Long gone are the days of Michael Jordan and Vince Carter throwing down flashy dunks leading to standing ovations at All-Star weekend.
This year's festivities at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans featured a game that saw a record number of points in an All-Star game and a Slam Dunk contest that featured far too many misses.
The game itself saw history. The Pelicans' own Anthony Davis scored a record 52 points breaking the old mark of 42 set by Wilt Chamberlain in 1962. The West came on top of the East in the 66th edition of the game 192-182.
As for the other festivities, the Celebrity game Friday night didn't disappoint with a great moment. Jarrius Robertson stole the show in the fourth quarter, draining a shot late in the kid. The kid from New Orleans is currently waiting for a liver transplant.
Saturday didn't have the same type of memorable moments. The Skills Challenge did have a 7'3'' winner -- Kristaps Porzingis from the Knicks won the contest where athletes showcased their dribbling, passing, agility and three-point shooting.
The Three-Point Challenge went to a tiebreaker. Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon came on top against Kyrie Irving from the Cleveland Cavaliers. The final featured players with shooting averages below most of the field -- including Klay Thompson from the Warriors.
As for the Dunk Contest, only two dunkers earned 50's -- including the winner Glenn Robinson III from the Indiana Pacers. But those "perfect" dunks by both Robinson and Derrick Jones Jr. from the Phoenix Suns hardly felt like the show-stopping dunks guys like Dominique Wilkins and Blake Griffin have thrown down in years past.
The biggest threat to win the contest this year -- Aaron Gordon from the Magic -- didn't live up to the hype after defying gravity last year, nearly winning that contest. He tried to get too creative with props and he was eliminated in the first round.
It's good to see the stars showing up and participating in the game itself. If you like the defense, this isn't for you. However, some of the top-flight superstars may have to start throwing their hats in these other challenges to keep future All-Star weekends creative and fun.
