The five best NBA All-Star Games ever
By Luke Norris
2. 2003
In the long history of the NBA All-Star Game, only one has gone into double overtime and that happened in Atlanta in 2003, which was also the final All-Star Game to feature Michael Jordan. Jordan actually wasn’t even voted into the starting lineup. Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson had been voted in at the guard spots for the Eastern Conference and Vince Carter had been voted in at small forward. However, just before the game started, Carter relinquished his spot to his fellow Tar Heel and Jordan would go on to play 36 minutes of this game. He would also address the crowd at halftime following a musical tribute from Mariah Carey (remember that Wizards dress) in a very cool scene. But this was much more than a Jordan tribute show. This was a fantastic basketball game from start to finish and was very competitive.
The Western Conference trailed by five after the opening frame but a 37-point second quarter put them ahead by three at the halfway mark. The East came out hot in the third and took a seven-point lead into the fourth. But the West battled back to tie it and we went into overtime. And then it was time for Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, who had been playfully jawing at one another during the game, to try and win it for their teams. Jordan would hit a beautiful fadeaway with 4.8 seconds to go but Kobe wasn’t going for another tie. He went for a 3-pointer but was fouled by Jermaine O’Neal, giving him three free throws and a chance to seal it. But he only hit two and for the first time in history, the NBA All-Star Game was going to double overtime.
It was the Kevin Garnett show from there. He had been playing well all night long but hit three straight jumpers to put the game out of reach as the West pulled away to a 155-145 victory. Garnett won the Most Valuable Player with a stat line of 37 points, 9 rebounds, 5 steals, 3 assists and a block. Kobe ended up with 22.
Michael Jordan ended up with 20 points on 9-for-27 shooting but those two guards who were voted in ahead of him led the way as Tracy McGrady scored 29 and Allen Iverson led the Eastern Conference with 35.