LeBron James made the All-Star Game fun again

It may come as a surprise that the final and most memorable play from the 2018 All-Star Game was a defensive stop, but that’s the impact LeBron James had on what was one of the more exciting editions of the event in recent memory. James was, fittingly, named MVP, after his team beat Team Stephen 148 to 145.

Team LeBron came back after trailing for much of the game to take a three point lead with 10 seconds left. Team Stephen inbounded the ball to Joel Embiid, who set a high screen and handed it off to Curry. James immediately trapped Curry several feet beyond the 3-point line. Curry pumped but brought the ball back down — perhaps not expecting a trap so early on but James, after facing Curry in the NBA Finals in each of the last three years, knew better.

Curry tried to escape and James hounded him down the 3-point line. Eventually, Curry gave it up to teammate DeMar DeRozan. Team LeBron again trapped and infested the passing lanes, forcing a shot clock violation that ended the game. A grand defensive effort on a big stage.

This was the moment NBA fans had been waiting for. Not just through the first 47 minutes and 50 seconds of this game, but also after the several years before this one. After all the shenanigans. After all of the uncontested dunks and layups. After Curry literally laid down on the court during a defensive possession. The All-Star Game format changed to a player draft in order to make the competition a bit more zesty (the hundred grand award doesn’t hurt, either) and that change was pushed through by James and Curry. The formula worked. This was the lowest-scoring affair in a half decade.

It still wasn’t a real basketball game. It was just more representative of the All-Star Games fans were used to. The previous four All-Star Games had been the highest scoring ever in regulation. In 2017, both teams combined for almost 400 points. All-Stars will never go full throttle on defense, and will generally allow a ton of 3s (an insane 123 3-pointers were taken on Sunday) because closing out hard has a high degree of injury risk. Still, it was clear from tonight that even slightly more defensive effort results in almost 100 fewer points scored and a much more enjoyable product.

You can give a lot of credit to James. You could see him throughout the game calling out defensive assignments. He argued a turnover call late in the game with classic LeBron zeal and put the clamps on Curry on the game’s final play in a way that would get any NBA fans’ juices flowing. After the game, while accepting the game’s MVP trophy, LeBron was asked about the new format.

“I think myself and Steph took it upon ourselves when we decided to do this format, and we had to change the landscape of how the All-Star Game was played. The last couple of years it wasn’t as competitive as we’d have liked, as you can hear in my voice it tells how competitive it was and it was great for both sides,” James raspily told TNT’s Ernie Johnson.

James deserved his third All-Star Game MVP. He was the only player on his team to score at least 20 points (he finished with 29) and, with 10 rebounds and eight assists, almost ended up with a triple-double. He wanted it and, in this event, wanting it is half the battle.

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James not only deserved to be MVP for his stat line, but also because of his effort. Among his many accomplishments, if LeBron James can make the All-Star Game fun again, it would go down as one of his greatest achievements.