April 15, 2007 -- Location, location, location.

The old real estate adage is applicable in all walks of life. Without getting too philosophical in the wrong forum, we generally have little control over who, what and when we are. We do vast amounts of research to answer how we are, and spend our lives trying to figure out why we are. But we can easily describe and control where we are.

More than anything else, the 2007 All Star Game will be remembered for where it was held: Vegas, baby! For the first time in league history, no team "hosted" the midseason festivities. Never before had a non-NBA city been the site of the All-Star Game.

Las Vegas' resident population of roughly 500,000 people would be situated towards the bottom of a list of the NBA hometowns. But that doesn't take into account the enormous drawing power of the self-proclaimed Entertainment Capital of the World. Millions of visitors pour into the city every year. In 2007, the NBA family was lucky enough to be among those who spent time in Vegas.

The youngsters got the weekend’s festivities started as the Sophomores took on the Rookies in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge on Friday night. The second-year players' emphatic 155-114 triumph was their fifth straight and sixth in eight tries since the game went to its current format. David Lee, the NBA's field-goal percentage leader at the All-Star break, hit all 14 of his attempts, including an array of flashy dunks, on his way to 30 points and the MVP trophy.

Lee has never scored that many points in an NBA game, and according to the Elias Sports Bureau, no player – rookie, sophomore, or otherwise – has been perfect on 14 or more field-goal attempts since Gary Payton made 14-of-14 in January 1995. The performance bodes well for Lee and the Knicks; nine of the previous 12 rookie game MVPs have gone on to be participants in All-Star Weekend’s main event.

"Next year, when we come back, we're not going to be as happy to be here," said Portland’s Brandon Roy, the Rookie of the Year frontrunner. "We're going to be ready. They caught us off-guard."

Saturday saw another All-Star first: the inaugural D-League All-Star Game. Rookie Pops Mensah-Bonsu of the Fort Worth Flyers and Dallas Mavericks scored 30 points to lead the Eastern Division to a 114-100 victory over the Western Division, and took home MVP honors for his effort.

The trio of Bill Laimbeer, Chauncey Billups and Swin Cash tipped off All-Star Saturday Night by carrying team Detroit to the 2007 Haier Shooting Stars title, finishing the six-shot course in 50.5 seconds.

In the PlayStation Skills Challenge, Dwyane Wade dribbled, passed and shot his way past Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Chris Paul with a time of 26.4 seconds to repeat as champion.

Miami teammate Jason Kapono, who leads the league in 3-point percentage at .517 this season, tied Mark Price’s final-round record of 24 points and captured the Foot Locker 3-Point Shootout crown, beating out Gilbert Arenas and defending champion Dirk Nowitzki.

"(Shaquille O'Neal) is only a 46 percent free-throw shooter, but he is a great three-point shooter. He told me to leave the hand up on the follow through," Kapono said.

In the night's final event, Boston's Gerald Green dethroned 2006 Slam Dunk champ Nate Robinson by leaping over the 5-foot-9 Knick for one dunk, and then over a waist-high table for the only perfect 50 from the panel of legendary dunk judges - Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Julius Erving, Kobe Bryant and Vince Carter.

Sunday's All-Star Game is rarely a defensive slugfest, but the West took things to a new level in Las Vegas, setting records of 69 field goals and 52 assists in a 153-132 win over the East. Kobe Bryant earned his second All-Star MVP award by tallying 31 points, five rebounds, six assists and six steals. The game's brightest star shined in the country's brightest city.

"I think we had a little flair, a little Vegas in there," said West forward Shawn Marion. "Hopefully the fans enjoyed it a lot."

The weekend was a trial run for a potential professional sports franchise in Las Vegas. How will sports books and other gambling affect the city's viability? Can an impermanent fan base support a permanent team? Will what happened one February weekend in Vegas stay in Vegas? Only time will tell.