by Nima Zarrabi & Maurice Bobb
Alright ladies and germs, your friendly neighborhood SLAM crew is live and in color to give you the straight dope on all things All Star. We got jacked on the signs with our names on them, but no worries. I made sure we got a great seat right under the basket, in full view of players, coaches and screaming fans.
* Just spoke to Shaq, who assured me that Chris Tucker has got game, but he’s ridin’ with Terrell Owens team for the W. We’re live in less than 20. Let’s get it.
* Ervin “Magic” Johnson is courtside ready for the action. He’s flanked by Drake, who will be performing “Say Something,” “Bedrock,” “Best I Ever Had” and “Forever” at during halftime tonight.
* Just got word from Alonzo Mourning that Chris Tucker was not able to make it to play in tonight’s game. Crap. It ain’t a party with Smokey.
* Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is throwing up some serious bricks in the warmups.
* SLAM fav CP3 is here with his kids taking in the action. I hate that he’s injured. He would have broken some ankles in the All Star game Sunday.
* DJ Irie on the turntables getting the crowd hype on a medley of jams. Excuse me while i nod my head…
* Announcer just asked if any of the women in the crowd would like to sit next to Drake. Of course, I lost my hearing with all of the shrill yelling in the affirmative.
* Starting lineups. So far, Terrell Owens has gotten the largest applause and cheers during introductions. Stuart Scott is talking to Zo, who coaching T.O. He says Magic doesn’t have anything for his squad.
* Cue the screams. They just introduced Drake.
* Wow. Magic just clowned Zo about only having one championship ring. Magic said his team will contain last year’s MVP, T.O.
* T-shirt toss. I’m always amazed by how people will look as foolish as possible just for something free. Now if they were tossing out free rent or car note payments, I’ll jump up and down like I’m on the Price is Right.
* Mark Cuban is starting. Call me crazy, but I think the All Star being held in Dallas has more to do with it than his playing ability. He built a two-story condo with the bricks he shot during warmups.
* Robert Horry with the first shot of the game and it rims out. Nancy Lieberman nails a mid-range jumper on the other end.
* Rick Fox with the basket. Cuban misses a corner J at the other end.
* East up 4-3 with 5:10 remaining. Lieberman just tied it up with a made shot from the charity stripe.
* Special K with the tomahawk jam! And T.O. returns the favor on the other end. Who would have thought we’d see dunks in this game?
* Horry buries a three-pointer from the wing. Big Shot Rob!
* Cuban with the rebound. Cuban with the badly missed putback. I though for sure he could buy a bucket with all that money he’s got.
* Cowboy demonstrates to Carmelo Anthony on the sidelines how to lasso a bull. But he can’t quite do it. Don’t they do that kind of thing in Baltimore? I’m confused.
* Special K gets in his Harlem Globetrotters’ antics. Ref just laughs it off.
* T-Mobile challenge during the timeout. Two women get 60 seconds to complete the challenge. They win…what exactly?
* Pibull pushes the ball and shoots a backboard breakin’ brick. He may need to shoot it in Spanish.
* Common and Chris Tucket just blessed the arena with their arrival. Smokey!
* East leads 15-12 in the second quarter. Common off the bench into the game. Of course DJ Irie plays Universal Mind Control.
* Smokey in the game. Let’s see what he can do. We know he can eat. Chris been eatin’ good off that Rush Hour money.
* More free stuff = more audience members losing cool points.
* New Orleans Saints running back Pierre Thomas is in the house fresh off his Superbowl win in the MI-yayo. Can he lasso? No sir!
* Common with the nice move in the lane but East still up 19-14 with 2:15 remaining in the first half.
* Big Shot Rob at the free throw line. Gets one of two to fall. West within four. In the lull after the make, a fan yells to Cuban to get Chris Bosh for the Mavs. That would be a helluva homecoming for the DFW native.
* Horry gets the West within two, but T.O. nails a corner trey on the other end to stretch it back to five. Common comes back with a deuce. East leads 21-19 at the half.
* Fans are excited about the trade rumors involving the Mavs and Wizards that would send Josh Howard to D.C. and Caron Butler to Dallas.
* West finally in the lead 26-23 in the third quarter. Common is playing pretty good. Guess the fact that he’s playing a baller in the new movie, “Just Wright” won’t be so far-fetched.
* The Globetrotters perform a routine during halftime. Never get tired of these guys. Ahhh, the trickery and ability to control the rock.
* The Houston Rockets’ Trevor Ariza can’t lasso either. Are there any cowboys left in Dallas? Well, besides the ones who can’t win a playoff series?
* T.O. at the line. Misses the first. Special K rubs it in and makes him miss the second.
* East leads 26-25 at the end of the third period. What? No free stuff? I promise I’ll make a fool of myself. Just bring out some free stuff.
* Ahhhh. Here comes the free stuff. On a serious note, it was cool to see a little kid win an Xbox in a blindfold cat and mouse game with Chris Tucker. Smokey!
* Michael Rappaport hits a nifty left-handed dipsy doo shot under the basket. Now he’s gonna jack everything he touches. Blee that.
* Lebron James is here. He and Drake will be judging four of the nation’s best amateur dunkers in a Sprite Slam Dunk Showdown immediately after the Celebrity Game.
* Smokey fouls BET’s Terrance J. Mr. 106 & Park hits two of three freebies. Here comes the Houston Rockets’ launch crew to cook up some dance moves. I could do flips just like they do, but I didn’t bring my flippin’ shoes. Otherwise, I would.
* Special K with the rim-rocka to put the West up 33-30 with 2:58 remaining in the game.
* The guy from Avatar ain’t half bad. Wait, he might be playing in an Avatar now for all we know. That James Cameron is a tricky one.
* Special K again messing with the ref. He chases him down with a bucket of water and nails the scorer’s table with a whole lotta wet.
* Timeout on the floor with 58 seconds left in the game. West up 39-35. Looks like Shaq might be wrong. T.O. and his squad are really close to racking up an L.
* Magic is saying it’s over. He may be right. The East can’t hit a shot down the stretch. West up 41-37 with 5 seconds left.
* It’s a wrap. West win 41-37. The Magic man gets another one.
*Taking the baton from Maurice. Nima Zarrabi checking in from American Airlines arena at the Rookie-Sophomore game.
*Starting lineup for sophomores: Beasley, Gallinari, Lopez, Mayo and Westbrook. Rookies: Casspi, Curry, Blair, Jennings and Evans.
*Incredible backcourt battle brewing. Russell Westbrook and O.J. Mayo vs. Brandon Jennings and Tyreke Evans. Who you got?
* Very difficult. I gotta go with the young bucks, Jennings and Evans. Brandon’s high-top fade sold me.
* Craig Sager has taken it to another level with his pink suit tonight. His pants are so big they look like jammies.
* Gallinari definitely going with a Euro-cut short.
* Canadian singer Kreesha, who sang the Canadian national anthem a few minutes ago has the best afro here. Hands down.
* Gallinari starts it off with his sweet stroke. Jennings answers back quick with jumper and assist.
* I wish Beasley would have let his hair out tonight. Don’t know if he could compete with Kreesha.
* Beasley trying to dunk for an emmy. Tied at 11 with 16 min left. There must be a microphone near the rim because every miss here sounds like a monster clank.
* Both defenses starting to take it easy. Here come the subs.
* Can’t decide who has the best shoes here. Lots of patent leather out there. Mayo is rocking the yellow laces with his nikes. Pretty Sweet. Dancers with blond wigs and cut up tights take center court during timeout. Not sure if this is appropriate for this crowd, but I’m diggin it.
* Correction: everyone on the court right now has patent leather on sneaks except for Kevin Love and his nikes.
* Hit the record button on your DVR. Jerebko has checked in. Love with the short jumper and Taj Gibson answers with a J of his own. 23-23 with 13 min left.
* Pat Ewing and Chris Bosh are coaching the Sophs. Bosh is stylin with his purple sweater underneath his blazer. Rookies are being coached by Adrian Dantley and Kevin Durant. Durant is looking super fresh in all black suit and tie.
* Flynn looks incredibly short next to Westbrook, but most PG’s do. Some Spanish media peeps next to me cheer as Gasol hits layup for Sophs. 29-28 rookies.
* Does Mark Gasol’s development mean anything when we look back on the Pau Gasol trade?
* Westbrook turned to rookie bench and stared at Steph Curry after he made jumper from left side. Looked friendly though.
* I know half a season has passed, but seeing James Harden without the big white under shirt he always wore at ASU is strange. 42-37 rookies. Flynn and Curry a little off on their running chest bumb as they headed to huddle during timeout.
* Does James Harden have the best beard in the L?
* Nate Robinson in the building.
* 5 total fouls called thus far. Refs letting the kids play. Tyreke drives past Mayo and Lopez for easy two. Westbrook answers back with coast-to-coast layup. 48-43 rooks.
* Blair showing everyone why he doesn’t need an ACL. Wow. Great dunk by the big man.
* Oh my goodness…Tyreke Evans with the best move of the night, up and under layup.
* Anthony Morrow struggling. Seems to be moving a bit slow. Wonder if his knee is bothering him. Wearing a strange brace. Game starting to get sloppy with errant passes, until Mayo dishes to Gasol for a dunk.
* The rooks finish the half with a nice flurry of scores, pushing their lead to 67-55. Jennings and Evans lead all scorers with 14 pts each.
* Photogs tighting up the cameras that are positioned behind the backboard. Surely getting ready for some dunks. Dunk off between DeRozan and Gordon about to get going. I’m picking DeRozen and his fresh legs.
* And the winner is…DeRozan, even though they spelled his name wrong on the scoreboard.
* Watching the players warm-up at half, I’m wondering who the most likely future MVP is from this group. I think it comes down to Jennings and Evans. Both are explosive scorers and will likely have free reign on their squads for the next couple seasons.
* Shannon Brown and Pau Gasol are sitting in the front row. Pau in a suit, Shannon in jeans and sneaks.
* Jennings seems to have another speed he can tap into when he drives to the rack. When he gets a little more weight on that frame, it’s going to get scary. A couple of possesions ago he drove to the rim and ran into a wall named Gallinari. Turnover.
* Steph Curry coming off a screen, squaring up and releasing is a beautiful thang. His fundamentals stand out in a game like this. He just ran off 7 points and the rooks are kicking ass, 81-65>
* Westbrook is trying to keep the sophs in it, but he needs some help. Wolf Blitzer of CNN in the front row, texting every couple minutes. Didn’t know they liked hoop in the situation room.
* 83-69 sophs with about 15 minutes left. Sager is creeping down the baseline, searching for interviews. Curry just checked out and went for chest bump with Casspi, who didn’t get the memo. Awkward.
* Flynn bangs in a three as Curry and Jennings give him mad love from the bench. 88-73 rookies.
* Westbrook isn’t giving up even though most of the sophs are over it.
* Flynn just tried to set this place off with a breakaway windmill. Rattled out. Timeout. 98-84 sophs with 11 minutes left. Westbrook with 26. Evans with 21 for rookies.
* Wish I could listen to this telecast in chinese like Darksaber. Does “LeBron” sound the same in Chinese? I just happened to be at a hotel here in Dallas last night when the King arrived with his supreme team around 3am, his young son in tow. He looked all business.
* Little more than 8 minutes left and the intensity has changed. Here comes the late push. Rooks up, 108-94, as Evans and Flynn check in to hold down the backcourt.
* Westbrook with an ill take. 32 points and counting. Can he win MVP if the sophs
* Sorry: That was supposed to read, “Can he win MVP if the sophs lose?”
* A bunch of heavy set dudes just did a Michael Jackson/Janet Jackson dance medley. Hilarious but a tad gross thanks to the half shirts they were wearing.
* Westbrook with a two straight threes to get to 40 points. Is he going for a Durant-like finish in this game or what. 119-108 Rookies.
* If Pat Ewing wants to be a head coach someday, maybe he should re-think taking out his best player. Why is Westbrook on the bench? Maybe he’s tired. Weird.
* Sam Presti is sitting so pretty with his young nucleus. Seeing Harden and Westbrook shine tonight has been awesome.
* Two back-to-back impressive rebounds by Jennings, mixing it up with the bigs. 127-115 Rookie lead. Stay humble and hungry.
* Harden from Jennings for a monster dunk. This is about over. 136-123, rooks.
* Blair with a basket at the buzzer as the rookies converge on him in excitement. 140-128, rookies win. All that’s left is the MVP. Blair could have won this thing with his 22 points and 23 rebounds.
* MVP goes to Tyreke Evans: 26 points, 6 rebs and 5 assists. He gave love to Blair during MVP speech. Jennings finished with 22 points and 8 assists and Harden added 22 points as well. Sophs were paced by Westbrook’s 40 points and Beasley’s 26.
* That’s a wrap from American Airlines. It’s been an incredible day. Check back tomorrow for continued SLAM coverage from Dallas. Peace.
