2017 nba all-star

Jim Eichenhofer

It’s only a 40-minute game and New Orleans rookie Buddy Hield logged 27 of them, but the Pelicans first-round pick still managed to fire more shots in Friday’s Rising Stars Challenge than he has in any 2016-17 regular season game. That was one item on the to-do list for Hield, who went 11/22 from the field and racked up 28 points. Another was getting a victory, which the World team accomplished in a 150-141 shootout against the USA squad.

The No. 6 overall draft choice from 2016 was the night’s leading scorer for much of the evening, before a barrage of Jamal Murray shots (9/14 from three-point range) gave the Denver rookie top honors, with 36 points.

“It was a lot of fun,” Hield summarized of the laidback exhibition. “It means a lot to play in New Orleans. Everybody is embracing us, the vibe and the atmosphere. I just wanted to go out and give the fans something good to watch.”

The Oklahoma product paced all scorers at halftime with 19 points, staking the World to a 77-66 advantage. Among his first-half hoops was an athletic alley oop dunk, off a long pass by Murray from halfcourt.

“(I was) just out there having fun,” said Hield, whose season-most shot attempts with the Pelicans is 17, en route to a career-high 21 points vs. Indiana on Dec. 15.

Asked if his Friday performance could serve as a springboard to the final 25 games New Orleans (23-34) will play following the All-Star break, Hield agreed, saying, “I feel like when you get a lot of confidence and start to shoot the ball well and you start having fun and feel comfortable out there, it will loosen you up a little more. I’ve just got to keep getting better and use it as a major boost to the second half and continue to shoot the ball well.”

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Buddy Hield scores 28 points for World in Rising Stars victory

For generations, New Orleans has received accolades from across the globe for its excellence in dining and cuisine, but perhaps the greatest praise came recently from one of the Crescent City’s most well-known residents. While speaking with reporters prior to a Feb. 10 game in Minnesota, Pelicans four-time All-Star forward/center Anthony Davis admitted that he’s recently cut his beloved pizza – gasp! – almost entirely out of his diet.

“Unless I go to Chicago, I really stopped eating pizza, because there is so much food you can eat in New Orleans,” the Windy City native said. “In New Orleans, I’ve experienced all type of things. I started eating seafood now. It kind of hits you.

“Being in New Orleans, you see such a variety of foods, so it’s hard not to try them. I’ve been able to eat very well, trying different things like alligator, duck, hog. I’ve gotten to experience different types of food and actually like them. Gumbo is one of my favorite dishes. Seafood gumbo, chicken, andouille sausage. Any time I go somewhere and they’ve got it, I like to try it.”

As NBA All-Star arrives in the Big Easy this weekend for a second time since Davis made his debut in the midseason showcase here in 2014, the 23-year-old has grown fond of the world-class food, as well as the city in general. Now a five-year resident of New Orleans, he enjoys the convenience of living in a place that’s exceptionally easy to navigate and doesn’t have the feel of a mega-metropolis. Davis grew up in Chicago, a city of 2.7 million people, but New Orleans’ population is roughly 400,000 (based on the most recent U.S. Census estimate in 2013). As a result, its aura is much more that of a friendly community where many people know each other personally – which is genuinely the case in a surprising number of instances – than an intimidating place where it’s a social faux pas to even make eye contact with strangers.

“People in the city are great people,” said Davis, who has also spent lengthy stretches of his summers in New Orleans and is heavily involved year-round with community events, particularly those that host local children. “They don’t really get overhyped about seeing me out in public, outside of the basketball scene. They let my downtime be my downtime and respect my privacy. That’s a good thing about New Orleans, and I really appreciate that.

“It’s why a lot of people come to New Orleans, to do movies or whatever, because they don’t have to be bothered. (New Orleanians) see celebrities all the time, so they don’t get too hyped about anyone. They might say hello or wave, but that’s really about it.”

Davis also chose to live in a part of the city that provides him with the kind of convenience that may be unparalleled in any other NBA locale. No matter where he needs to be, it’s always a breezy trip with little traffic, made possible by the fact that New Orleans is condensed into such a small chunk of land geographically, wedged between Lake Pontchartrain to the north and the Mississippi River.

“I like that. It’s small,” Davis said. “It’s convenient to get from one place to another. The airport is only 15 minutes from my house. The arena is only 10 minutes. The practice facility is seven. You never have to travel too far to get anywhere in the city. I like that it’s small and convenient, for everything that I have to do.”

As was the case when NOLA hosted All-Star in ’14, Davis is excited to see people from around the NBA get the chance to experience some of what the city has to offer. He’s a bit more vocal about it this time, partly because he’d only lived in Louisiana for about 18 months when the last All-Star in the Big Easy took place. He now considers himself a more seasoned New Orleanian.

“I’m definitely looking forward to it. It’s going to be a fun experience,” Davis said of getting to host the event a second time. “The good thing about it is Mardi Gras is (under way), so you get to catch a couple parades and see what New Orleans is about. A lot of people just really think of Bourbon Street and that’s it, but there is more to the city. The food is amazing, and of course Mardi Gras is going to be there, which will be a great experience for guys visiting the city.

“For some (players, All-Star) never comes to their city. So for me to have it there twice is very unique, very special.”

When asked in other cities about Davis prior to recent road games, Pelicans second-year head coach Alvin Gentry has often noted that people “don’t necessarily understand how much AD loves New Orleans.” Davis agrees, saying his appreciation for the Crescent City has only increased as he’s become more familiar with it and its people.

“I still feel the same way about the city as I did when I first got there, but I just know a little bit more now than I did when I arrived,” Davis said. “My love for the city is still there. Like Coach said, I love being there.”

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Four-time All-Star Anthony Davis loves New Orleans for its people, food, atmosphere

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NBA All-Star showing signs in New Orleans

The last time New Orleans hosted the NBA All-Star Game, Anthony Davis was just a second-year pro, still getting his feet wet in the city and the league. With the midseason showcase event returning next month, the 23-year-old and five-year NBA veteran is significantly more comfortable with his place in the NBA and his adopted home.

“(In 2014) I was still fairly new to the city,” Davis said, in an interview with host Daniel Sallerson on Alvin Gentry’s radio show, which airs from 7-8 p.m. Central on WRNO 99.5 FM. “But now, if people come to me asking for places to eat or where to go, visit, sightseeing and all that, I have some ideas for them.”

TNT announced Thursday during its pregame coverage that Davis will be among the five players who’ll start for the Western Conference in the Smoothie King Center on Feb. 19. Davis, who was also selected an All-Star starter in ’15 but was unable to play due to injury, said of the honor this time, “It feels amazing. To be able to start, especially here in New Orleans, it’s definitely an honor. I’m going to try to be a great ambassador for the city and put on a show for them.”

In his All-Star debut in ’14 in front of Pelicans fans, Davis scored 10 points in only 10 minutes of action. But if he takes the advice of Alvin Gentry, he may get up quite a bit more than the six field-goal attempts he fired three years ago.

“The first time I didn’t get to play as much, so I’m definitely going to try to put on a show for the city of New Orleans in this game,” Davis said. “Coach already told me every time I touch it to shoot it.”

Davis added in his WRNO interview that he’s been approached “a lot” about participating in the dunk contest at All-Star, but Davis has so far declined.

To listen to the full Davis interview and Gentry’s radio show, tune in to WRNO 99.5 FM at 7 p.m. Central.

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Anthony Davis: ‘Amazing’ feeling to be 2017 All-Star Game starter in New Orleans

He may rank second in the NBA in both scoring and blocked shots, showing a slice of his value at both ends of the floor, but Anthony Davis remained in fourth place of All-Star fan voting Thursday, when the second returns were announced by the NBA.

Among Western Conference frontcourt players, Davis – who is also sixth in the league in rebounding – is behind the top three of Kevin Durant, Zaza Pachulia and Kawhi Leonard. All-Star starters for both conferences will be unveiled next Thursday, Jan. 19, during TNT’s weekly doubleheader broadcast.

For the first time, voting from players and media also will be factored into the results this season. The All-Star Game will take place Feb. 19 in New Orleans at the Smoothie King Center. Durant is approaching 1,000,000 votes at 987,479, followed by Warriors teammate Zaza Pachulia’s 823,376. Leonard is roughly 63,000 votes ahead of Davis for the third spot. The top three frontcourt players in both conferences will start.

Davis has made the All-Star team for three consecutive years, with his first appearance also coming in New Orleans in 2014.

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Anthony Davis remains fourth in West frontcourt fan voting

In conjunction with the NBA’s announcement that its 2017 All-Star festivities are coming to the Crescent City, we caught up with Michael Hecht, the president and CEO of Greater New Orleans, Inc. According to its website, the group’s mission is to create jobs and wealth in the local 10-parish region “by pursuing an aggressive agenda of business development – marketing the region – and product development.”

Hecht, who described the awarding of NBA All-Star as a significant economic victory for New Orleans, detailed the numerous benefits that come from hosting the prestigious, globally-watched event for a third time since 2008.

Pelicans.com: What are some of the components that make New Orleans an ideal All-Star host?

Hecht: There are three elements that make us so good, and in some ways, unparalleled as a host of an All-Star game. The first is that New Orleans is a globally-loved destination – we were just voted the No. 7 city in the world by the readers of Travel & Leisure magazine. The second is we have a long history and deep competency in hosting major events, whether it is Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest or All-Star games. Third, increasingly, whether it is for sporting events or living and working (day to day), people are choosing more compact, walkable urban environments. New Orleans really excels in that regard, in that we have downtown stadiums close to world heritage sites like the French Quarter, that allow a visitor to get around on foot, and not only experience the event, but the entire city in a compact and easily accessible way.

Pelicans.com: This is a very unique situation, given that bids for NBA All-Star are often granted two or more years in advance. What makes New Orleans a leading choice to host on such short notice, with All-Star coming in six months?

Hecht: New Orleans is unusual in that it not only has the physical infrastructure ready to go, but it has the human experience ready to go as well. So we’re not only able to physically host a major event at a moment’s notice, but we have the managerial competence to run it. That combination of people plus place makes us special.

Pelicans.com: What are some of the biggest benefits to a city of hosting a game?

Hecht: There are at least four clear benefits to the city. The first is the pure economic benefit, where we expect over $100 million in impact. The second is that it is a sampling opportunity, meaning that the tens of thousands of people who come here for the game will be able to experience not just the All-Star Game, but also the new New Orleans in a personal way – and that’s a great way to drive affinity for New Orleans. The third is branding – the millions of people around the world who watch the game will be able to see the new New Orleans, a place that is thriving, progressive, dynamic, diverse. That’s marketing that money simply could not buy; it’s invaluable. Lastly, from a narrower economic standpoint, events like All-Star games and Super Bowls are outstanding business development opportunities, because they let us bring in clients to games and get great networking opportunities. Invariably, business development comes from hosting these events. For one of our newest video-game companies, High Voltage Software, a main part of the sell to them (to come to New Orleans) was the NBA All-Star Game in 2014, because both the owner and his daughter are big basketball players.

Pelicans.com: From your perspective, what has been the general impact for the city of New Orleans to boast two professional sports teams, with the Saints here now for 50 years and the Pelicans entering their 15th season?

Hecht: New Orleans is one of only 30-plus cities in the U.S. that have two (major-league) sports teams. We are relatively small in terms of population to have two. So having them not only allows us to experience the benefit of hosting the NBA All-Star Game, but really gives us an overall presence that is relatively larger than our size. Having the teams allows us to punch above our weight as a community. They are an essential part of how we project to the rest of the world.

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24 Seconds With Michael Hecht of Greater New Orleans, Inc.

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2017 nba all‑star