The Best All-Star Games & Performances in NBA History

Top 10 All-Time Plays in All-Star Game History

Can anyone save the NBA All-Star game?

The event has been so forgettable and/or unwatchable over the past few years that Adam Silver brought in Julius Erving and Larry Bird to motivate the participants in last year's event.

"The one thing I would really like to see is they play hard tonight in this All-Star Game," Bird said to the All-Stars before the 2024 game. "I think it's very important when you have the best players in the world together; you've gotta compete, and you've gotta play hard, and you've gotta show the fans how good they really are."

Well, the East team played hard enough to prevent the West from scoring 200 points

As for the West, they allowed the East to score 50+ in every quarter, an All-Star record 107 in a half, and an All-Star record 211 points. Only 4 of those 211 came from the free-throw line.

A dejected Adam Silver congratulated the winning team by saying, “And to the Eastern Conference All-Stars, you scored the most points... well … congratulations."

How did the 1982 All-Star MVP feel about the 2-hour layup line?

"He's disgusted," said Celtics reporter Bob Ryan. "He thought it was a joke, and it is a joke. And it's awful."

"Bird said, 'I wanted to win' period, quote unquote. 'I wanted to win. We played competitive games. You didn't want anybody to get hurt, you didn't go nuts, you didn't go crazy, you didn't do stupid things. But you played basketball. And you wanted to win. Well, we've gotten away from that."

That's not surprising coming from a competitor who once walked into the All-Star locker room before a three-point contest and said, "Who's coming in second?" to his opponents. But you don't have to be a competitor like Bird to see that nobody cares about the game anymore, including the players.

The league hopes the new three-game tournament will excite fans and players, but I'm as big of a fan of this latest experiment as Kevin Durant.

Kevin Durant says he absolutely hates the new All Star Game format 😳

"I hate it," said KD. "Absolutely hate it. The All-Star Game format is changing and the other formats, all of it is terrible, in my opinion. We should just go back to East vs. West and just play a game.

I agree, but that doesn't answer my question: Can anyone save the NBA All-Star game?

The answer might be Victor Wembanyama

Here's what the youngest player in the game had to say about the event: "If it turns out like every other recent game, slow and just playing around, I hope I can bring that contrast of a single guy who goes crazy, dives on the ball, hustles every play. I’m definitely going to try to bring that energy.”

Did he say energy? I'm keeping my fingers crossed and praying that Wemby will do it. In the meantime, let's look back at some of the best and most memorable games in All-Star history.

IVERSON LEADS THE COMEBACK (2001)

NBA All-Star Game 2001 Best Plays Game Highlights from the greatest All-Star Game 1080p

• SCORE: EAST 111 - WEST 110
• CITY: Washington, D.C.
• MVP: Allen Iverson
• LEADING SCORER: Allen Iverson (25 PTS)

Every time I ask followers what the greatest NBA All-Star game ever is, the 2001 one gets the most votes. You had most of the early 00s favorites from the SLAM magazine era competing hard while wearing their baggy team jerseys that every rapper wore around this time.

Despite Western Conference-leading vote-getter Shaquille O'Neal not playing due to an injury, the West team took a 21-point lead behind Kobe Bryant. Allen Iverson led an Eastern comeback by scoring 15 of his 25 in the final quarter. Stephon Marbury was also clutch, knocking down a pair of threes in the final minute.

Kobe had a chance to play hero and take the final shot but passed the ball to Tim Duncan, who had his shot tipped by Vince Carter at the buzzer. Carter celebrated by doing his trademark "It's over" from the 2000 Dunk Contest.

Iverson took home the MVP trophy, and Kobe got his payback a few months later when the Lakers beat the 76ers in the 2001 NBA Finals.

MICHAEL JORDAN'S ENCORE (1988)

Best Of Michael Jordan ‘88 All-Star MVP | The Jordan Vault

• SCORE: EAST 138 - WEST 133
• CITY: Chicago
• MVP: Michael Jordan
• LEADING SCORER: Michael Jordan (40 PTS)

Long before Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon competed in arguably the greatest dunk contest of all time, we had the 1988 Dunk Contest between Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins. They both were so memorable for the two best dunkers that nobody remembers who else competed in either event. They both had a controversial finish: Many thought AG was "robbed." MJ even admitted Dominque should have won, but "being it was on my home turf, it wasn't meant to be."

If you don't know what the controversy was because you have only seen edited NBA recaps of the event, MJ did the free throw line dunk twice, missed an attempt, and still got a perfect score. As a judge, you can't give a 50 to a dunk the player already did in the event, especially after watching them miss the first attempt.

Whether he deserved it or not, MJ put on a great encore by putting up a game-high 40 points (17/23 FG), eight rebounds, four blocks, and four steals in front of his home crowd. 16 of those 40 came in the final quarter. And the best of those 16 was a one-hand alley-oop dunk from a pass by Isiah Thomas, who was supposedly behind the "Freeze-Out" All-Star game in 1985.

"In a league of stars, in a game of stars, you were the star of stars," Said David Stern as he handed MJ the All-Star MVP trophy.

MJ didn't win a championship in 1988, but he became the first player in NBA history to win MVP and Defensive Player Of The Year in the same season. He led the league in scoring while averaging a league-high 40.4 minutes in all 82 games. Other notable things he did this year were team up with Lorenzo Lamas in the Kenny Rogers Classic, interview OJ Simpson for a TV show, and appear on a hilarious Mother's Day Special with his Mom.

THIS IS WHY HE'S NAMED MR. CLUTCH (1972)

Jerry West 13pts, 6reb, 6stl, 5a, 1blk Incredible Defense and Clutch! (1972 NBA ASG MVP)

• SCORE: EAST 110 - WEST 112
• CITY: Inglewood
• MVP: Jerry West
• LEADING SCORER: Jerry West & Walt Frazier (15 PTS)

Before MJ took the title of GOAT shooting guard, it belonged to Jerry West aka The Logo aka Mr. Clutch. When West passed away in 2024, MJ released this statement: "I always wished I could have played against him as a competitor, but the more I came to know him, I wish I had been his teammate."

That statement would have meant a lot to West, considering that MJ was his favorite player of all time and that West was ultra-competitive, even in All-Star games.

In 1972, West was in his 11th NBA season and playing in his 11th All-Star game. With the game tied at 110 with 9 seconds left on the clock, West catches the inbound at his free throw line, dribbles across the court, and then drains a 20-foot game-winning shot in front of his hometown crowd at the Forum. Commentator Bill Russell says, "You could see that coming. You knew he was going to get that two."

Minutes later, West was holding the All-Star MVP trophy. Three months later, he was holding an NBA Championship trophy in the same building.

He didn't win the Finals MVP, but three years earlier, he became the first and only player ever to win Finals MVP on a losing team. As expected, he didn't appreciate a loser winning the award: “How stupid it was that I received that and was not part of the winning team. It didn’t seem right; it was meaningless for me, regardless of how I played.”

KOBE'S 4TH ALL-STAR MVP (2011)

2011 NBA All-Star Game Best Plays

SCORE: West 148 - East 143
CITY: Los Angeles
MVP: Kobe Bryant
LEADING SCORER: Kobe Bryant (37 PTS)

There are so many memorable All-Star memories of Kobe Bryant.

In 1998, 19-year-old Kobe was the youngest starter in All-Star game history. There's that great clip of Michael Jordan in the locker room saying, "that little Laker boy is going to take everybody one-on-one."

In 2002, an emotional Kobe almost started crying during an in-game interview because of the booing from the Philadelphia crowd. He hoped his MVP performance would entertain them, but they were still salty about the 2001 NBA Finals.

In 2009, when we assumed Kobe and Shaquille O'Neal still hated each other, they shared co-MVP honors. Kobe even told Shaq to keep the trophy so he could give it to his son, Shareef. During Shaq and Kobe's sit-down interview, Shaq said that gift "made me realize I was an a**hole to you all those years. I owe you an apology but we ain't going to be doing all that crying like Magic and Isiah. But thank you for that moment."

The final All-Star game in 2016, with the memorable images of LeBron guarding him one-on-one and Kobe embracing GiGi. There's also that moment when LeBron video-bombed Kobe's postgame interview with the late Craig Sager and yelled, "Craig, Kobe tried to dunk on me."

His best was his 2011 MVP performance at Staples. The leading-vote getter scored a then-record 37 points (21 in the first half), grabbed 14 rebounds (All-Star record 10 offensive), dished out three assists, and stole the ball three times.

I'm also picking this game because it was the first All-Star game I ever attended.

THE NBA50 (1997)

NBA 50 Legendary Figures | NBA Exclusive

SCORE: East 132 - West 120
CITY: Cleveland
MVP: Glen Rice
LEADING SCORER: Glen Rice (26 PTS)

The actual game wasn't that memorable unless you were a Glen Rice fan. Many of the voted All-Stars (Shaq, Zo, Ewing, Barkley, Drexler) couldn't play due to injuries, allowing the Hornets forward the opportunity to go off. He set the All-Star game records for points in a quarter (20) and half (24) on his way to winning MVP.

What made this game so memorable was the greatest half-time show ever: 47 players named to the NBA 50 Greatest Players stood together during an unforgettable 50th anniversary of the league celebration. The three missing players were Shaquille O'Neal (injured but also heavily criticized by many for being too early in his career to make this list), Jerry West (surgery), and the late Pistol Pete.

The NBA celebrated its NBA75 list during the 2022 All-Star game.

THE ABA-NBA GAME (1977)

All 13 Dunks From the 1977 NBA All-Star Game (Dr. J Serves Up Some Heat)

SCORE: West 125 - East 124
CITY: Milwaukee
MVP: Julius Erving
LEADING SCORER: Julius Erving & Bob McAdoo (30 PTS)

20 years before that NBA50 All-Star game was the first great All-Star game. It was also the first All-Star game to played on Sunday and most importantly, the first game since the ABA-NBA merger.

12 of the 24 players, including George "Ice Man" Gervin and leading vote-getters Julius "Dr. J" Erving and David "Skywalker" Thompson were from the ABA league.

The highlight of the game was Julius Erving posterizing league MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the announcer saying, "I told Dr. J to put up 10 grand and challenge the winner of the Dunk Contest (Darnell Hillman)." Erving went on to score a game-high 30 points, grab 12 boards, get 4 steals, and win MVP despite being on the losing team.

Erving's season ended with him losing in the NBA Finals to the Blazers, despite a game-high 40 points and 8 assists. The 2 x ABA Champion would have to wait another six years before winning an NBA Championship.

STEPH'S 3-POINT FRENZY (2022)

Stephen Curry shocks entire world with most insane stretch of shooting in All Star Game

SCORE: Team LeBron 163 - Team Durant 160
CITY: Cleveland
MVP: Steph Curry
LEADING SCORER: Steph Curry (50 PTS)

Due to the defensive effort of recent All-Star games, we have seen every single scoring record get demolished.

• AD had 52 of the West's 192 points in 2017
• Giannis was a perfect 16-of-16 from the field in 2021
• Jayson Tatum had 55 points with 10 threes in 2023
• Karl Towns scored 41 of his 50 in the first half in 2024

I didn't want to include any performances from this era but what Steph Curry did in 2022 deserves recognition. The 2 x Three-Point Champion knocked down a record 16 threes on his way to 50 points. Four of those 16 came during a ridiculous two-minute stretch that included:

• Three off one leg
• Step-back three from the logo
• Lookaway three from the logo
• A three that had Dwyane Wade, Allen Iverson, and Reggie Miller locking arms and going crazy
• Minutes later, he made another lookaway three that resulted in this great photo.

The three-point frenzy even had the Cleveland crowd forgetting that they were booing him during the All-Star intros.

LeBron James & Kevin Durant Make Their Picks In The 2022 NBA All-Star Draft | NBA on TNT

The other memorable and absolutely hilarious moment related to this game was the All-Star draft on INSIDE THE NBA. LeBron had to cover his face with a clipboard as a dead-serious KD found ways not to draft James Harden.

After KD passed on Harden and took Rudy Gobert with his last pick, LeBron said, "Is James healthy now? Can he play?" Barkley responded with, "He got traded, he's healthy now."

O'NEAL RUINS MJ'S FAREWELL GAME (2003)

Kobe Bryant vs Michael Jordan Highlights (2003 All-Star Game) - Kobe Farewell Jordan!

SCORE:  West 155 - East 145
CITY: Atlanta
MVP: Kevin Garnett
LEADING SCORER: Kevin Garnett (37 PTS)

The game is tied with 10 seconds left in OT; Michael Jordan gets the ball against Shawn Marion, then hits his trademark fadeaway to give the East the lead with 4.8 left on the clock. The West calls a timeout, and all everyone can think about is MJ's final All-Star game will end with a game-winner and the MVP award. Then Jermaine O'Neal fouled Kobe Bryant while Kobe was throwing up a fadeaway three. Kobe smiles, MJ puts his hands on his hip in disgust, and Marv Albert says, "That was not a smart foul."

Isiah Thomas (of all people) wanted the game to end with MJ's shot so he asked Steve Francis to tell Kobe to intentionally miss the free throws.

"I go over to Kobe and said, 'Yo, Zeke said miss these free throws so MJ can win.' The look that Kobe gave me when I said that. I will never forget that."

Kobe did miss the second of the three free throws and the game went into double OT. The West dominated the extra session and it was Kevin Garnett holding the All-Star MVP trophy instead of MJ.

Mariah Carey wore those amazing MJ outfits for nothing!

Mariah Carey - Tribute To Michael Jordan - LIVE At NBA All Star Game 2003

Another interesting thing about MJ's final All-Star game was he started the game but wasn't voted a starter. Vince Carter was voted the starter, and MJ was actually the 7th leading vote-getter. Due to some pressure from fans and the NBA, Vince tried to give up his spot to MJ, who wouldn't take it.

"Basically, I decided but it was encouraged by the league that it was a good idea, " Carter said on the ALL THE SMOKE podcast. "And MJ wouldn't take the spot. I pull him aside, it was all day. I was like, 'MJ take it.' He was like, 'Nah, you earned this.' So we get down there and I'm like, 'MJ, take the spot, you gonna start bruh.' I said, 'If you don't take the spot, I'm going to stay in the back and I ain't gonna come out."

MAGIC JOHNSON'S RETURN (1992)

Throwback: Magic Johnson Full MVP Highlights 1992 All-Star Game - 25 Pts, 9 Ast, MUST SEE!!

SCORE: West 153 - East 113
CITY: Orlando
MVP: Magic Johnson
LEADING SCORER: Magic Johnson (25 PTS)

How could a game that featured a half-time performance by Vanilla Ice not make the list? The real reason why this is the most memorable All-Star game ever is because of Magic Johnson. Before Kobe's death, the most shocking NBA news story ever was Magic retiring because he tested positive for HIV. He was just 32 years old, the MVP runner-up, and had gone to the NBA Finals the previous year. Can you imagine how a fanbase would react today if a top 3 player led his team to the NBA Finals and then was no longer playing for them? Well, never mind!

Magic ended up being voted to the All-Star game, but I always wondered if he would have had enough votes if the league hadn't started accepting votes so early. What many people don't remember is the NBA used to allow All-Star voting during the first week of the season. Since Magic retired in November, he already had a month of votes before anyone knew he was positive for HIV. Keep in mind that this was during a time when most people knew very little about the virus. Here's what Karl Malone had to say about Dream Team teammate:

"Look at this, scabs and cuts all over me. I get these every night, every game. They can't tell you that you're not at risk, and you can't tell me there's one guy in the NBA who hasn't thought about it."

Despite the concerns, Magic played and played well. The final minutes of the game in the Magic Kingdom were genuinely Magical:

• Back-to-back three pointers
• Bullet pass to Dan Majerle
• Guards Isiah Thomas one-on-one and causes him to shoot an airball
• Guards Michael Jordan one-on-one and causes him to miss a jumper
• Knocks down a fadeaway three over Thomas

"The 1992 All-Star game is a core memory of mine!" Said Magic on his Facebook page. "I owe so much to Commissioner David Stern allowing me to play in the game and helping me change the world after my diagnosis. Love the last couple minutes of the game, competing against my two good friends and NBA greats Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas. Looking forward to watching this year’s All-Stars play tonight!"

I can't say I'm "looking forward" to watching this year's All-Star game but I am trying to stay optimistic and hoping the players will act like they care and play with the joy and pride that players like Magic had.