The 73rd NBA All-Star Game was held over the weekend at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah, with basketball fans eagerly tuning in to watch Team Giannis take on Team LeBron. In a shocking upset, Team Giannis claimed victory over their opponent with a score of 184-175. This marks the first time in six years that LeBron James has served as captain but failed to win the All-Star Game.
In this article, we will take a closer look at the game, examine how LeBron and other notable players performed, and see just how close he came to adding another All-Star Game victory to his impressive record.
A Rough Start for Team LeBron
Team LeBron’s hopes for a seventh consecutive All-Star Game victory suffered an early setback as their captain, LeBron James, was forced to leave the game after only 14 minutes due to a hand injury. Despite his brief appearance on the court, James still managed to score 13 points, grab one rebound, and dish out four assists.
Kyrie Irving, who was recently traded to the Dallas Mavericks, put on an impressive performance in the first half, racking up 18 points, three rebounds, and three assists. Irving finished the game with a total of 32 points, six rebounds, and 15 assists.
Jaylen Brown, James’ Boston Celtics teammate, led the scoring charge for Team LeBron, pouring in 35 points throughout the game.
Looking ahead, Team LeBron will soon be back in action as the NBA regular season resumes on February 21st. There is some uncertainty surrounding James’ availability for their next game, but according to GG.BET odds, his Lakers are underdogs (+185) against the Warriors. Fans can stay up-to-date with the latest betting lines and markets by downloading the GGBET app, available on both iOS and Android.
Team Giannis
The last time Team Giannis and Team LeBron faced off was in 2020, where the latter emerged victorious with a score of 157-155. This time, however, Antetokounmpo and his record-breaking picks were able to turn the tables.
One of the standout players was Jayson Tatum, a current player for the Boston Celtics. He outplayed himself by scoring 55 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, and dishing out six assists. This exceptional performance earned him the prestigious title of MVP, the first time he has won this award.
Jayson’s 55-point score was a remarkable achievement that broke the previous record of 52 points set by Wilt Chamberlain in 1962. Tatum’s performance was even more impressive when taking into account the fact he achieved this feat in just 36 minutes of playing time and 64% from the field.
Other Stand-Out Players of the Game
While current Boston Celtics Tatum’s record-breaking game was the highlight of Team Giannis’ win in the All-Star, there were other stand-out performers who played a significant role in securing the victory.
Donovan Mitchell
Donovan Mitchell, known by his nickname Spida, was a standout player in the game, contributing significantly to Team Giannis’ victory. The Utah Jazz guard displayed his exceptional skills by scoring 40 points, grabbing four rebounds, and dishing out 10 assists. With 25 of his points coming in the second half of the match, he played a crucial role in helping Team Giannis secure the win.
Damian Lillard
Another key player of the game was Damian Lillard, the star point guard of Portland. Like Mitchell, Dame had a solid game, scoring 26 points, grabbing three rebounds, and dishing out four assists. But his outstanding ability to knock down three-point shots was particularly noteworthy, as Lillard made six of his 13 attempts from beyond the arc.
Together – Tatum, Mitchell, and Lillard – accounted for 121 of Team Giannis’ 184 points, highlighting their importance in the win and making them stand out in the game.
LeBron James Remains the Legend
Despite missing out on the 2024 All-Star selection, LeBron remains a basketball legend. In fact, he made history with his 20th consecutive All-Star appearance, tying Lakers icon Kobe Bryant for the most selections of all time. Additionally, James surpassed another Lakers legend, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, as confirmed by ESPN.
Throughout his career, LeBron has been named an All-Star in almost every season he has played, except for his rookie season and the 2024 season. Despite being 38 years old, he continues to dominate the league and has not shown any signs of slowing down. The Lakers have been performing well in the new year and are looking to improve their standing in the Western Conference.
Who was the most productive player in the history of the NBA
- LeBron James from 2024 to now…
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar from 1984 to 2024
- Wilt Chamberlain from 1966 to 1984
- Bob Petty from 1964 to 1966
- Dolph Shayes from 1958 to 1964
- George Mikan from 1952 to 1958
- Joe Fulks from 1946 to 1952
National Basketball Association, NBA – Men’s Professional Basketball League of North America, including the United States and Canada. It is included in the four main professional leagues (together with NHL, NFL and GBL). It was founded in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America; The NBA renaming occurred after unification with the National Basketball League.
LeBron James became the most productive player in NBA history. The 38-year-old player broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record, which was set in 1984 and held for almost 40 years. During his career, Abdul-Jabbar scored 38,387 points. In the regular season game of the NBA for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Oklahoma City Thunder, LeBron surpassed this figure – he was 36 points behind the record before the game. And already at the end of the third quarter, LeBron beat him by throwing a 2-point shot – he scored his 38,388 career points at that time.
Immediately after that moment, the game was suspended so that LeBron could celebrate the achievement with friends, family, and teammates. A packed arena in Los Angeles greeted LeBron’s record with a standing ovation. Tickets for this game were even sold for $10,000.
“I don’t need much. Glamor and that’s all — don’t interest me. I’m just happy to have basketball in my life.”
