On Feb. 18, Team Lebron and Team Stephen went head to head in the 2018 All-star game. This game is held every February, allowing only the best players from all different teams to play together.
Team Lebron was lead by Lebron James, who won his third All-star game MVP award. Team Lebron, down 15, came back to win a one possession game. James was clutch for his team with 29 points and 10 rebounds, while Golden State Warriors star, Kevin Durant, came through with 19 points and six rebounds.
Team Stephen’s captain was Steph Curry, the Golden State Warriors point guard and pinpoint shooter. Curry struggled behind the arc, only going three for eleven. Although Curry and All-star teammate James Harden only combined for 23 points, other teammates were able to step up to keep the game close. Demar Derozan and Damian Lillard had 21 points each, followed by Joel Embiid with 19.
A game that is fun for the All-star players as well as the fans, didn’t quite match up to the past two years with scoring. The last two years the teams combined for well over 300 points, going 369 in 2016 and 374 points in 2017. This year the teams combined for 293, with Team Lebron edging Team Stephen 148-145. “We wanted to change the narrative of the All-Star Game being a joke,” Durant said. “Today we wanted to make it a real basketball game.” It appeared the teams were attempting to play actual defense.
Although the game was fun and exciting, perhaps the most talked about part of the night was after the National Anthem, sung by Fergie. The singer went into the performance wanting to try something new, giving the song a twist of her own. The new edition received much backlash from other celebrities and people in the audience. “I’m a risk-taker artistically, but clearly this rendition didn’t strike the intended tone,” Fergie commented after receiving much hate. “I love this country and honestly tried my best.”
With an exciting night from the national anthem renditions to intense basketball, the night took a spin to the serious side after the game. James fired back at the Fox News host, Laura Ingraham, who said during a segment about James and Durant, “Shut up and dribble.” James had something to say about this comment after a great team win. “I will definitely not do that,” James comments. “I mean too much to the youth. I mean too much to so many kids who feel like they don’t have a way out.”
With the NBA finals around the corner, players will go back to their respective teams to continue on their journey to a championship.
