2013 NBA All Star Game Makes Me Shake My Head

It's that time of year again.  Three Point contests, skills challenges and celebrity basketball games.  All culminates in the All Star Game.  A ridiculous display of wealth, and barely a lick of basketball is played at the all Star Game.

No one really tries that hard and its all about who can flash as much bling and ridiculousness.  It's kind of silly after all.  A couple of years ago, we watched the game and was astounded at the lack of defense and overall hustle.  Aren't these guys competitors?

Craig Sager starts the festivities with his disco themed sports coat and tie.  I guess no one takes this game seriously.  Even his colleagues are making fun of him tonight.  It's not as bad as the faux army uniforms that the players are wearing as warm up jerseys, including badges that represent the number of all star appears they have made.  To make it even more embarrassing, the Eastern All Stars salute as they are introduced.  Even the boys are shaking their heads and I'm not sure they see the irony. 

I think it's Ne-Yo making them shake their heads, after all.  He's terrible...but at least he's singing live.  I'm embarrassed to watch this.  Beyonce is in the crowd shaking her head..."See?!?"

The Western All Stars have a lot of star power, too.  Even Kobe Bryant was cheered, it must be the All Star Game.  While rocking the army-inspired uniforms, they show enough class not to salute (or perhaps they didn't get the text message from LeBron?)

8:45pm.  The boys both want the Eastern Conference to win, even though all of their favorite players are in the Western Conference - James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and CP3.  If Paul Pierce were playing, I'd probably want the Eastern Conference to win, too - even though LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade are detestable human beings.  But I'm rooting for the Western Conference to win too.

Bosh with the air balled three pointer to start the game for the Eastern Conference.  Here we go.  KG misses two shots to start his last All Star Game.  Yikes.  KG will be sitting on the bench shortly, I suspect.

"Why aren't they covering anyone?"  C asks as Chris Paul and Blake Griffin execute a pick and roll that had neither a pick nor a roll due to the lack of defense.  And then Bosh with his second air ball.  Time for him to grab some pine.  At the end of the first the West is winning by five.

Fast forward to the end of the game as LC takes over the remote control, completely disgusted by the lack of basketball prowess shown by either side.  The West is winning 108-104 as the Fourth Quarter starts.  The Eastern Conference cannot overtake the West as Kobe Bryant blocks a LeBron jumper (In your face!) and Chris Paul dishes out 15 assists.  It was exciting at the end with the teams getting a little more feisty for the last 12 minutes.  Still not enough to overcome the lack of effort in the first 36 minutes.

Maybe next year...