When ALL STAR Games Were INTENSE

Before the social media era, the All Star Game was the most anticipated matchup in the regular season. The players actually competed, and we got some unforgettable endings in the clutch.
Lebron delivered this year, but I gotta remind you or introduce some of you to the wildest All Star Game endings in NBA history.
We gotta start off with what is unanimously considered as the best all star game in NBA history, 2001 in Washington. What up everybody, my name is Stefan and this is Heat Check. Let’s get into it.
Allen Iverson had some iconic moments that to this day live in his career mixtape. The same can be said for Vince Carter, especially for throwing this in-game 360 dunk. However, despite the acrobatics, the West dominated for pretty much the entire game, and with 8 and half minutes to go in the fourth, the monster lineup with KG, Duncan, Kobe and Webber led by 21 points. At that point, it’s gotta be over.
But something pushed the East squad to keep playing hard and actually buckle down on defense.
So they got steals and having by far the quickest guy on the court in AI, ran on fast breaks.
In just 4 minutes the East went on a 22-5 run and soon tied the game.
What was a done deal just moments prior, suddenly turned into drama. With either team playing for real, playing to win both on offense and defense.
Which brings us to this legendary sequence at the end of the game. Kobe Bryant vs Stephon Marbury. The fake, one dribble pull up and the swish. West up 3 with 1 minute to go.
But Stephon, never one to back away, takes the ball, brings it past half court and fires away from deep and ties the game.
Kobe, fresh off of his first championship title, has confidence through the roof so he again wants to take matters into his own hands. His opponents even double him to take the ball away from his hands but at the end there’s no denying Kobe. On the high pick, steps aside, raises up, and hits again. West up 2 with half a minute to go, and you know who takes the ball.
Steph already calls for the high screen up top here he has his mind set on firing away. 1 on 1 against Kidd the stepback and the rainbow 3 splashes giving his team the lead after coming back from a 21 point deficit.
After a time out, on the last possession of the game, same play and the east double Kobe who eventually, reluctantly passes it to the open Duncan, great rotation by Vince on the closeout and the East pull off the improbable victory with an unbelievable comeback in the 4th quarter.
You see the joy, you see how much this meant to the players, and this would go down as the greatest All Star Game ending that the NBA has ever seen.
We saw a similar type of drama just 2 years later, in Michael Jordan’s last all star game.
That was actually the entire storyline that weekend. At the age of almost 40, everyone knew that this season was it for MJ, so Vince even gave away his starting lineup spot to Michael.
Jordan sure came to play tho, as he would shoot 27 times that game, by far the most out of any player, despite hitting only 9 of those.
And with under 2 minutes to go things were looking great as the East had an 8 point lead.
But they settled for contested jump shots over the lockdown defense that the West played. And believe it or not, we even had a shot clock violation. In an all star game. Unbelievable. If that doesn’t show you the level of defense being played I don’t know what will.
The traditionally bigger Western conference lineup again attacked inside the paint, and got it down to 1. MJ clearly slower cannot shake off Marion and forces up a tough shot that ends badly, and to make matters even worse, in the closing seconds he fouls Kobe Bryant here. Fortunately he splits the free throws, giving Michael a shot for the win.
Final seconds, a chance to be the hero yet again, the fadeaway iiis just short, as Marion once again plays a phenomenal defense and we go into overtime.
And right from the start, the West came out strong. With multiple stops on defense leading to fast breaks, as all of a sudden now they found themselves up by 7 with less than 2 minutes to go. But the roles reversed and now they settled for outside shots whereas the East kept attacking. Ultimately coming all the way back, again with a chance to win it.
And you know once again, where the ball went for the final shot.
Everyone on their feet watching Michael shoot a rainbow fadeaway…BANG! Amazing. Once again, look at how difficult this shot is. The incredible defense by the Matrix but even better shot by Jordan.