All-Star 2020

Joey Ramirez

Below is a running diary of the 2020 All-Star Game, taking you through game day from start to finish.

running-diary-2020-all-star-game

Running Diary: 2020 All-Star Game

admin

In what was arguably the most competitive and exciting All-Star Game ever, Anthony Davis and LeBron James shined in delivering the win for Team LeBron, 157-155.

AD sealed the deal at the free throw line, ending a very special evening for the Lakers organization as the NBA, its stars and many others joined forces in celebrating the memory of Kobe Bryant.

Magic Johnson and Common before the game and Chance the Rapper at halftime made sure to remember the Laker legend properly.

And on the hardwood, the league’s finest represented the purest essence of Mamba Mentality, competing until the very last play in a thrilling performance that included a lot of ingredients that can sometimes be scarce in these settings – teamwork, hard screens, charges, contested rebounding and coaching challenges.

The result was a spectacular display of basketball between two teams that left everything on the United Center parquet.

Kawhi Leonard took home the now aptly named Kobe Bryant All-Star Game MVP Award after leading Team LeBron in scoring with 30 points on an impressive 8-for-14 from downtown, and the purple and gold duo did their thing down the stretch.

Davis was instrumental in the fourth before finishing with 20 points and nine rebounds, becoming the hero in his native Chicago:

LeBron James also had a clutch layup and finished with 23 points, five rebounds and six assists.

His team won the first quarter, and LBJ was key in coming back in the third to secure a tie. That guaranteed that, after winning the fourth quarter and the game, Team LeBron secured a $300,000 prize for a local charity.

And The King, as he did recently in a Laker game replicating one of Bryant’s iconic dunks, found an opportunity to dust off another Mamba classic:

James got to have fun with old friends (Chris Paul had 23 points off the bench) and fresh faces (Ben Simmons scored 17), while also showing that his chemistry with Davis translates perfectly to an exhibition setting.

The L.A. duo connected often, and this was one of those occasions:

This allowed Team LeBron to go back-to-back after winning in 2019, and it had the added significance of having Frank Vogel and the Lakers coaching staff on the bench.

That, and the outpouring of love toward No. 24 made it as close to the perfect night as possible given the circumstances.

anthony-davis-hits-all-star-game-winner-for-team-lebron

Anthony Davis Hits All-Star Game-Winner for Team LeBron

nbaplatformservices

Lakers All-Star Media Day: Anthony Davis (2/15/20)

lakers-all-star-media-day-anthony-davis-2-15-20

Lakers All-Star Media Day: LeBron James (2/15/20)

lakers-all-star-media-day-lebron-james-2-15-20

Lakers All-Star Media Day: Frank Vogel (2/15/20)

lakers-all-star-media-day-frank-vogel-2-15-20

Lakers All-Star Media Day: Dwight Howard (2/15/20)

lakers-all-star-media-day-dwight-howard-2-15-20

lalswong

Captains LeBron James selected his roster for the 2020 NBA All-Star Game, as revealed in the NBA All-Star Draft.

The Lakers’ Anthony Davis was selected by James with the first overall pick in the 2020 NBA All-Star Draft. James and Giannis Antetokounmpo drafted the NBA All-Star Game team rosters from the pool of players voted as starters and reserves in each conference.  The two captains made 11 picks each – four starters and seven reserves – without regard to a player’s conference affiliation or position.  James, the top overall finisher in fan voting, was awarded the first pick in the first round. See below and attached for the complete pick-by-pick results and the team rosters for the NBA All-Star Game.

Both NBA All-Star Game teams will play for a Chicago-based charity beneficiary, as selected by James and Antetokounmpo.  Team LeBron will play for Chicago Scholars, a nonprofit leadership development organization that empowers academically ambitious students from under-resourced communities to complete college and become the next generation of leaders.  Team Giannis will play for After School Matters, a nonprofit organization that provides life-changing after-school and summer program opportunities to nearly 19,000 Chicago teenagers each year.

As part of the new format for the 2020 NBA All-Star Game, the two teams will compete to win each quarter for their designated charities.  Click here for more information about the new format.

Team Giannis will wear the red Jordan Brand NBA All-Star 2020 uniforms and Team LeBron will wear the blue Jordan Brand NBA All-Star 2020 uniforms. Team Giannis will wear No. 24 and Team LeBron will wear No. 2 – the basketball jersey numbers of the late Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, respectively.  Both teams will wear jersey patches displaying nine stars, representing Kobe, Gianna and their seven friends and teammates who tragically passed away in a helicopter accident on Jan. 26.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will select the replacement for any player unable to participate in the All-Star Game, choosing a player from the same conference as the player who is being replaced.  Silver’s selection would join the team that drafted the replaced player.  If a replaced player is a starter, the head coach of that team would name a new starter from his team’s group of reserves.  Lakers head coach Frank Vogel will lead Team LeBron, and Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse will guide Team Giannis.

The 69th NBA All-Star Game will take place on Sunday, Feb. 16 at the United Center in Chicago, airing live at 5 p.m. PT on TNT and ESPN Radio in the United States.

Below are the 2020 NBA All-Star Draft results and the 2020 NBA All-Star Game rosters.

lebron-james-drafts-anthony-davis-first-for-2020-nba-all-star-game

LeBron James Drafts Anthony Davis First for 2020 NBA All-Star Game

Former Slam Dunk champion Dwight Howard of the Los Angeles Lakers returns to the competition for the first time in 11
    years as he headlines the field of four players who will take flight in the 2020 AT&amp;T Slam Dunk on Saturday, Feb. 15
    at the United Center in Chicago. Howard, the 2008 Slam Dunk champion, will compete in the event for the first time
    since 2009, when he made the last of three consecutive appearances.

Howard is joined by two previous second-place finishers, Aaron Gordon of the Orlando Magic and Derrick Jones Jr. of
    the Miami Heat, as well as first-time participant Pat Connaughton of the Milwaukee Bucks.

The 35th AT&amp;T Slam Dunk is part of State Farm® All-Star Saturday Night, which also features the Taco Bell® Skills
    Challenge and the MTN DEW® 3-Point Contest. All-Star Saturday Night will air live on TNT and ESPN Radio in the
    United States at 5 p.m. PT.

Here is a closer look at the 2020 AT&amp;T Slam Dunk participants:

In the two-round event, participants can perform any dunk they choose. The players have a maximum of three attempts
    to complete each dunk in both the first round and the final round. Five judges score every dunk on a scale of 6 to
    10, resulting in a high score of 50 and a low score of 30. The judges will be announced at a later date.

All four competitors get two dunks in the first round. The two players with the highest combined score for their two
    dunks advance to the head-to-head final round. Both players get two dunks in the final round. The player with the
    highest combined score for his two dunks in the final round is crowned the 2020 AT&amp;T Slam Dunk champion. Click here
    for a complete explanation of the rules.

See below for the 2020 AT&amp;T Slam Dunk field and a list of previous winners.

All‑Star 2020