On Sunday, LeBron James won his seventh NBA All-Star Game as captain, led this time by MVP candidate Steph Curry, who scored 50 points and drained 16 threes. At Cleveland, Ohio’s Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, where King James played 11 seasons and handed the Cavaliers their sole championship ring, the Los Angeles Lakers, led by LeBron James, defeated Kevin Durant, who was unable to participate, 163–160.
The league honored the 75 all-time great basketball players during halftime; they had been chosen in October of previous year. Most of them came there specifically to join in the celebration and win the public’s admiration. It was to be expected that Michael Jordan was among those in attendance, one of the most enthusiastic, and the final person to enter the platform.
The NBA thus experienced a spectacular reunion between its greatest figures in its history who had a few minutes to greet each other and chat. they were just Jordan and LeBron the protagonists of a hug that went viral, in the middle of the debate about which of the two has been better on the court.
The hug between LeBron James and Michael Jordan (USA TODAY Sports) (David Richard /)
At the end of the game, the current player of the Lakers He explained why the greeting between the two was so affectionate: “Shaking hands with the man who inspired me all my childhood… I didn’t have much dialogue with him in my 19 years in the league, but I wouldn’t be here without MJ’s inspiration. I always wanted to be like him, since I was little. It’s crazy that tonight’s winning shot was a Fadeaway, inspired by MJ. The way he wore his sneakers, his uniform, even some of the cars he drove were a huge inspiration to me. I didn’t want to waste that opportunity because we’re not in the same place very often. And it hasn’t happened often in my career either and it meant a lot to me.”
was the forward’s 18th All-Star, but it was his first in Cleveland, which is only 60 kilometers from his hometown of Akron. The former Cavaliers champion, who finished with 24 points and has won every Game of Stars since the NBA did away with the conference-based format in 2018, said, “I couldn’t have dreamed of making the All-Star Game-winning basket near where I grew up and watched it with my friends.”
The Cleveland public He was able to witness dozens of celebrities, some of whom are still in the spotlight, assembling on a platform erected in the middle of the stadium. The most enthusiastic were Michael Jordan, the greatest player of all time, and Lebron James, the current league leader and big idol of the city, Kobe Bryant, who passed away. Standing ovations were also given to Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Dennis Rodman—the lone person who defied the fashion and wore a hat, a mask, and sunglasses—and Larry Bird, who was not in attendance.
LeBron and Curry, the All-Star players who were born in the same city, hospital, floor, and physician, were prophets in their native land.
The NBA’s tribute to the greatest 75 players in history included an applause for Michael Jordan and a unique Rodman appearance.
NBA player Manu Ginóbili’s silent homage during the All-Star Game