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The five best NBA All-Star Game performances ever

By Luke Norris

Kobe Bryant (L) of the L.A. Lakers playing for the West team, scores as East Team's LeBron James of the Miami Heat tries to block during the All-Stars Game at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on February 20, 2011. The game won by the West team 148-143 is the 60th NBA All-Star Game showdown between the Eastern and Western conference superstars. AFP PHOTO/Mark RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)
Kobe Bryant (L) of the L.A. Lakers playing for the West team, scores as East Team's LeBron James of the Miami Heat tries to block during the All-Stars Game at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on February 20, 2011. The game won by the West team 148-143 is the 60th NBA All-Star Game showdown between the Eastern and Western conference superstars. AFP PHOTO/Mark RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images) /
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Take a look back at the five best performances in NBA All-Star Game history.

Since 1951, the NBA All-Star Game has been a place where the game’s best players can put on a show. And we’ve certainly seen some great performances over the years. Bill Russell took home MVP honors in 1963 with 19 points and 24 rebounds going head-to-head with Wilt Chamberlain. Isiah Thomas put up 30 points and 10 assists in a great 1986 affair. We watched Allen Iverson score 15 points in the final nine minutes to lead the Eastern Conference to an incredible comeback victory in 2001. Kevin Garnett led the West to a win in the only double-OT game in 2003 with key buckets down the stretch on his way to 37 points and the MVP trophy. Dwyane Wade wowed in 2010 and again in 2012 and Kyrie Irving and Russell Westbrook have put up monster numbers in recent years. And who could forget the inspiring performance in 1992 when Magic Johnson returned to the court to give fans one of the best moments in not just All-Star but NBA history?

While all of those performances have been fantastic in their own way, especially Magic’s, I was looking for the complete package when putting together this list of the top five performances in NBA All-Star Game history. Let the arguments begin.

5. Tom Chambers — 1987

There are a lot of people out there who aren’t going to agree with this one, but seeing as how I just named the 1987 NBA All-Star Game as the best All-Star Game in history, it’s hard not to include the MVP performance of Seattle SuperSonics’ star Tom Chambers on this list.

The great thing about this performance is that Chambers wasn’t even supposed to be on the team. He only got added to the roster when Ralph Sampson went down with an injury. It’s not that he didn’t deserve to be there, as he was averaging 23 points per game, but the Western Conference was just stacked. And not only did he get put on the team, he got put into the starting lineup to please the Seattle crowd. And he certainly didn’t disappoint. Magic Johnson got him involved early and often and Chambers took advantage.

The big man hit 13 of his 25 shots, including two of three from beyond the arc, on his way to 34 points and the MVP trophy in the West’s 154-149 overtime win.

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