This weekend, the 62nd edition of the NBA All-Star Game will be played in Houston, Texas. The Cavaliers will be well represented at all the festivities including the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge, Foot Locker Three-Point Contest and main event on Sunday evening.
Overall, the Wine and Gold have had a rich history surrounding All-Star Weekend, and this had us thinking...
Which All-Star Weekend competition is your favorite?
- BBVA Rising Stars Challenge
Eighteen Cavaliers have participated in the Rising Stars Challenge/Rookie-Sophomore Game, including four this season as Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson, Dion Waiters and Tyler Zeller will represent the Wine and Gold.
In doing so, the Cavaliers are the only team in NBA history to have had four participants named to the game. In fact, the Cavaliers have now accomplished that feat twice, the first coming in 1998 when Brevin Knight, Derek Anderson, Cedric Henderson and Zydrunas Ilgauskas were all named to the Rookie squad.
In that game, Ilgauskas took home MVP honors when he led his rookie squad to an 85-80 victory by tallying a game-high 18 points to go along with seven rebounds.
The list of Cavaliers' MVPs in this event wouldn't stop with "Big Z" as Daniel Gibson and Kyrie Irving would both win the honor.
Gibson shot his way to the award in 2008 by knocking down a record 11 three-pointers for 33 points as his Sophomore squad defeated the Rookies 136-109 in New Orleans.
Last season, Kyrie went 12-for-13 from the floor, including a jaw-dropping 8-of-8 from 3-point range, netting a game-high 34 points and running away with MVP honors in the inaugural BBVA Rising Stars Challenge at Amway Arena in Orlando.
IN THAT SAME GAME, Tristan Thompson (on the opposite team) came off the bench and was just as effective, going 10-for-11 from the floor to lead his squad with 20 points.
- Foot Locker Three-Point Contest
Seven different Cavaliers have participated in the three-point contest which includes this year as Kyrie Irving will test his LONG DISTANCE SKILLS for the first time in the event.
In 1990, the Wine and Gold sent two representatives when the backcourt tandem of Mark Price and Craig Ehlo placed 7th and 5th respectively.
Much like the youngsters' game, the Cavaliers have had great success in the competition. In eight out of 11 tries, a Cavs rep has placed in the top five, and on two separate occasions, a Cavalier has placed second (Wesley Person in 2002 and Daniel Gibson in 2008).
Price, who competed in the event on four different occasions, would become one of five back-to-back winners in the competition's history when he took home first place in 1993 and 1994.
Price's final score of 24 in the '94 contest was at the time a record setting performance until Jason Kapono (a former Cavaliers draft pick in 2003) tied it in 2007 and later broke it with a mark of 25 in 2008.
- All-Star Game
The weekend's main event has had some Cleveland influence throughout the years with the Cavaliers sending 17 different representatives dating back to 1971, including Austin Carr in 1974 and Campy Russell in 1979.
Kyrie Irving will represent the Wine and Gold this season after being SELECTED BY THE COACHES as a reserve on January 24th.
As Irving heads to the city of Houston for his first All Star appearance, it was four former Cavaliers whom made their mark in Houston's first time hosting the event back in 1989. Three players (Price, Larry Nance and Brad Daugherty) and head coach Lenny Wilkens were all part of the Eastern Conference squad marking the first and only time in franchise history that Cleveland has sent four different representatives for the game.
Two separate Cavaliers have been named a starter (Shawn Kemp in 1998, LeBron James in 2005-10) with James taking home MVP honors in 2006 and 2008.
The city of Cleveland has hosted two All Star games, one in 1981 at the Richfield Coliseum and the most recent in 1997 at the Gund Arena.
In '81 Nate "Tiny" Archibald was named MVP with nine points, five rebounds and nine assists as his Eastern Conference team won 123-120.
Archibald, along with 49 other legends gathered in Cleveland where the NBA's 50 Greatest Players were named during All Star Weekend in '97. In the game itself, Glen Rice took home MVP honors, bucketing a game-high 26 points as the East won 132-120.