Changing of the stars

The changing of the guard has come in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and it’s evident in the lineups for the All-Star Game in Atlanta tomorrow morning (Manila time).

If you scan the rosters of the East and West teams, you won’t see familiar names like Karl Malone, John Stockton and David Robinson. Not that they’ve retired. Those vintage favorites are still around but they’ve been eclipsed by the stars of the new generation.

Of the 24 players in the All-Star classic, only four are in their 30s–Michael Jordan, 39, Gary Payton, 34, Shaquille O’Neal, 30, and Jamal Mashburn, 30. Nine are 25 and below–Yao Ming, 22, Tracy McGrady, 23, Jermaine O’Neal, 24, Kobe Bryant, 24, Shawn Marion, 24, Dirk Nowitzki, 24, Stephon Marbury, 25, Peja Stojakovic, 25, and Paul Pierce, 25.

Jordan has logged the most seasons as a pro at 15. The average years of NBA experience among the 24 All-Stars is six but 10 players are veterans of only five seasons or less.

Of the league’s 29 clubs, 11 aren’t represented in the game. Ironically, host Atlanta isn’t welcoming a single Hawk in the East. Other unrepresented teams are Denver, Chicago, Golden State, the Los Angeles Clippers, Miami, Memphis, Milwaukee, New York, Portland, and Utah.

You wonder why Malone was bypassed. He would’ve been a logical choice to replace the injured Chris Webber but Stojakovic got the nod instead, probably to make sure Sacramento is represented. It would’ve been strange not to pick anyone from the Kings, the league’s No. 2 team behind Dallas.

The Hawks could’ve made a case for Shareef Abdur-Rahim who saw action in last year’s All-Star Game. But his spot was given up for New Orleans’ Jamal Mashburn. Cleveland’s 7-3 center Zydrunas Ilgauskas made it to the East lineup–no doubt, to face off against Yao in the middle. But does Antoine Walker deserve a spot more than New Jersey’s Kenyon Martin?

Other notable absentees are Ray Allen, Antawn Jamison, Jalen Rose, Rasheed Wallace and Allan Houston.

Yao’s selection as a West starter wasn’t a surprise. The Chinese votes from the internet were substantial. But the word is Yao also beat Shaq in the venue polls. The Big Aristotle must now share the spotlight with Chairman Yao, hailed as the NBA’s "next big thing."

Last year’s All-Star Game was a wild and wooly shootout. Bryant hit 31 points to lead the West to a 135-120 decision. Shaq, Malone, and Vince Carter were picked to play but sat out the action due to injuries. In the past 51 All-Star Games, the East has won 32. The West, however, has beaten the East in two of the last three.

Traditionally, the West is known for its freestyle offense and flamboyance while the East’s reputation is built on rugged defense and a no-frills approach. On that basis alone, oddsmakers pick the West to make it two in a row over the East. You don’t expect players to get down and dirty in defense on a wild weekend. They’d rather showboat and freelance. Unless you’re Martin, defense is never fun–and K-Mart isn’t playing tomorrow.

Still, the East is the sentimental favorite because of his Airness. Jordan’s playing in his last All-Star Game in his last NBA season or so he says. McGrady offered his starting spot in the East to Jordan who declined. A legend like Jordan would be embarrassed by such a gesture. If fans didn’t vote Jordan as a starter, that’s life. McGrady shouldn’t go against the tide. Never mind if there were two precedents in the past.

The game will be a showcase of the league’s galaxy of stars. And there’ll be plenty of action. The matchups are dreamlike–Allen Iverson versus Steve Francis, McGrady versus Kobe, O’Neal (that’s Jermaine, not Shaq) versus Kevin Garnett or Tim Duncan. The key is rebounding control. The team that dominates the boards will dictate the tempo and keep the opponent on the defensive. In an All-Star Game, getting the jump on the other team in transition is crucial because you won’t see too many intricate set plays in the halfcourt. There’ll be a lot of crisp passing–NBA players like to show off their dishing skills, too. In last year’s All-Star Game, the East and West combined for 68 assists.

The opposing coaches are the East’s Isiah Thomas of Indiana and the West’s Rick Adelman of Sacramento.

Solar Sports is airing the All-Star Game live via satellite on the IBC network tomorrow morning at 9 with a replay at 9 that night. A remote coverage will emanate from the National Sports Grill in Makati where Ed Picson and I, as local hosts, are linking up with Andy Jao and Chino Trinidad at Atlanta courtside.

Tonight, Solar Sports is putting on the exciting events of All-Star Saturday, also on the IBC network at 7 p.m. This is the prelude to the big one.

The events on All-Star Saturday are the Rookie Challenge, the Skills Challenge, the All-Star Hoop-It-Up, the 3-Point Shootout, and the Slam Dunk competition.

The Rookie Challenge features nine rookies against nine sophomores playing in two 20-minute halves. Players of the winning squad will receive $7,500 each and losers, $5,000 apiece. The freshmen are Cleveland’s Carlos Boozer and Dajuan Wagner, Memphis’ Gordon Giricek and Drew Gooden, Miami’s Caron Butler, Denver’s Nene Hilario, Chicago’s Jay Williams, San Antonio’s Manu Ginobili, and Phoenix’ Amare Stoudemire. The sophs are Golden State’s Gilbert Arenas, Troy Murphy, and Jason Richardson, Chicago’s Tyson Chandler, Memphis’ Pau Gasol, New Jersey’s Richard Jefferson, Utah’s Andrei Kirilenko, San Antonio’s Tony Parker and Indiana’s Jamaal Tinsley.

Cotton Fitzsimmons, assisted by Hawks legend Lou Hudson, will coach the rookies while Mike Fratello, assisted by another Hawks legend Bob Pettit, will call the shots for the sophomores.

The Skills Challenge participants are Payton, Kidd, Marbury and Parker. They will compete in a timed obstacle course for a $25,000 first prize.

The All-Star Hoop-It-Up is a 3-on-3, eight-minute game. The two competing squads are Los Angeles and Atlanta. Magic Johnson, Clippers star Corey Maggette, Los Angeles Sparks center Lisa Leslie, and actor Ashton Kutcher make up the Los Angeles crew. Atlanta’s players are Dominique Wilkins, Hawks guard Jason Terry, Houston Comets’ hotshot Sheryl Swoopes, and actor Frankie Muniz. The winner picks up $30,000 and the loser, $18,000.

The 3-Point Shootout lists six contestants battling for the $25,000 top money. Back to defend his title is Stojakovic. The challengers are Pat Garrity, Wesley Person, Brent Barry, David Wesley, and Walker. Of the six, Person has the loftiest three-point clip this season at .505. Walker has the lowest at .352.

The rousing Slam Dunk competition will cap the All-Star Saturday festivities. Richardson returns to defend his crown against Jefferson, Stoudemire, and Seattle’s Desmond Mason. The tournament features young aerial artists who are in their first, second or third season in the league. The top prize is a cool $60,000.

In hoops, it’s the greatest show on earth. The All-Star Weekend is a spectacle that happens only once a year. The stars are gathering under one roof in Atlanta and they’re out to deliver a strong message that the NBA, as an institution, is as exciting as ever.