After a 163-158 victory by the Western Conference, NBA All-Star Weekend finally comes to a close. The Slam Dunk Contest is decided, the Rising Stars were given their time to shine, and the Three Point Shootout is over and done.
It was certainly one of the more entertaining ASWs in recent memory. The Slam Dunk Contest had the most spark we've seen since Vince Carter's heyday. The Three Point Shootout was more stacked than ever. The All-Star Game itself was actually competitive.
And now that the dust has settled on the league's first All-Star tour in New York since 1998, we can come down and decide who truly did the weekend right. No one is going to contest that All-Star MVP Russell Westbrook showed out the hardest for the Association's exhibition slate, but what other stars stole the show this year? Here are the 10 biggest winners of the weekend.
Victor Oladipo
He didn't win the Slam Dunk Contest, but Orlando Magic second-year player Victor Oladipo earned the respect of millions with his debut jam, a 360 reverse that looked even more impressive than it sounds. Everyone could've done without the Frank Sinatra impression, but the payoff was worth the process it took to get there. The Magic have endured a dismal season down in Orlando, but Oladipo's runner-up finish inspired at least some measure of pride among the Florida faithful.
Andrew Wiggins
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Along with providing the assist for Zach LaVine's third jam of a Slam Dunk Contest-winning performance, Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Andrew Wiggins was also named the MVP of the NBA's Rising Stars Challenge, leading the World team to a 121-112 win over Team USA.
During the Rising Stars victory, Wiggins highlighted his performance with an uncontested 360 dunk, as well as an alley-oop in traffic thanks to a nice assist from Hawks point guard Dennis Schröder.
The weekend was a nice cap to the first half of Wiggins' impressive rookie season, which began tumultuously after the No. 1 overall pick's departure from Cleveland, but has since seen him steadily gain command of a talented but inexperienced squad up north. Still hurting from Kevin Love's mediocre stint with the franchise, T'Wolves fans are now finding hope in the future that Wiggins may bring.
Mo'ne Davis
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Still basking in the limelight earned from her stellar Little League World Series performance, Mo'ne Davis hit Celebrity Game MVP Kevin Hart with the spin cycle during a 57-51 victory for Davis' side.
Chris Bosh
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The human velociraptor led a group comprised of Dominique Wilkins, Swin Cash, and himself to their third straight Shooting Stars competition victory on Saturday, beating out teams led by Russell Westbrook, Steph Curry, and Paul Millsap. The challenge is one of the lesser regarded moments of All-Star Weekend, but, hey, a win's a win.
The only question now is how much longer Bosh, Wilkins, and Cash can keep this dynasty going. Can we get a "Not one, not two, not three," Chris?
Chris Bosh on celebrating Shooting Stars win: "About to pop a couple bottles of champagne ... & mess up the locker room, trash it real nice"
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) February 15, 2015
Hey, that works, too.
Patrick Beverley
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Houston Rockets point guard Patrick Beverley is one of the least-regarded starters in the NBA, even when you take him out of the shadow of his superstar backcourt mate James Harden. However, when Beverley was given the chance to shine last night during the Skills Challenge, he made sure to take advantage of the moment, overcoming a strong start from Milwaukee Bucks guard Brandon Knight to take the head-to-head competition to the wire.
Knight did the most Brandon Knight thing possible, waiting until the very last-second to get his heart ripped out. Beverley, of course, was all too happy to oblige. After falling behind in the passing section of the course, Beverley needed to just one attempt during the three-point finish to ice his W. Better luck next time, Brandon.
Steph Curry
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After losing the Shooting Stars title to Chris Bosh earlier in the evening, Steph Curry made sure that he didn't leave All-Star Weekend empty-handed, coming away with a convincing victory during the Three-Point Shootout.
Curry's competition wasn't easy, either. Against a stacked field, Curry managed to beat former champion Kyrie Irving, his own teammate Klay Thompson, and Atlanta's Kyle Korver, who is—yawn—only having a historically good season from beyond the arc. Pick on someone your own size, Steph!
In all seriousness, Curry was undeterred by his high-profile opponents. On a weekend when Drake dropped yet another album to secure his status as one of rap's greatest active talents, Steph stepped up to remind us that it's "Curry with the shot," and not anybody else.
J.R. Smith
J.R. Smith didn't return to New York as an All-Star, but you knew that the lack of recognition wasn't going to stop Smith from coming back to the city he once ran.
Instead of suiting up on the court for the Eastern Conference, Smith instead suited up on the runway, winning the inaugural NBA All-Star All-Style event against rival contestants like DeMarcus Cousins, Zach LaVine, Klay Thompson, and James Harden.
Basically:
The judges gave Swish the victory despite, apparently, this winning moment, excerpted from Gregory Babcock's recap of the walk-off:
5:30 p.m.: When asked who should win, both men stare at each other and mumble to the judges. When the host reminds them about being competitive, J.R. flatly says he doesn't know why he should win.
Jesus, what a legend.
Zach LaVine
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I mean, c'mon.
Not to be outdone by his teammate Andrew Wiggins, T'Wolves rookie Zach LaVine decided to go out and win the Slam Dunk Contest, earning himself more than a few comparisons to Contest legend Vince Carter in the process. OK.
Something to consider. https://t.co/W6wMXIiXDo
— Complex (@ComplexMag) February 15, 2015Kevin Durant
Russell Westbrook
Ladies and gentlemen, Russell Westbrook: 41 points, five rebounds, one assist, and a decisive All-Star MVP performance. Russy was just one point away from tying Wilt Chamberlain's all-time All-Star Game scoring record, but he did set the mark for most points in one half after notching 27 through quarters one and two. As you can see above, he also hit his head on the backboard while finishing an alley-oop. The man has a gear typically reserved for only the finest, expensive, luxury vehicles.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are a half game out of the playoffs, but with Westbrook continuing to play out of his mind, and Kevin Durant more pissed off than ever, counting Oklahoma City out of anything seems like a bet you'd soon regret. Get ready for a heated second half of the 2014-15 NBA season, everyone.
