Team Lebron easily beat Team Durant 170-150 victory in the NBA All Star Game on Sunday that won more than $1 million for their chosen charity Thurgood Marshall College Fund, while Team Durant donated $500,000 to the United Negro College Fund.
Antetokounmpo won the MVP award for the first time which was named after Kobe Bryant -- something that made it extra special for him.
DESPITE initial hesitations among superstar players like Lebron James and several others about the holding of the annual NBA All Star Game this year, in the end it was indeed worth it not only for the players and the league but most importantly for the fans.
In the night’s feature game, Milwaukee Bucks star player Giannis Antetokounmpo of Team LeBron was named NBA All-Star Game MVP after coming up with a perfect16-for-16 performance from the field, in their win over Team Durant.
As it is, Team LeBron cruised to a 170-150 victory over Team Durant after leading from start to finish.
New record
Elias Sports Bureau research said Antetokounmpo shattered the previous record of most makes without a miss in an All-Star Game, set by Hal Greer when he went 8-for-8 in 1968.
But Antetokounmpo said his perfect shooting night wasn't something that was on his mind during the game.
"It actually wasn't," he said. "I was just trying to just play. When you're around guys like [Damian Lillard] and [Stephen Curry] and Chris Paul, it's just easy,” he said.
“Nobody is worrying about me. I'm just playing one-on-one, nobody is double-teaming. If you feel good, then I feel good that it will be good. I just get up and have fun and just try to get as many shots as I can."
Game high
Antetokounmpo finished with a game-high 35 points, Curry had 28 points and eight 3-pointers and Lillard scored 32 points and the game-sealing 3-pointer.
Antetokounmpo won the MVP award for the first time which was named after Kobe Bryant -- something that made it extra special for him.
"Obviously, I'm extremely happy at just having the award with the name of Kobe Bryant in my house," he said. "It's a great feeling. I wanted to win the one last year really bad,” he added.
"My team played great, and I was able to just win it and to have the trophy with the name of Kobe Bryant, it's amazing, and I know he would be happy. Yeah, I know he'd be happy."
Pandemic
This All-Star Game, like everything else about this season, was inescapably altered by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Originally scheduled to be in Indianapolis, it was instead moved to Atlanta. Only a handful of fans were in the stands because of strict quarantine protocols.
James, who said early last month that the NBA's choosing to hold an All-Star Game amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was a "slap in the face," lived up to the other quote he had about the game that day.
"I'll be there if I'm selected," James said. "But I'll be there physically, but not mentally."
James said after the game he would be taking advantage of every second he had to recover before the Lakers open the second half of their season.
$1 million
With the victory, Team LeBron donated more than $1 million to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, while Team Durant donated $500,000 to the United Negro College Fund.
James also has now been on the winning team in each of the past four years since the NBA switched to the captains format in 2018.
"I hope that they allow me to retire from being an All-Star captain, so I can retire with a perfect 4-0 record," James said afterward.
"I always try to pick the right team, and I've been lucky enough for four years to pick the right team. Guys go out and compete and play to win. I've been on the winning side of all four."
Three –point king
Curry, meanwhile, showed why he is still one of the best shooters in the league by winning the 3-point contest for the second time in his career.
He even gave himself a shot at the MVP award by scoring 22 points in the first half featuring long bombs from near midcourt.
Curry, along with Paul George, said they preferred the one-day All-Star format, compared to the usual weekend full of pomp and circumstance.
They did want one change: having fans in the stands.
"[The game] felt the same," Curry said. "The only thing is you can't really see the crowd in normal years, outside the courtside rows, but the energy is definitely louder, more engaged with more people.
All Star debut
Mike Conley, now playing in his 14th NBA season, made his All-Star debut. He did so in a unique way: by contesting a jump ball at center court with another point guard, Paul, to start the second quarter.
"It was great to get out there," Conley said. "I was not prepared for the tip. I was getting ready to guard someone, and they're like, 'Mike, go jump, go jump!'
"I wish I'd won the tip, but other than that, I had a great time."