CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Take a bow, Cleveland.
Once again, the city and hometown stars shined on the national stage.
Here are our Top Takeaways from an incredible All-Star Weekend.
1. It felt like the entire weekend that LeBron James wished he was hosting All-Star Weekend as a Cav.
2. With all due respect to the four-time NBA champion and league MVP, James was not Cleveland’s third All-Star as he quipped during All-Star media day Saturday. He abdicated the throne as King of Cleveland twice. He was the Lakers’ and Akron’s All-Star.
3. It was poetic that the two kids from Akron stole the show during the All-Star Game – James burying the game winner and Steph Curry’s record 16 3-pointers and 50 cent piece.
4. James’ comments to Jason Lloyd of The Athletic about the door not being closed on a second return to Cleveland and a third stint in Wine and Gold was not surprising, but clearly calculated. One, it puts pressure on the Lakers to retool the roster once again to help him win his fifth ring. Clearly this year’s team isn’t going anywhere, and James sees the clock ticking on his career. Even with the millions he invests annually into taking care of his body, father time remains undefeated. Second, James sees what Koby Altman has built since his most recent departure in 2018 and has made it known when Kevin Love’s contract comes off the books and James becomes a free agent after next season, he’s interested. Before everyone gets too excited, James made it clear to Lloyd he would not be coming back on a discount, so he’s given Altman a heads up to prepare to work his max contract into planning for 2023-24. The previous two stints for James – 2003 as the No. 1 pick and signing as a free agent in 2014, the Cavs were a trainwreck, a rudderless ship with no identity and both times and he was burdened with carrying the franchise. He won’t have to do it a third time, making another return all the more appealing to him.
5. James also made his son, Bronny, a made man during All-Star Weekend by confirming he’ll do whatever it takes to play at least one season with his son, including playing for a minimum salary. So if James does come back to Cleveland, the window to win another championship would be one or two seasons. Every GM is on notice that landing Bronny will be a two for one deal.
6. James’ philanthropic impact off the floor remains nothing short of remarkable. The I Promise School and I Promise college tuition program will have a far lasting impact than just handing out shoes, shirts or backpacks to kids. That’s not to criticize those other endeavors but providing education to children who otherwise financially would be unable to pursue it past high school without the aid of sports will have a lasting impact for generations to come. James really is the posterchild of the American dream – a young boy who grew up in poverty to become a global icon.
7. The charity component addition to the All-Star game is fantastic. James’ I Promise college tuition program took home $450,000 and the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, sponsored by Team Durant, was awarded $300,000.
7. Let’s be honest, All-Star Games are rarely memorable.
This one will be remembered for years to come thanks to James’ game-winning fadeaway over two defenders, Curry’s 3-point barrage and the 75th anniversary halftime celebration.
8. Cleveland has been blessed when it comes to NBA All-Star celebrations. 1981 was the 35th anniversary at Richfield Coliseum. We got the Top-50 celebration in 1997, and this past weekend for the league’s diamond anniversary the Top 75 all time. Shall we pencil Cleveland in for the 100th anniversary celebration next?
9. The 75th anniversary halftime ceremony was as chilling as it was exhilarating. Over 40 of the 75 legends that were honored attended. Saving Michael Jordan as the final player to be introduced was the icing on the cake.
10. Good for James to share a moment with Jordan after the ceremony. Seeing two icons of their respective generations embrace and acknowledge each other’s greatness is what makes the NBA fraternity so special.
11. Much respect to the fans. Curry and Draymond Green were met with plenty of boos for winning three of four NBA Finals against the Cavs between 2015 and 2018, but we’ll always have 2016. Green played along with the hate all weekend but give him credit for acknowledging how good the new-look young Cavs are and are going to be for years to come when talking to reporters. Curry turning the boos into standing ovations by the fourth quarter Sunday night was a sight to behold as well.
12. The Cavs did all they could to keep James from completely stealing the spotlight from them as hosts and a team on the rise. They took advantage of the home cookin’ and swept the weekend of events. Isaac Okoro and Evan Mobley helped win the Rising Stars Friday night, Mobley, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen won the Skills Competition Saturday and Garland and Allen were victorious on Team LeBron.
13. We are in the era of needing a Big 3 to win an NBA championship. The Cavs have their next version in Mobley, Garland and Allen. Garland and Allen are already All-Stars and Mobley will be joining them, possibly as early as next year. They just need more experience, including the playoffs, to learn what it will take to become a perennial championship contender.
14. The All-Star venues – from Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse to Public Hall, the Wolstein Center, even Tower City were spectacular hosts. Unfortunately, the NBA Crossover and other events had to be scaled back due to COVID, but the weekend felt as close to normal as we’ve had since the pandemic began.
15. We would be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge Kobe Bryant and his legacy. Creating an iconic All-Star Game MVP trophy and naming it after him was a no-brainer for the league. It’s still hard to comprehend that Bryant is gone, tragically lost far too soon.
16. We duck while saying this, but all Curry does is win trophies in Cleveland. He’s left town twice with the Larry O’Brien in tow, and now he’s left with the Kobe Bryant All-Star MVP hardware.
17. This is an unpopular take for the “Get rid of the dunk contest” crowd, but the problem isn’t the dunk contest, it’s the participants and rules. First, the star power needs to return to participate. It’s a shame James has never competed. He should’ve by now. Dwight Howard, Vince Carter, Kobe Bryant, Dominique Wilkins and Michael Jordan have competed and won. Whether it’ll take a financial incentive or not, the NBA needs its stars to compete in it. Also, the rules need to be modified. Participants should get three runs at the rim to complete a dunk – not three attempts that turns into nine tries at the same dunk. Three, and that’s it. That will solve the pacing problem and prevent another yawn-fest like we saw Saturday night from occurring again.