With NBA All-Star weekend right past the bodega and around the corner, its a great time to reflect on the golden days when the icons of the league competed in the skills competitions as well as the All-Star game.
Back then, you could count on the Three-point shooting contest and Slam Dunk extravaganza to give you a solid share of star power.
In 1988, we experienced one of those unforgettable All-star weekends, which produced legendary moments by titans of NBA lore. It was also a time when the East ruled the NBA landscape. And if you don’t buy that theory, the conferences were definitely more evenly matched at that time.
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OTD in @NBAHistory, Larry Bird & Michael Jordan put on an iconic show during the 1988 All-Star Weekend! https://t.co/kxoaH40TkX
The images of Bird effortlessly banging down shots and never breaking a sweat or taking off his warm up top during his three-point title has inspired a generations of shooters. A young Michael Jordan, still three years away from cracking the code on his first of six NBA championships, introduced the world to his marketing prowess and incomparable aerial feats as he redefined and elevated the stakes for future Slam Dunk contests.
The East won the game 138-133. Already the league’s most popping player, Jordan continued his NBA takeover by scoring a game-high 40 points and winning MVP honors.
Michael Jordan’s MVP Performance At the 1988 All Star Game in Chicago
The NBA has announced the 2020 All Star Game will return to Chicago for the first time since 1988. Relive one of the memorable performances in NBA All Star Game history: Michael Jordan’s 40-point performance in front of the home crowd.
The NBAs global popularity and the luxuries the players of today enjoy can be traced back to moments like these that are captured in time, bring perspective to the term greatness and reminds us of how the players of the past were about their bread, but always put the fans first.
It was important to be the best in the eyes of the fans and provide the burgeoning league with as much entertainment value and legitimacy as possible.
Larry Legend and Your Airness both did that in ’88.
