Our buddies at Dime Magazine are giving us an insider's look at All-Star Weekend in Dallas; read yesterday's post and keep checking the Dime blog all weekend for live-blogging and other exclusives from ASW.
"I promise you right now: Dallas All-Star Weekend will be a ZOO. It's gonna be the world's largest That Dude convention. The streets will run red with crabs."
Those lines were written one year ago, during Dime's All-Star 2009 recap, right after the NBA announced the 2010 festivities would be held at Jerry Jones' funhouse. And now that basketball's ultimate weekend of party and bullshittin' is upon us, that prediction hasn't changed. We've been in Dallas all week, and despite some unexpected snow, the freaks have still come out every night (and day). Here are 5 things to watch for this All-Star Weekend... and note: The 2011 NBA All-Star Game is in Los Angeles. Oooh weeee.....
#1: "That Dude"
DIME SAYS: On first glance, you might mistake him for a rapper, a producer, a fashion designer, maybe a video director. Talk to him for a minute, and he'll tell you he's one of those things, or he's just "in promotions." Truth is, he works at Best Buy, Subway or he's "in telemarketing." He is That Dude, and All-Star Weekend is crawling with his kind. Look out for sunglasses indoors, rented jewelry, iPhones that may or may not be actually active, and Ed Hardy gear.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#2: Random celebrity pairings
DIME SAYS: A tradition dating back to '92, when MC Hammer sat next to Dikembe Mutombo at the dunk contest. The most surreal moment of All-Star '08 in New Orleans was when we found ourselves bumping elbows with cigar-chomping Michael Jordan as he played drunk Michael Bivins in a pool tournament while BBD's "Poison" blasted through the speakers. Last year in Phoenix, it was John McCain chilling with High School Musical star Corbin Bleu (surely discussing social-security policy). Between the legit entertainers, reality-show alums, athletes, models, and billionaires expected to inhabit Dallas this weekend, anything can happen.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#3: Nate Robinson jumping over somebody
DIME SAYS: First it was 5'7" Spud Webb, then 6'11" Dwight Howard. Nate Robinson has made a career out of hurdling grown men, but now in his fourth All-Star dunk contest, he'll have to step his game up to do something we haven't seen before. Who's it gonna be? Yao Ming has a lot of free time these days, and he's already in Texas.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#4: The ridiculousness of Media Day
DIME SAYS: Everybody who feels like it's easy to work for a magazine would feel justified at All-Star Media Day: "Kobe, what's your favorite cereal?" ... "LeBron, do you feel naked without a headband?" ... "Dirk, what do you think of my fantasy team?" ... "Shaq, when's the next album coming out?" Yes, some of us went to college for this.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#5: Something you've never seen before and won't forget after
DIME SAYS: It might be a tragically ugly or boner-inducing hot sneaker. It might be one move, one dunk or one shot. If you're there in person, it could be a once-in-a-lifetime celebrity encounter or an "incident" you can never speak of in front of the Mrs. We can't predict it, but every All-Star we've ever been to, something happens that we'll never forget.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE COMPLEX SPORTS POSTS!
