Sunday at All-Star Weekend highlighted by the main event – the game between the Western Conference and Eastern Conference squads in the evening. Earlier in the afternoon, however, there was another All-Star game taking place – one for the NBA Development League.
Oklahoma City Blue guard Semaj Christon and Talib Zanna both played for the Prospects against the Futures at the Barclays Center on Sunday afternoon, getting to enjoy All-Star Weekend in a fun, exciting setting.
Both players were proud of the work that has gotten them to this point but also thankful for the opportunity to be in New York for All-Star Weekend, especially since they could share it together.
“It was a great feeling to come out to New York,” Christon said. “He’s my teammate, so it’s great. We can both tell stories when we got back to OKC and get back with the guys.”
“It felt good coming out here and playing with guys from different teams,” Zanna said. “It’s really special. It was an honor to share this experience with (Christon).”
The Prospects lost 129-94, but Christon got the action started early by either scoring or assisting on five of his team’s first six baskets. In fact, he scored the very first points of the game on a layup after an in-bounds play, assisted on his team’s next bucket, made a steal and pitched it ahead for another assist, then scored on a fast break layup before dishing out one more helper.
“I was just playing basketball, having fun and trying to put on a show,” Christon said.
At halftime, Thunder guard Reggie Jackson made a cameo appearance, serving as one of the judges for the Development League Slam Dunk Contest, alongside NBA legends Muggsy Bouges and A.C. Green and NBA Cares ambassador and former NBA player Felipe Lopez. Jackson seemed to enjoy the role, standing at times, jumping out of his seat at spectacular dunks and raising the “10” cards high when he was really impressed.
Although the game was close in the first half, the Futures broke away in the second and it wasn’t close in the final minutes. Regardless, the game itself was more of a show for the fans in attendance, and less about the final result. Zanna showed his ability as a finisher at the rim, scoring on a powerful two-handed dunk out of a side pick-and-roll, while Christon dazzled the crowd with a scooping layup in traffic and some fancy dribbling out top. Christon finished with ten points on 5-for-8 shooting, four assists and three steals in 22 minutes and Zanna scored four points and grabbed three rebounds in 20 minutes of action.
“I was just trying to do what I do best,” Zanna said. “I’m not trying to play out of my circle. I just tried to stay within my range.”
Throughout all of the hoopla of All-Star Weekend and the freezing cold temperatures, the Blue duo had a great time soaking it all in. Not many players get the chance to experience to totality of the weekend, but Christon and Zanna took advantage of all sorts of unique opportunities, including a visit to a local school to meet with kids during an NBA Fit Clinic.
“It took me back to when I was young, watching older players talk to me,” Christon said. “It was a great experience.”
“They were so happy to see us. You could see the joy in their faces,” Zanna said. “I just said to keep working hard and to be humble. Stay out of trouble and everything will work out right.”