 | Mariah Carey showed one way you can upstage Michael Jordan at All-Star Weekend. Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images |
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NBA All-Star Weekend isn't as much about the competition as it is about the entertainment. As this year's festivities commence in a city built to entertain, Las Vegas, SI.com though the time was right to countdown the most memorable moments the NBA's midseason extravaganza has produced -- at least until this year.
15. Attack-a-Shaq
1994 -- Minneapolis
The league made sure emerging superstar Shaquille O'Neal paid his dues in full in his second All-Star appearance. After East coach Pat Riley kept O'Neal on the bench through most of the fourth quarter the year prior in favor of Patrick Ewing, whom Riley had openly said should have been starting over the then-rookie, the Western Conference got their turn to put the shackles on Shaq. In 26 minutes of play, O'Neal found himself often double- and sometimes triple-teamed defensively, a strategy that raised more than a few eyebrows in an event not known for staunch D. Despite Shaq being harassed into an abysmal 2-for-12 shooting night and eight points, the East had the last statement of the night as Scottie Pippen paced a 127-118 win.
14. Hodges gets hot
1991 -- Charlotte
Though only a reserve on the early 1990s Bulls, Craig Hodges was a star in the All-Star Three-Point Shootout, and no more so than in Charlotte. The defending long-range champ started well before putting together an historic display of accuracy in the second round. Shot 1: in. Shot 2: in. Shot 3: in. On and on Hodges fired away successfully, rhythmically depositing a record 19 treys in a row, a mark that eclipsed the previous record of 11 straight hits by Larry Bird. "My goal was, I wanted to go the whole round without missing a shot," said Hodges that night. " I came up a little short because I got tired . But all in all everything worked out well." Hodges cooled in the final round but had enough energy to defeat Terry Porter and retain his crown
13. The doctor is in
1977 -- Milwaukee
In the first All-Star Game after the merger between the NBA and ABA, Julius Erving demonstrated what the older league had been missing when he unleashed his first dunk of the night over Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Dr. J went on to score 30 points in 30 minutes of play, including 13 in the fourth, while adding a game-high 12 rebounds. The NBA "rookie" couldn't quite get the East past the West, as Paul Westphal's strip of Pete Maravich sealed a 125-124 win for the West.
12. Mariah on fi-ah
2003 -- Atlanta
Nothing that happened on the court that weekend in Atlanta could match the halftime performance Mariah Carey gave in tribute to Michael Jordan, who was making his final All-Star appearance. The curvy pop songstress began her performance in a skin-tight Bulls jersey mini dress, complete with script Chicago and Jordan's No. 23. A quick wardrobe change later, Carey was back on the court in a low-cut, form-fitting Wizards gown, also sporting the Jordan 23. Oh, and the music? There was music? Did we mention the dresses? Or that the NBA Store in New York City received a blizzard of phone calls the next day from women who hoped to purchase Carey's outfits for proms.
11. Tom Terrific
1987 -- Seattle
Throughout a 16-year career, Tom Chambers rarely met a shot he didn't take, a trait he demonstrated after being selected to the midseason showcase as a replacement for the injured Ralph Sampson. In front of a hometown Kingdome crowd, Chambers shook off an 0-for-4 start from the floor to finish 13-for-25 while scoring a game-high 34 points in pacing the West to a 154-149 overtime victory. In a game that had Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar running the floor, it was Chambers who left the most indelible mark on the game.
