leadership role with Team USA. |
 | Poetry In Motion: USA vs. France Relive Team USA's win over France in super-slow motion. |
 | USA Basketball 2010: A Loving Menu Chef Shawn Loving, who's the Executive Chef for U.S.A. Basketball, admits the French toast has been ''a big hit with the team.'' |
Copyright © NBA Media Ventures, LLC. All rights reserved. No portion of NBA.com may be duplicated, redistributed or manipulated in any form. By accessing any information beyond this page, you agree to abide by the Privacy Policy / Your California Privacy Rights and Terms of Use. | Ad Choices 
NBA.com is part of Turner Sports Digital, part of the Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network.
