The 2022 NBA All-Star race is about to kick off this weekend, this time hosted in Cleveland, the Cavaliers' home.
Not only will this year's All-Stars coincide with the NBA's 75th anniversary celebration, there will be a grand celebration in the midfield, but also the design and organization of the event is very different from the past.
The following ten highlights will help everyone better appreciate this basketball feast.
I. 75 major celebrations - the group of sages, the young and the long
The 2021-22 season marks the 75th anniversary of the NBA, when the league will invite the 61 legendary stars who are still alive to be selected for the "Big 75" to join in the praise of fans around the world.
From the older generation of Bill Russell and Jerry West,
Tiangou, Colenz, Bill Wharton of the seventies,
Black and white males of the eighties, smiling assassins,
Jordan of the nineties, the big four centers, the gliders, the Utah double brake,
And duncan, Wade, Garnett, as we know it in the new century,
LeBron, Curry, Durant, Harden, who are still playing,
As well as the youngest inductees thick eyebrows, alphabet brothers, Lillard.
These superstars have formed a living history and created a great and brilliant NBA.
Unfortunately, Oxlade-Chamberlain of the Big Dipper, Haflisek of the "Hundo", Malawich of the "Pistol", sam Jones, the key gentleman who had just passed away, and Kobe Bryant, who died young, could no longer participate in such a grand spectacle.
Second, the All-Star Game - can the "LeBrons" win five consecutive championships?
This year's Western Conference ticket king, there were still some twists and turns at the beginning, Curry once led LeBron James by 500,000 votes, but LeBron's network popularity and fan base quickly achieved a rebound. In the end, he was elected as the all-star vote king for the ninth time in his career with a margin of 1.5 million votes.
And this will also be the fifth consecutive All-Star appearance of "LeBron", and the first four times they have won.
This time, in the "All-Star Selection" session with Durant, he once again showed his team building talent. Curry, Alphabet Brother, Jokic, Harden (Jarrett Allen replaced), the mvp of the past eight seasons except young master Wei has been fully pocketed by him.
So is there still suspense in the victory or defeat of this All-Star Game?
All-Star mvp - who will be the star of the stars?
The suspense of the All-Star Game, in addition to the final victory and defeat, should be the candidate for MVP. Considering that garland and Jarrett Allen, who were selected by the Cavaliers, are still lacking in both star flavor and strength, it is unlikely that there will be a possibility of "comity to the host".
So who among today's All-Star regulars doesn't have this honor?
LeBron already has three, and the big guys such as Alphabet Brother and Paul have already taken it.
The rest of the prestige is enough, and the ability to meet the standard may belong to Stephen Curry.
Elementary school students who do not argue about anything, not only do not have the finals mvp, but also do not have the all-star mvp trophy.
Will you be an adult beauty this time? Or Embiid, Jokic, Doncic, these new generation of proud sons to seize power in advance.
The new MVP trophy launched this year will also be officially named after the "Kobe Bryant Cup".
Fourth, the newcomer debut - the first time to be selected as an all-star star
In fact, this year's All-Star Game has a lot of regrets, Durant and Harden are absent due to injury, and the Clippers duo Leonard and Paul George, two All-Star regulars, are also hanging free cards. Thick eyebrows are because of injuries since the rookie season for the first time to miss the All-Star, coupled with the absence of Dream Green, so that the starlight of this year's All-Star Game has dimmed.
But it also created a large number of newcomers to be selected for the first time.
Jarrett Allen, the boss of the Cleveland Cavaliers' "three-high" combination, the league's top inside-liners and blockers, is likely to be the next Gobert.
Darius Garland, now the Cavaliers' point guard, has averaged 20.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game this season and is now one of the best guards in the East.
The two youngsters were selected not just because the Cavaliers are the hosts this year, but because they are the fourth most solid performance in the East.
VanVleet, the stunning "Van Jordan" in the 2019 Finals, is now the Raptors' boss after Lowry is gone. He played 38.4 minutes per game this season and was the league's first Ironman. Contributing 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 7.0 assists, relying on solid performance once again surprised people.
Ja Morant, the new bear king. Today, the Grizzlies are 41-19 and third in the league. He averaged 26.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game, and a gorgeous performance that scored the top five goals in almost every game.
Dejuntai Murray, the new generation of Spurs flag bearers. After Leonard's departure, Popovich spent four years once again training a native All-Star for the Spurs. He's averaged 19.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 9.3 assists this season, and the quasi-triple-double certainly deserves an All-Star.
Andrew Wiggins, the man with high hopes. Finally, he was elected an All-Star for the first time after entering the league seven years later. It's not just about the fiery votes of Warriors fans. And he did play a key role in the Warriors' takeoff this season, being the number one in defense, a solid pitcher in offense and an extreme picker. How far the Warriors can go this season depends largely on how much talent the "Mamba who threw away the thermos" can cash in.
For LeBron, Paul, Curry and other veterans, the All-Star is more like a "fan appreciation meeting" that goes through the motions.
But for these young people, being named an All-Star could be a new beginning in their careers.
Dunks and three-pointers – if legends are absent, who will top?
Once upon a time, the Dunk Contest was an All-Star Weekend game that was more lively than the main game. Jordan, Kobe, Carter, Lavin, Gordon and other "flying gods" have left unforgettable figures.
With the popularity of three-pointers in recent years, the three-point contest has also left a lot of classics, and the splash brothers' rotational seating, Booker's 28-point championship, and the introduction of four-pointers in recent years have made this game more and more beautiful.
But this year's race was less star-studded and gimmicky.
On the dunk contest side, now that LaVine has run to the three-point game, Gordon has been disheartened by "Wade's nine points" and Zion is still recuperating. Cole Anthony, Jaren Green, Toscano Anderson and Obi Topping are either blue-collar players in each team or newcomers who have not yet made a name for themselves, and it is difficult to expect them to bring special surprises.
And Bain, Kennard, Lavin, McCollum, Mills, Towns, VanVleet, and Trae Young, who were selected for the three-point contest this time, have a lot of gimmicks.
Was lavine the first saga to win dunks + three-pointers, or did Downs become the tallest three-point champion in history, or was there any other dark horse? It depends on the performance of each of them this Sunday.
Sixth, rookie competition - challenge tournament, 28 rookies in four teams to compete
In the past rookie game, even the all-star warm-up was not counted, a group of first- and second-grade rookies, no competition, no me confrontation, casual show dunks and three points, bring back the departing.
On the degree of excitement is not even as good as the Celebrity Classic.
This year' organizers decided to make changes, with 28 players (12 rookies, 12 second-year players, and 4-man development leagues) divided into four groups through seven rounds of drafts. Coached by four 75 superstars, Rick Barry, Gary Payton, Isaiah Thomas and James Worthy.
Four teams will play 3 matches, each with a target score of 50 in the semi-finals and 25 in the final.
There are eliminations, there are goals, and I believe that young people will play harder.
Zeng Fanbo, a young mainland player who is now in the development league to ignite the team, will also participate in the "Clutch Challenge" in the middle of this game.
Following Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian, the NBA All-Star Weekend will once again appear Chinese figure.
7. Skill Race - Can the Alphabet Brother Family Dominate the World?
As a new event in recent years, the Skills Challenge is arguably the most entertaining all-star game. From the beginning when only the defenders participated, to the later confrontation between the United States and international players, to the big players and the small ones, now it is beginning to "form a group".
A total of 9 players participated in the skill tournament and were divided into 3 groups for four rounds of competition, testing shooting, passing, layup and dribbling ability.
"Antetokounmpo Family": Alphabet Brother (Bucks), Alphabet Brother (Bucks), Alphabet Brother (G League Raptors)
"Knight Family": Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley
"Rookie Family": Scotty Barnes (Raptors), Cade Cunningham (Pistons), Josh Kiddy (Thunder)
Can the "alphabet family" add another crown this time?
Eighth, the player bondage - the emperor Downs, not the wrongdoers do not gather
Of course, this year's All-Star "gimmick" is more than that, and the selection between LeBron and Durant alone has countless slots. Like what:
Embiid and Towns are on the "Durant team" this time, and everyone knows that they have become real enemies after that fight.
And Towns, Wiggins, Lavin, the three former "Timberwolves three youngsters" once again gathered in the All-Star, after being denounced as "waste of talent", finally all of them were elected all-stars for the first time.
Booker, Mitchell, Lavin, the three 13th overall point guards, and Tatum, who has always regarded Kobe Bryant as an idol and role model, these four "Mambas" have once again gathered in the All-Star Show, will they replicate the glory of the "Big Four" two decades ago?
There's always an endless topic about All-Stars.
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