2018 NBA All-Star Weekend at Staples Center

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Alejandro Marroquin, Staff Writer

The 2018 NBA All Star Weekend was in Los Angeles at the Staple Center. The All Star weekend was from February 16-18. A lot of celebrities were at the events like Chance The Rapper, Justin Bieber, Quavo, and many more. The All Star Weekend had many events including: the Celebrity Game, the Rising Star Game, the Taco Bell Skills Challenge, the JBL 3-Point Contest, the Verizon Slam Dunk Contest, and the NBA All Star Game.

The first event was the celebrity game. It was Team Lakers vs. Team Clippers. Some of the celebrities on Team Lakers were NickCannon, Sterling Brim, Candace Parker, and Justin Bieber. Some celebrities on Team Clippers were Jamie Foxx, Quavo, Andre de Grasse, and Brandon Armstrong. Team Clippers beat Team Lakers 75-66. The MVP of the celebrity game was Quavo. He scored 19 points, the highest points scored in the game. People on Twitter says that he should join the NBA. That’s how good he played.

The second event was the Rising Star Game, where rookies and sophomores play together and face each other. It was Team USA (players who are from the U.S) and Team World (players who are from another country). Team World beat Team USA 155-124. The MVP of the game was Sacramento King’s rookie Bogdan Bogdonavic. He lead Team World with 26 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and seven 3 pointers coming off the bench.

The third event was the Taco Bell Skills Challenge. Players had to dribble through obstacles then pass the ball to a target then dribble all the way to the other side of the court and make a lay up, then dribble all the way to the opposite side of the court and shoot a 3 pointer. Whoever does it the fastest wins the challenge. The winner of the Taco Bell Skills Challenge was Spencer Dinwiddie from the Brooklyn Nets.

The fourth event was the JBL 3 Point Contest. There were two rounds of the contest. The first three players who scored the most points advanced to the second round. Whoever scores the most points in the final round won the contest. The winner of the contest was Devin Booker from the Phoenix Suns. He scored 28 points, which was the most points ever scored in  3 Point competition history.

The fifth event was the Verizon Slam Dunk Contest. Four players showcased the best dunks that they could do. Their dunks were judged by five judges. The most points a judge can give a player is 10. The highest score a player can get is a 50. There are 2 rounds and each player gets to show off 2 dunks per round. The player with the highest score wins. The winner of the slam dunk contest was Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz. He scored 48 and 50 on the first round and 50 and 48 on the second round. His winning dunk was a 360 windmill dunk, which was the same dunk Vince Carter won on the 2000 slam dunk contest. He chose to do that dunk to praise Vince Carter.

The sixth and final event of the All Star Weekend was the All Star Game. The best players in the league team up and face each other. It was Team Lebron vs. Team Stephen. The team that wins would receive a monetary bonus of over $100,000 per player.

The teams also played for charities. Each team had a different charity they were playing for. The game went back and forth and at the end, Lebron scored a layup and sealed the win beating Team Curry 148-145. Lebron James was the MVP of the game. He lead his team with 29 points, 8 assists, and 10 rebounds, a double-double.