The NBA confirmed Monday that its 2008 all-star game will be played in the beleaguered but rebuilding city of New Orleans, an announcement local officials seized upon as a sign the Hornets also will be playing here full-time in the 2007-08 season.

"The NBA would not want to award an all-star game to a city (that was losing its team), so it certainly bodes well for us in that respect," said Doug Thornton, regional vice president of SMG, the company that manages the state-owned New Orleans Arena and the Louisiana Superdome.

Thornton, along with convention bureau officials, helped negotiate the deal with the NBA to bring the game here. He said the city had to prove it could secure massive blocks of hotel rooms as well as convention space for all-star weekend events.

The game is one of the biggest national events to be booked in New Orleans since hurricane Katrina laid waste to large swaths of the metro area. Flooding that was catastrophic in many neighbourhoods caused only minor damage to the New Orleans arena, which has been repaired and hosted three well-attended Hornets games last March.

"The award of NBA All-Star 2008 is our vote of confidence in the progress that is being made in the reopening and rebuilding of New Orleans' tourism infrastructure," commissioner David Stern said in a statement. "New Orleans will become the basketball capital of the world in February 2008, and demonstrate to a global audience that New Orleans is very much open for business."

The game will be played at New Orleans Arena on Feb. 17, 2008. There will also be a week of events leading up to the game, including the skills competitions the night before the game.

Jay Cicero, president of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, predicted all-star events would generate between $70 million and $100 million US in spending in the city, with corporate-sponsored parties filling up the city's night clubs throughout the weekend.

The New Orleans Hornets played most their home games in Oklahoma City this season because of the devastation caused by hurricane Katrina.

The Hornets are scheduled to play 35 games in Oklahoma City next season and six in New Orleans. Their lease, unless the Hornets or the NBA manoeuvre to break it, calls for the Hornets to return full-time for the 2007-08 season.

Hornets owner George Shinn has said he intends to return but that he does not believe it would be wise to come back if selling tickets, suites and corporate sponsorships proves problematic in the city's post-Katrina economy.

Shinn is looking for minority investors in the Hornets and has meet with prospects in both New Orleans and Oklahoma City. Ticket sales in Oklahoma are on pace to exceed last season, when about half the games where were sellouts and the rest were near capacity.

"NBA All-Star 2008 will be a wonderful opportunity to showcase not only the greatest athletes in the world, but one of the greatest cities in the world in New Orleans," Shinn said. "I can't think of a better way to show people that our city is back and revitalized than by hosting the NBA's signature event.

"We plan to be back in New Orleans for the 2007-08 season and will be working closely with government officials, business leaders and the NBA to ensure that our return is successful for everyone involved," Shinn added.

With insurance settlements and federal aid beginning to pour in, parts of the New Orleans area resemble a boomtown, with bustling construction activity and heavy traffic. But in many poor neighbourhoods and more heavily damaged communities to the southeast, gutted buildings, empty neighbourhoods and countless piles of debris paint a vivid picture of the widespread devastation Katrina caused more than eight months ago.

There is no apparent loophole that would allow the Hornets out of their lease in New Orleans, which runs through 2012, said Tim Coulon, chairman of the Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District Commission, that state agency that oversees the Superdome and arena.

The commission wanted the Hornets to play a second season in Oklahoma City as part of a strategy to save both the NFL's Saints and the Hornets by phasing them back into a rebuilding market one season apart.

The Saints, now entering their fourth decade in New Orleans, already have broken an all-time season ticket-sales record (about 55,000) with the 2006 regular season still more than three months away.

Coulon said the state's intention is to work closely with the Hornets to help them become successful in New Orleans and to heavily market pro sports as an entertainment option both for local business executives as well as tourists and convention visitors.

"We're looking for the team to live up to the terms of their lease, which remains that they return in 2007," Coulon said. ``There may be a scenario where they try to break it, and that's why we have courts."

���¶ 25/05/06 6:51 PM //

from nba.com

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 15 (Ticker) -- Whether it be regular season, playoffs or the All-Star Game, you can take Tim Duncan to the bank.

Duncan's patented bank shot with 26 seconds left provided the final lead change of a seesaw fourth quarter and helped the Western Conference to a 136-132 victory over the Eastern Conference at the Staples Center.

With flashy performances from hometown heroes Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, the West won for the third straight time. But with the game in the balance, West coach Flip Saunders went to Duncan, the superstar forward of the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs.

Working against New Orleans Hornets center Jamaal Magloire, Duncan buried a turnaround bank shot to give the West a 133-132 edge, the sixth lead change of the final period.

"It was a play that Flip drew up a couple of options to it," Duncan said. "I was kind of the third one."

"Timmy is one of those guys, he makes big plays," Saunders said.

The East had two more chances, but Orlando's Tracy McGrady threw away a lob pass and - after Seattle's Ray Allen made two free throws - Milwaukee's Michael Redd missed a potential tying 3-pointer.

Duncan, who shared All-Star MVP honors with O'Neal in 2000, sank a free throw to seal it. He had a highly characteristic 14 points and 13 rebounds as part of a balanced attack that was tilted in the West's favor by Lakers teammates O'Neal and Bryant.

"My game doesn't change from a regular game to an All-Star Game," Duncan said. "I wish I could be involved in the high-flying stuff, but that's just not what I do."

O'Neal had 24 points, 11 rebounds, a handful of thunderous dunks and several comedic moments as he captured his second All-Star MVP award.

"I'm not one really known known to be taking over an All-Star Game," O'Neal said. "I said to myself if it's going good, nobody is really shining, I'm going to go ahead and go for it."

Bryant, who arrived late to the arena, had 20 points and five steals. He heard some boos from the crowd when he opted for a layup rather than a dunk on a breakaway in the third quarter.

"I just didn't have the momentum so I just laid it in," he said.

For the third time in four years, the midseason showcase came down to the closing moments. A free throw by Duncan tied it at 127-127 with 2:40 to go, but McGrady, who scored 13 points, sank a long jumper. O'Neal tied it again as he hurtled down the lane for a powerful dunk at the 1:57 mark as New Jersey Nets guard Jason Kidd ran for cover.

"I just went in and took it and took 2.9 steps and threw it down," O'Neal said.

"You've got to think about your family," Kidd said. "I don't know if he has an anti-lock brake system but I was just going to get out of the way."

McGrady made a nifty lefthanded drive and Bryant drilled a long jumper before McGrady gave the East its last lead at 132-131 by splitting a pair of free throws with 37 seconds left.

"It was a nail-biter at the end," Bryant said. "It was a good show."

The West had seven players in double figures, as did the East. Allen and Houston center Yao Ming scored 16 points each for the West, while Magloire and New Jersey Nets forward Kenyon Martin- each playing in his first All-Star Game - came off the bench to score 19 and 17 points, respectively.

O'Neal was highly entertaining. He took a couple of spins at point guard in the first half, having his drive swatted out of bounds by Magloire. He later responded by pounding a shot by Magloire into the seats.

"I had a lot of fun," O'Neal said. "A couple of people told me if I get it, there's an opening, they want me to go coast to coast."

In the third quarter, O'Neal scored 10 points on the court and countless points off it. One of his dunks rocked the backboard stanchion so severely it prompted referee Steve Javie to ask if there was an extra one in the building. Seconds later, he scored on a post move, grabbed a fan's video camera and turned it on himself, wiping his brow for effect.

NBA scoring leader Allen Iverson of Philadelphia, who came in with the highest average in All-Star Game history, became a passer, handing out 11 assists with just three points. He had a pair of long lobs that Toronto's Vince Carter turned into jaw-dropping dunks in the first quarter, which ended with the East holding a 33-31 lead.

"It was funny," Iverson said. "The Indiana coaches said, 'If we put you back in at the 2-guard, will you shoot the ball?'"

Magloire, whose presence in this game was questioned, was the best player on the floor in the second quarter, scoring eight points. McGrady reprised his self-pass off-the-glass jam late in the period, helping the East to a 64-58 advantage.

"I felt in my heart that I am an All-Star," Magloire said. "This won't be the last time I will be an All-Star."

Iverson set up McGrady and Carter for trampoline-act dunks early in the third quarter, but O'Neal began to assert himself shortly thereafter as the West turned a 71-62 deficit into an 87-81 lead.

"When you have guys like Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, you just throw it up to them," Iverson said.

���¶ 06/12/05 1:17 PM //

Even though the Detroit Pistons brought an NBA Title back to the Eastern Conference in June after a five-year absence, it was Shaquille O'Neal's July arrival in Miami that truly signaled the balance of power had shifted back to the Eastern Conference. The prospect of Yao Ming, Tim Duncan, Amare Stoudemire, Kevin Garnett and, of course, Kobe Bryant having to contend with The Diesel should make for a dose of delicious revenge for the East. And have we mentioned the additions of Dwayne Wade and LeBron James? It's looking like the East will break the Western Conference's four-of-five All-Star Games winning streak since Michael Jordan retired.

Here's what you need to know about the NBA All-Star Game and the myriad of other events taking place this weekend:

When's the Game?: The 54th NBA All-Star Game will take place Sunday, February 20 at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Where Is It?: Denver's Pepsi Center, the thin-air home of the Nuggets.
Where Can I See It?: The game is sold out so you'll need cable TV to watch it on TNT.

How Do I Vote?: Too late now. The voting has closed with the following guys as your NBA All-Star starters:
Here's are the Lucky 7 reserves in each Conference:



F: Antawn Jamison
F: Jermaine O'Neal
G: Gilbert Arenas
G: Paul Pierce
G: Dwyane Wade
C: Zydrunas Ilgauskas
C: Ben Wallace

F: Rashard Lewis
F: Shawn Marion
F: Dirk Nowitzki
G: Ray Allen
G: Manu Ginobili
G: Steve Nash
C: Amare Stoudemire
Who's going to win?: While we spoke glowingly of Shaq's tilting the scales in the East's favor, allow us to point to the thin air of Denver and the novelty of the game as the real deciding factors in the Eastern Conference's favor. Sure, the East has first-timers LeBron James and Dwayne Wade and they'll be pumped up to show off their stuff on the grand stage, but they're also going to have to compete the previous night in the Rookie vs. Sophomores game. They'll be a little tired and the atmosphere in Denver won't help their stamina any. Meanwhile, the West also features young veterans like Manu Ginobili, Rashard Lewis and Amare Stoudemire making their first appearances. They'll be equally enthused and the West squad features a plethora of players who play in up-tempo systems (Seattle, Phoenix, Dallas) and thus will have the extra gas in their tank at the end to put away the East for the fifth time in six years. Call it Western Conference 132, Eastern Conference 125.

Who's in the Slam Dunk Contest?: We may finally some stability in the ever-evolving Sprite Rising Stars Slam Dunk Contest after numerous changes over the year. The trouble is, we hate the rules that the NBA is sticking by: a four-contestant field and the ridiculous rule that only three-year professionals and younger may compete ... unless the field is too crappy.

And crappy is certainly how things are shaping up again. With just two days before the event, the NBA finally conceded that LeBron James would not be taking part. The alternate: "The Birdman" Chris Andersen, who should be the home crowd favorite since he used to play for the Nuggets and more importantly, is a white guy. Let's hope he puts up a better showing than he did last year when he squares off with Amare Stoudemire and rookies J.R. Smith and Josh Smith. Here's how we're handicapping the field:




Chris Andersen

4/1

He got hosed last year on account of a little reverse racism ... his opening dunk was a thunderous crowd-pleaser that got just a 41 from the judges. I don't know how much experience weighs into these events, but Anderson could surprise now that he's a year wiser.



Amare Stoudemire

10/1

Big guys normally don't do well in the Dunk Contest. So while Amare may be bringing some serious power to the table, don't expect much shock and awe in the creativity department.



Josh Smith

2/1

WINNER. He's put up highlight reel dunks on a nightly basis in the anonymity of Atlanta as the heir to Dominique Wilkins' throne. Power, height, creativity ... Josh is the total package.



J.R. Smith

3/1

At 6'5", he's the smallest guy in this unusually large field and the "little guy" always gets a few extra points. His hops are incredible, but the last time we saw him in a Dunk Contest he lost to a girl. We're just saying...

 

���¶ 06/12/05 1:10 PM //

from NBA.com

Before the game, we NBA.commers ask ourselves this question: Who will win the All-Star Game MVP?

Alas, none of us had The Answer. (For the record, I said KG.)

Because, if you think about it, Allen Iverson was the logical choice to win the 54th NBA All-Star Game MVP. Obviously, his play in the All-Star Game warranted it, but coming into the All-Star Game, Iverson's been the best player in the league.

We should have known.

Iverson has averaged 37.5 points per game in his last five heading into the break, including a 60-point outburst against the Magic on Feb. 12. Pound-for-pound, the Answer may be the toughest player in NBA history. You can see how much he loves to play hoops because he throws himself at the mercy of its physical nature, night in and night out.

Yet, in the All-Star Game, the playful Iverson comes out. He thrives in the game's loose structure. (Shhhh! He did have seven turnovers.) He bobbed, weaved, deked and feinted his way to his second All-Star MVP award. I know he does this magic during the regular season, too, but in the All-Star Game, a smile comes out and the I'm-dead-serious regular-season scowl disappears. He looks relaxed.

And as we blogged earlier, next to Shaq, no one seems to enjoy this everyone-is-watching event more than Iverson.

Tonight in Denver, it showed. And now, he has something else to show: Another All-Star Game MVP award.

As for the rest of the game, we thought the West might make a run at the end, especially after Kobe Bryant and Ray Allen each hit two three-pointers late in the fourth quarter. But down the stretch, the West clanked look after open look, even missing a couple of layups.

Allen led all scorers with 17 points, Bryant was second with 16 and Iverson, Tim Duncan and Jermaine O'Neal had 15 points apiece.

Now, for our unofficial All-Star Game awards.

Making the Most of His Time Award, East: Jermaine O'Neal, Indiana
J.O. tallied 15 points and five boards in 19 minutes. That's efficient.

Making the Most of His Time Award, West: Tim Duncan, San Antonio
T.D. scored 15 points in 16 minutes and grabbed nine boards. If the West could have closed the gap at the end, Duncan probably would have been on the floor in crunch time.

The Nice-to-Have-You-Back Award: Grant Hill, Orlando
Grant, although you only played 18 minutes and scored only six points, it was nice to have you back in the All-Star Game.

Mr. Accurate Award: Shawn Marion, Phoenix
Marion had 10 points on 5-for-7 shooting in 16 minutes of play.

The Iron Man Award: Iverson
At 32 minutes, Iverson got the most burn. LeBron James was a close second with 31 minutes.

The Rookie of the Game Award: LeBron James, Cleveland
With 13 points, eight boards and six dimes, LBJ's well-rounded game put him into contention for the Game's MVP award. As it was, his debut was the best of the seven first-time All-Stars.

Play of the Night: Vince Carter, New Jersey
Yeah, that off-the-glass alley oop to yourself was sweet, Vince. And in case you needed further evidence of how high Vinsanity got into the air, check out the photo to your right (and the reactions of those in press row).

Alley-Oop of the Night: Kobe-to-Amare
Sorry, A.I. and LeBron, the oop from Kobe to Amare, who waited 'til he got to the other side until he dunked it, was the prime connection of the evening.

And our final award...

Seems Like Old Times Award : Nash to Nowitzki
Of Steve Nash's six assists, two went to Dirk Nowitzki.

That's it from All-Star Weekend here in Denver. So, class, what did we learn?

On Friday, we noted that the league is in good hands. On Saturday, we found out that everyone associated with Phoenix is really, really good and that Dominique Wilkins is an inspiration to young dunkers. Last, but not least, on Sunday, we got a full picture of one of the best guards ever to play the game.

Now, it's on to the second half of the season. Nothing's settled yet. Not with Phoenix a mere half-game ahead of the Spurs for the best record in the league, and not with the Mavs and Rockets playing as well as any teams have had all year long. Sure, Miami's on a roll, but nothing's settled there either. Not with Detroit picking up steam in the East.

So, it should be a great second half. And with scoring up across the league, it should be exciting as well.

Finally, some of the entries in this blog would not be possible without the help of many people, including Paul and Marc Hirschheimer (for the photo shoots), Kevin Dobstaff (for the Skills Challenge run through), Randy Kim (lead NBA.com editor) and the rest of the NBA.com crew -- Mike Allen, Adam Bloom, Jeff Dengate, Jen Nelson and Eric Weinstein -- who gathered quotes, sighted celebrities and made the whole weekend an incredible experience.

We want to thank you for reading NBA.com's All-Star Blog this weekend. We hope you had as much fun reading as we did writing.

���¶ 06/12/05 1:05 PM //