All eyes were on Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James during 2022 NBA All-Star Weekend as he returned home to Cleveland, where all of the game’s current and former greats were gathered to celebrate the league’s 75th anniversary.
James was playing in his 18th All-Star Game, tied with Kobe Bryant for second all-time behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. And for the fifth straight season, he was the leading vote-getter in his conference and was able to choose his team as a captain.
Team LeBron was 4-0 in the previous games, so he had a lot riding on this one, and it came down to him needing to make the final shot to end it. With Team LeBron leading Team Durant 161-160 and the final target score being 163, James took a mid-range fadeaway jumper and drilled it to secure the victory and remain undefeated as a captain.
Overall on the night, James finished with 24 points to go along with six rebounds, eight assists, three steals and a block in 36 minutes.
James drafted a team that included four former MVPs in the starting lineup, including himself. One of those was Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was one of the only guys playing hard all night and finished with 30 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, three steals and a block.
Joel Embiid also gave his best efforts for Team Durant with 36 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.
Curry takes home Bryant MVP Trophy
The best show of the night though was put on by Stephen Curry, who was making shots from all over the gym. He had a game-high 50 points, making 16 of his 27 attempts from deep. His 16 threes broke a record and his 50 points were second to only Anthony Davis’ 52 in 2017.
As the MVP of the game, Curry was awarded the first Kobe Bryant MVP Trophy, which is a great and timeless way to pay tribute to the Lakers legend.
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