The five best NBA All-Star Games ever
By Luke Norris
Take a look back at the five best NBA All-Star Games in history.
It’s amazing how the NBA All-Star Game has evolved. Played for the first time in 1951 as a way to try and get basketball back on track following the point-shaving scandal in the college game, it has grown to become arguably the highest-profile All-Star event in sports. While the games themselves haven’t always been close or competitive, as they are obviously designed as a showcase and an exhibition, these guys still don’t like to lose and there have been plenty great games throughout the years.
Here’s a look back at five of the best NBA All-Star Games in history.
5. 1970
The great thing about the 1970 NBA All-Star Game was the great mix of two generations, which I suppose happens at a lot of these games. This one was just a little more special. Some of the most iconic names in NBA history such as Jerry West, Elgin Baylor and Oscar Robertson were nearing the end of their careers while guys like Walt Frazier, Elvin Hayes and a rookie named Lew Alcindor were making names for themselves as professionals. And the stars shone brightly in this game.
Played at the Philadelphia Spectrum, this game saw Oscar Robertson shoot 9-for-11 from the floor and score 21 points to go with 6 boards and 4 assists. Alcindor, who wouldn’t become Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for more than another year, came of the bench and posted a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds in his All-Star Game debut.
Elgin Baylor would score just 9 points in his final All-Star Game but his Lakers teammate Jerry West picked up the slack with 22 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Elvin Hayes, making the second of his 12 All-Star appearances, led the West with 24 points.
The Eastern Conference led pretty much throughout and fought off a fourth-quarter barrage from the West, who scored 50 points in the final frame, to come out with a 142-135 victory. But with all of the big names and performances in this game, it was the New York Knicks’ Willis Reed, who scored 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, who would walk away with the MVP. Reed would also go on to win the league MVP and NBA Finals MVP that year.