The NBA All Star festivities are almost over after the second day saw the player competitions take centre stage.
In what was a rather lacklustre day, fans watching on didn’t hold back in calling out the league and the players over the outing.
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The big winner on the day was the contest between shooting superstars Stephen Curry and Sabrina Ionescu in the first ever one-on-one shootout.
The NBA All Star Game will take place on Monday (AEDT) to wrap up the weekend.
2.50pm – It’s time to scrap the dunk contest
The once jewel in the crown of All Star Weekend has continued it’s ugly fall from grace with a lacklustre display wrapping up festivities on Sunday.
Defending champion Mac McClung produced the best dunk of the opening round, but didn’t register a higher score than Jaylen Brown who had arguably the worst dunk of the four.
The judges, made up of a group of former and older NBA players copped the wrath from those watching on.
Praise was thrown on Jaylen Brown for being the first star player to step up and take on the dunk contest in a long time, but fans were convinced there was an agenda behind the scoring.
Brown’s first two dunks were nothing to write home about, despite that he comfortably made it through to the final against McClung thanks to the judges scores.
In the final his first dunk was again nothing special, but he was handed a decent score. McClung jumped over two man and only marginally outscored him.
The second attempt saw Brown don a glittery white glove on his left hand and jump over Donovan Mitchell.
McClung’s final attempt saw him bring out Shaquille O’Neal and soar over the legend for a show-stopping slam.
Despite the loud booing from most of the night, the judges got it right and awarded the trophy to McClung, making him a back-to-back winner.
First round
Jamie Jaquez Jr. – 47.4
Jacob Toppin – 47.8
Jaylen Brown – 48.8
Mac McClung – 48
Second round
Jamie Jaquez Jr – 47
Jacob Toppin – 47.2
Jaylen Brown – 47.6
Mac McClung – 49.4
Final
Jaylen Brown – 48.6 + 49.2
Mac McClung – 48.8 + 50
2pm – Fans slam legend’s misogynistic comments
Stephen Curry is the greatest shooter of all time and he just proved it by taking down the WNBA GOAT in Sabrina Ionescu.
The competition was a year in the making between the two greatest shooters.
Ionescu took to the stage first and was on fire from the get go before finishing with the equal best score from the three-point competition as she finished with 26 points.
It was then Curry’s turn and he showed why he is considered the greatest shooter the game of basketball has ever seen.
After a bit of a slower start, Curry got going and finished on fire as he racked up the highest score of the night with 29 points.
The NBA world couldn’t get enough of the shootout between the two GOATs with fans loving the display from Ionescu.
Despite the brilliant showing from the WNBA superstar, NBA commentator Kenny Smith said she should have shot from the three-point line used in the women’s game.
The comments didn’t sit well with fellow commentator Reggie Miller who quickly called him out.
Fans watching on weren’t happy with the remarks and followed in Miller’s footsteps by condemning Smith’s comments.
One user wrote: “Kenny smith is embarrassing himself by suggesting Sabrina should’ve shot from the women’s line. She shot just as well as the plays in the main competition.”
Another wrote: “kenny smith misogyny coming through my TV screen.”
1.45pm – Dame completes 16-year first
For the first time since 2007-2008, we have a back-to-back winner of the three-point competition.
Milwaukee’s Damian Lillard proved too strong for the rest of the field as he reigned supreme from beyond the arc for the second straight year.
Lillard entered the final round needing more than 24 points and entered his final five shots needing to hit only one.
He added to the drama of it all by missing the first four shots before wrapping up the competition on the final shot of the event.
First round
Trae Young – 26
Tyrese Haliburton – 26
Karl-Anthony Towns – 26
Damian Lillard – 26
Donovan Mitchell – 21 (eliminated)
Malik Beasley – 20 (eliminated)
Jalen Brunson – 24 (eliminated)
Lauri Markkanen – 25 (eliminated)
Tiebreaker round
Trae Young – 15
Karl-Anthony Towns – 16
Damian Lillard – 16
Tyrese Haliburton – 12 (eliminated)
Final
Damian Lillard – 26
Karl-Anthony Towns – 22
Trae Young – 24
12.30pm – Star called out over disrespectful act
The team of first overall picks has come out in horror fashion after Paolo Banchero ran the wrong way through the course before Anthony Edwards couldn’t convert a three point attempt as he shot all three left handed.
The right handed shooter made the absurd claim on Saturday he was going to shoot lefty all weekend long, he wasn’t joking but it cost his team dearly and didn’t sit well with fans.
Team Indy took out the opening portion of the competition before taking out stage two to hold a commanding lead with the final competition to go.
Edwards reverted back to his usual right-handed stance moments later as the teams took part in a shooting competition.
Team Indy took out the opening portion of the competition before taking out stage two to hold a commanding lead with the final competition to go.
The final saw Team Indy take on Team All Star in a halfcourt shooting with the hometown trio of Tyrese Haliburton, Benedict Mathurin and Myles Turner securing the win over Tyrese Maxey, Trae Young and Scottie Barnes.
11.30am – Chris Brown erupts at Celebrity Game snub
Chris Brown claims he was disinvited from playing in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game due to his past domestic violence incident with ex-girlfriend Rihanna.
The “Under the Influence” singer shared screenshots via his Instagram Stories early Sunday morning of emails he allegedly received from the basketball league, in which they talked about co-ordinating his “travel and “logistics” for All-Star weekend, which is underway in Indianapolis.
In one email from an alleged representative of the NBA, they shared images of what Brown’s blue uniform would look like as part of Lil Wayne’s team.
“I was asked by the NBA to play in the all star game this year! Only for them to call later and say they couldn’t do IT because of their sponsors like RUFFLES,” he wrote in one of the posts.
“At this point I’m sick of people bothering me and I’m tired of living in the f***ing past. I POSTED THE EMAILS SO YALL COULD SEE. The NBA still was tryna get me to come and sit court side … NOT F***ING HAPPENING.”
The Grammy winner, 34, concluded his message, saying, “I ONLY GO WHERE IM APPRECIATED.”
Fans took to Twitter to defend Brown against the NBA and Ruffles, claiming that the companies have shown hypocrisy when choosing to ban certain people.
“How many NBA players right now are still actively hired with DV cases, or putting hands on their SO’s and we don’t know it yet? But Chris Brown is the malcontent who can’t be allowed to tarnish the brand ….a man who took responsibility for his actions and made amends. Yea ok,” tweeted one user.
“Ruffles is the same company that allowed Charles Barkley to be a sponsor. Charles Barkley is the same bozo that made an insensitive domestic violence joke in 1990. Charles Barkley is the same individual that told a woman in 2019 ‘I don’t hit women, but if I did I would hit you’. Today he is still a sponsor for Ruffles,” added another.
Ruffles told Page Six in a statement: “Ruffles sponsored last night’s NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, however Ruffles did not have any involvement in, nor visibility to, any player decisions or celebrity invite discussions.”
Since Brown pleaded guilty to one count of felony assault for beating then-girlfriend Rihanna, now 35, in 2009, he has found himself in a heap of legal trouble.
In 2017, the “No Guidance” singer’s ex Karrueche Tran was granted a five-year restraining order against him for allegedly becoming aggressive towards her when she wouldn’t return money and gifts he gave during their relationship.
– Tamantha Ryan, Page Six
11am – All Star Sunday competitors
Skills Competition
Team Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin, Myles Turner
Team Top Picks: Paolo Banchero, Anthony Edwards, Victor Wembanyama
Team All-Stars: Scottie Barnes, Tyrese Maxey, Trae Young
Three Point Contest
Malik Beasley
Jalen Brunson
Tyrese Haliburton
Damian Lillard (defending champ)
Lauri Markkanen
Donovan Mitchell
Karl-Anthony Towns
Trae Young
Dunk Contest
Jaylen Brown
Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Mac McClung (defending champ)
Jacob Toppin
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