ATLANTA — Being the first pick in the NBA Draft, winning Rookie of the Year, making the NBA All-Star Game, and winning MVP are goals for every NBA prospect. There are a limited few who end up doing any of the above, but the All-Star Game is where you can find them all. Between Stephen Curry, LeBron James, James Harden, Damian Lillard, and Paul George, all things mentioned have been done multiple times, and ClutchPoints had the opportunity to talk to these stars about these memorable experiences during this past weekend's unique festivities.
Curry just played in his seventh career NBA All-Star Game and won his second 3-Point Contest. In his 12-year career, he has won the MVP trophy twice and captured three championships with the Golden State Warriors. With having some experience in dealing with a busy All-Star Weekend, the two-time MVP winner offered up some advice and insight on how to manage the festivities.
“It was overwhelming for sure, Curry told ClutchPoints about his first full All-Star Weekend experience in New Orleans. “That was like a true All-Star Weekend experience where you had a schedule filled with stuff from the time you land to the time the game happens. I had been to All-Star Weekend maybe three times before, doing the Rookie Game or 3-Point Contest, and my weekend ends on Saturday night and you can let loose.
“When you're an All-Star you want to enjoy yourself, but things keep happening. Then you get to Sunday and it's like, ‘Dang, we still got to play the game.' You're kind of exhausted mentally and physically. Just cause you're overwhelmed by the opportunity and the stage and all the different experiences. New Orleans was fun that year. It was awesome to realize the goal of playing in the All-Star Game and you're the best 24 in the league, and I had a big Saturday night. I remember that, but Sunday was a blur. I think every year since I've been able to be in the moment a little more because you have a little more experience on how to pace yourself.”
LeBron James, playing in his 18th season, is still one of the best players in the NBA. James has won MVP four times, along with winning four NBA championships. James just made his 17th consecutive All-Star Game after missing out in his rookie season, but The King still remembers what he felt during his first appearance nearly two decades later.
“The very first All-Star Game, I believe, was in Denver, if I'm not mistaken. And one, it was cold as hell, but that's okay because I'm from Ohio. I was used to that,” James said. “Secondly, it was the first time I shared the floor with all the guys I had put up on my wall growing up. I used to get the SLAM Magazine and the Sports Illustrated and the Sports Illustrated Kids, and I would tear out the pages in those magazines, and I would tape them on my wall in my apartment at Springhill in my apartment with my mother.
“That was the first moment where I shared the floor with pretty much all those guys except for MJ and a couple of other guys. Penny Hardaway was on my wall as well. For the majority, a lot of those guys were on my wall. It was just the awe factor. I was like, ‘Wow, I can't believe this is real life.' Because I would wake up every single day in apartment 602, I would see those guys for inspiration every morning, so it was a pretty cool moment for me.”
James Harden just played in his ninth NBA All-Star Game, and he won his MVP back in 2018. The Beard wasn't always considered a star, but being traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Houston Rockets was a blessing in disguise. After being selected to the Western Conference All-Star Team, he finally showed the world he was here for the long haul.
“I think that was probably the most special All-Star Game I have been a part of,” Harden shared. “In a sense, it was my first one, and it was the same year I got traded to Houston. I was kind of the hometown kid. It just felt great to be part of it. Coming off the run in Oklahoma City we had, and then it is my first year in Houston as kind of the main guy. Just letting my talent and my skill speak for itself, so that was special.”
Portland Trail Blazers superstar and Weber State product Damian Lillard has been overlooked most of his basketball career. Upon winning Rookie of the Year and participating in six NBA All-Star Games, you can't help but recognize his greatness. Now he is considered the best closer in basketball, but in his first All-Star Game, he was just happy to be a part of it.
“I mean, I was a little bit nervous, a little uncomfortable,” Lillard said. “It was just different for the first time you share the room with the best players in the world. For me, it was with a lot of players I grew up watching. That was 2014. I was in there with Kobe. He walked in with his shades. I feel like Tim Duncan, Dirk. I mean, all these dudes are on the team. I played in an All-Star Game with Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki, Kobe Bryant.
“So it was just different, you know, but I think my first experience I was just taking it in. I wasn't there to put my stamp on the game or anything like that. I was just enjoying the experience, looking around like, ‘Look at what kind of company I'm in.'”
Paul George is a seven-time NBA All-Star. He has played for both the Eastern and Western Conference squads, and he is one of the best two-way players in the league. George is an underrated player even though his numbers speak loudly. He recalled a meaningful conversation with a future Hall of Famer in his first-ever appearance.
“First All-Star appearance was awesome. I got to share my first one with some greats. One of the most memorable moments was sharing spaces with KG. We were right next to each other, our lockers. Just the conversations I had with him at a young age. I was probably 22 or 23, my first one, but to be able to share those conversations, have those talks with him. It was awesome. It was dope. I built a brotherhood with him and mentorship from him. I think that was most memorable from my first All-Star Game.”
These players have accumulated seven MVPs, 2 Rookie of the Years, and a whopping 46 All-Star appearances. All these players have had one-of-a-kind and unique experiences. They've experienced everything from first-time jitters to being in complete awe of being able to compete alongside other NBA greats. These first moments of participating in the NBA All-Star Game are a special part of each player's journey.
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