Phoenix - Valley Fever - 2009 NBA All-Star Game: Defense (For a Change), Jumpshots, and Forced Drama 2009 NBA All-Star Game: Defense (For a Change), Jumpshots, and Forced Drama
By Martin Cizmar
The only thing the sports media love more than a good feud is a half-assed gesture to end it under meaningless circumstances. So it was that Kobe and Shaq were forced to awkwardly hoist a trophy together at the 2009 NBA All-Star game, just as they did back when they were three-time champions together, long before Shaq dissed Kobe in every medium available, including a famous freestyle in which the big man repeatedly rapped, "Kobe, tell me how my ass taste."
Now, how exactly the two men became co-MVPs when there was fan voting at work is a little mysterious. Did both guys really get exactly the same number of votes by text message? Damn, what are the odds?! But since the moment provided the only real excitement in a humdrum night at US Airways Center, we'll cut the league some slack.
Actually "humdrum" may be too nice a word. The 2009 NBA All-Star Game was a real slog, from start to finish. For some inexplicable reason, the players decided to play defense until the final minutes, which pretty much wrecked the vibe of a night that's usually an aerobatic spectacle. We saw more spectacularly missed dunks than made ones and the East squad alone hoisted up 34 three-point attempts. Yes, 34 three-pointers. In an All-Star Game. Oof.
Here are the rest of our thoughts from the cheap seats.
* There was Lakers gear everywhere at the arena. Guess folks decided to travel from L.A. for the day.
* It's amazing how many looky-loos show up at these things, waiting behind a barricade for hours, hoping for a fleeting glance at the back of Allen Iverson's freshly shorn head. Actually, maybe amazing isn't the right word . . . pathetic?
* The introductions are always a great time to gauge the mood of the crowd. Turns out this one was pretty heavily Western, and all-together anti-Spurs.
Tony Parker and Tim Duncan were booed lustily. Kobe got a mix. Yao Ming did pretty well. LeBron James and Allen Iverson did very well.
* Did anyone else know Grant Hill's wife has been nominated for four Grammys? Sure, she didn't win any, but that's still super-impressive.
* If Suns Coach Terry Porter was at the game, we didn't see him. From the looks of things, he's getting ready to get the ax sometime today.
* Does Jordin Sparks have to sing the anthem at every single nationally televised sporting event originating in the greater Phoenix area? We like the girl, but we feel we know every note she's going to hit at this point.
* Shaq stole the show, doing a routine with a dance troupe called JabbaWockeeZ during his introduction. To us, Shaq's mask looked like the one Buckethead wears, but of course the enigmatic axman is much more a fan of LeBron than the Diesel. Here's the video of that little stunt.