NBA (USA) All-Star Weekend

I realize this will probably be of little interest to my dear international friends, who probably outnumber visits from friends in the US.  But I would be remiss if I didn't tout this weekend.  After all, this is the weekend we who live for basketball have been waiting for.  Now that the superbowl is over, rugby has taken over Europe, but the US (and Canada, too) can turn to the NBA (National Basketball Association) All-Star Weekend.

For those not familiar with this event, it occurs mid-season and the votes for who plays in the game are cast by fans.  This year Kobe Bryant (of my beloved Lakers who are doing very poorly) was the top vote getter, with LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavs and Stephen Curry of Golden Gate (Warriors) receiving headliner status as they head to Toronto (Canada) for the 65th meeting of East vs. West at the 2016 All-Star games.  For those not in the know, there is an Eastern Conference and a Western Conference, where half the teams are located in the eastern US and half in the west as shown in the photo above.


A couple of scheduled events have already taken place, the first of which was held at 11:30 a.m. ET and was shown live on NBA TV.   NBA All-Star Media Day may not draw the crowds of the superbowl, but the idea is the same, where players are asked ridiculous questions and players have fun answering them.  I don't have that channel, so didn't get to watch.

At 1:30 p.m. ET the NBA Hall of Fame Finalist Announcement Ceremony  took place live on NBA TV.  According to the NBA, Hall of Fame several nominee finalists this year are Allen Iverson, Yao Ming and Shaquille O’Neal.

Tonight beginning at 7 p.m. ET, we will be entertained by The NBA All-Star Celebrity Game shown live on ESPN.  This event is always fun because the celebs this year will include Anthony Anderson of Law and Order and Blackish fame, along with many more celebs you might know.

Also tonight, beginning at 9 p.m. ET, live on TNT is the Rising Stars challenge where the best rookies and sophomores battle it out for bragging rights.

Lots of events will occur on Saturday, including the D-League All-Stars in the afternoon, and the Slam Dunk, the Three Point, and the Skills Champion games in the evening, but I will let you discover all the events if you are a basketball fan.

The event will culminate on Sunday with the All-Star Game, which starts at 8:30 p.m. ET on TNT.  The bragging rights go to the team (and conference) that wins.  The All-Star MVP is also chosen from the winning team.  

It was fun to see Kobe with hair and Michael Jordan without.  One thing I can say about the Lakers, they know how to keep their valuable players, like Magic Johnson  and Kobe Bryant, who both started with and retired (Magic) or will retire (Kobe this year) with the Lakers.

This is NOT a lack-luster event like some All-Star weekends, but promises to be filled with fun and enjoyment for even those who aren't necessarily basketball fanatics (like me).  Sadly, I'll be entertaining part of the time, so will miss a bit of the action.  As I was cleaning (I do that occasionally) late last night, I had just turned on the lights to vacuum, when

I was sure I had captured a photo of the now entirely camera shy Bleubeard, because in this low light, I didn't see those white paws.

What a surprise when he raised his head.   Surprising Squiggles and taking these great photos of him made dusting and vacuuming worthwhile and enjoyable.

Thanks for visiting.  I really appreciate your visit.  It makes me want to dust and clean, too!