The five best things from NBA All-Star weekend
By Connor Learn
NBA All-Star weekend really isn’t matched by the other major sports.
The NFL’s Pro Bowl has become a joke. If it wasn’t before this season, it was when Trevor Siemian turned down a Pro Bowl invite. Hockey and baseball largely have their All-Star game and one other event; only basketball rolls out entertainment for an entire weekend. Lots of great moments can happen between the Celebrity game and Rising Stars challenge Friday night, through the All-Star game on Sunday night. In addition, stars and celebrities alike show out, parties are attended, and NBA people meet ahead of the trade deadline. NBA All-Star weekend is an event done better than the other sports and it is bound to produce highlights every year.
These were some of the best from the 2017 All-Star break:
5. #SagerStrong
The NBA decided to take some time off from the usual All-Star festivities to do something special on Saturday. Following the 3-point contest, Ernie Johnson took the floor and announced that they would be putting one minute on the clock and let the top shooters shoot threes for $10,000 per make to go towards the Sager Strong Foundation in honor of the late Craig Sager. All of the 3-point participants shot, and they were joined by James Harden, DJ Khaled, Candace Parker, Anthony Anderson, and Michael B. Jordan as well.
The group made 13 threes in a minute, highlighted by DJ Khaled banking one in. Afterwards, Ernie Johnson stated that the $130,000 wouldn’t be enough money. He brought out Stephen Curry and challenged him to make a half court shot to get the donation up to $500,000. Curry missed all of his half court attempts, however, and the NBA finally discovered a way to slow down the back-to-back MVP: get him shooting from halfcourt in jeans and a hoodie.
After Curry couldn’t connect from half-court, the pressure of hitting one shot to get the donation up to that half million was passed to Craig Sager’s youngest son. Shaq carried him out and lifted him up, and he sank the shot. The NBA donated $500,000 towards Sager Strong as a result. In what has to be a trying time for the Sager family, the NBA responded in a big way to help lift their spirits.