While the NBA's organizers and major marketing partners promised an aeronautical theme to All-Star Weekend, this year's festivities were less of a rocket launch and more of a meandering hot-air balloon ride. The elements that made recent All-Star Weekends so frenetic — labor negotiations and major free agency and trade rumors — were nonexistent or muted this year.
The result was a quick, clean 72 hours that provided solid entertainment, compelling stories and new faces, but little drama. Let's take a look at the standout people, moments and events from the league's midseason showcase.
Best Arrival: Kyrie Irving
Nobody had a better weekend that the Cavaliers' sophomore sensation, who provided fireworks on back-to-back-to-back nights by virtue of his participation in the Rising Stars Challenge, Three-Point Shootout and the All-Star Game. Irving's talent level is off the charts and he oozes charisma, a combination that almost preordained his breakout weekend. Even though he's proved this season that he's one of the league's elite point guards, there's a captivating newness to him.
The fireworks began during Friday's Rising Stars Challenge, where he scored a team-high 32 points and added six assists and six rebounds. His output came in a loss of a game that lacked much discipline, but he still stole the show by making Pistons guard Brandon Knight's life miserable. Irving yanked Knight around with his quick, powerful dribbles and sturdy jukes, sending him to the floor on multiple occasions.
On Saturday, Irving won the Three-Point Contest in video-game fashion. He hit 17 of his first 18 shots in the final round, including three money balls, defeating Spurs forward Matt Bonner with room to spare.
His All-Star appearance Sunday was somehow the most entertaining of all. Irving stepped into the starting lineup in the second half, going head-to-head with MVP Chris Paul down the stretch of the fourth quarter. Irving, the youngest player in the game at 20, didn't have the night's flashiest highlights, but he did finish with 15 points (on 6-for-11 shooting), four assists and three rebounds. His most memorable play might have been a late tie-up on Paul when the Clippers' guard was trying to get deep into some dribble tricks. Irving wasn't shying away from the moment or backing down against the NBA's best point guard. Far from it.
"This weekend was just basically about earning everybody's respect and getting a chance for people to see me that don't usually see me," he said before the All-Star Game. "This weekend is to show my face to the fans and get everybody acclimated to my face in the league."
If you weren't already acclimated, you are now.
