#NBA75: Jordan, Dirk, Kobe & Co.
An NBA show like never before
Von Seb Dumitru
02/26/2022, 12:32 p.m
A rare appearance from Michael Jordan becomes the highlight of an epic basketball night that offers a perfect show between an awe-inspiring Dirk Nowitzki, a record-breaking gala from Steph Curry, a winner from LeBron James and the 75 greatest players of all time.
There are nights, even in a league that has produced countless unforgettable basketball moments, that put everything else in the shade. Last Sunday was such an evening. Although “Team LeBron” and “Team Durant” dueled on the floor in an unexpectedly high-class manner, it was the epic halftime show that turned the All-Star weekend in cold Cleveland into an incomparable, legendary one.
To mark its 75th anniversary, the NBA honored the 76 greatest basketball players of all time. Of the 61 who survived, 45 were in the hall on Sunday. Presented by Oscar winners Spike Lee and Forest Whitaker, icons such as Magic Johnson, Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan, Charles Barkley, Reggie Miller and Patrick ran within minutes Ewing over the red VIP floor. A mixture of awe, admiration, sentimental nostalgia and gratitude filled the packed arena and airwaves of the World Wide Web.
Also in the middle: Dirk Nowitzki, who led the Dallas Mavericks to their first and only championship in 2011. Only a few weeks ago, the German was allowed to pull his jersey with the number 41 under the hall ceiling after wearing it uninterruptedly for 21 years – an all-time NBA record in a record-obsessed league. “It’s something very special in this space between all these legends,” said the Würzburger after the ceremony. “You have to pinch yourself, it’s a bit surreal. It’s just an unbelievable feeling to be here.”
“It’s hard to understand”
Between civil rights heroes like Abdul-Jabbar and Robertson, 1990s icons like Olajuwon and O’Neal, or style pioneers like Allen Iverson and Dennis Rodman, today’s superstars have also popped up. For example, the best marksman of all time: Stephen Curry. Nowitzki’s successor as European Finals MVP: Giannis Antetokounmpo. Or local hero LeBron James, who was born and raised just 30 minutes away and carried the Cleveland Cavaliers to the only title in club history in 2016 in that same hall. “It’s hard to understand,” James tried to put his euphoria into words. “25 years ago we wanted to be close to our heroes. To not only see them today, but to stand up there with them, that’s just crazy.”
The best moment of the night came from James and the man who was introduced last but celebrated the loudest: Michael “Air” Jordan. One of his very rare public appearances and the few minutes in the limelight once again underlined Jordan’s reputation as “GOAT – The greatest of all time”. Regardless of who you personally prefer in the eternal debate about the best player of all time: Jordan’s influence – on the game and its popularity worldwide, modern pop culture, as well as all generations since his third and final retirement almost 20 years ago – remains today unmatched.
“He inspired me,” says James. “I wouldn’t be here today without Jordan. I always wanted to be like him when I was younger. It’s crazy: even my winning goal today was a fadeaway, inspired by MJ. It means a lot to me.” The fact that James and Jordan, with whom the “King” has been compared continuously since his adolescence, not only stood together in a hall, but also hugged each other deeply and exchanged jokes after the ceremony was nothing less than steeped in history. The fascination: downright tangible. This moment alone crowned an already princely evening.
“This guy is not from this planet”
A total of seven All-Star freshmen dived into the scene and soaked up all the star power before the actual basketball game resumed after the break. The youngsters were amazed there too, because the second half became the big LeBron and Curry show. The two biggest stars of the NBA ranked together for the same team and co-produced Team LeBron’s comeback win.
Curry, who only broke the record for most three-pointers in an NBA career in December, once again threw himself into a frenzy. Everything went in, the triple champion netted a total of 16 threes on the way to 50 points. “This guy is not from this planet,” analyzed James. Never before has a player scored more three-pointers in an NBA game, and the scoring record in the All-Star game (52) almost tumbled as well. Curry won the trophy for the night’s “Most Valuable Player” named after the late Kobe Bryant. “We miss Kobe,” said Nowitzki’s former Mavs teammate Jason Kidd. “He would have fit in here perfectly, alongside Jordan, Dr. J, LeBron and the best of the best.”
The final point was reserved for James. A single goal away from victory, the 37-year-old Lakers star demanded the ball on the right edge of the zone, turned away in the best Jordan manner and sank the decisive basket to make it 163:160. Fans and observers have been joking for a long time as to whether the NBA actually has its own script department, thinks up dramaturgically appealing highlights and cleverly implements them. Moments like in Cleveland feed the myth. It was a perfect All-Star Sunday that the league and its protagonists could not have dreamed of – a welcome, comforting respite in these times of global tension and collective uncertainty.
The fascination of this game has always been in the synergies that arise between individuals and the team construct and ideally lead to a joint triumph. However, the success of this league is inseparably linked to the fascination that these 76 superstars in particular have sparked over 75 years. The 71st NBA All-Star Game in Cleveland reminded us once again that just as the scepter of greatness passes from one generation to the next, basketball inexorably carves out new tracks. Higher, faster, further, bigger. To the next 75…
