Rising Stars set the tone for NBA All-Star Weekend with enjoyable showcase

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — If it takes the younger upstarts of the NBA, the eventual stars-to-be, to reinvigorate the NBA All-Star break, then we owe them appreciable gratitude.

The NBA’s Rising Stars set the tone Friday, Feb. 13 in an interesting and entertaining showcase that culminated with a stellar efficiency from Philadelphia 76ers rookie VJ Edgecombe to hold Team Vince — as in Vince Carter — to the Rising Stars championship. And because the NBA All-Star Game has confronted widespread criticism for its lack of aggressive spirit, let’s hope that the league’s greatest stars draw inspiration from its “Rising” ones.

In the semifinal spherical, Edgecombe scored his staff’s closing 10 factors to win and carried Team Vince with 23 mixed factors throughout each video games, together with a pair of clutch, game-winning free throws within the championship.

“I appreciate people tuning in, even to the Rising Stars game,” Edgecombe informed reporters after the sport. “We just tried to make it fun, make it competitive, where it’s worth your time.”

Edgecombe wasn’t alone. On the entire, your complete crop of 28 first- and second-year gamers who participated Friday within the Rising Stars Game established a baseline spirit of competitors that has been painfully absent from the supposed gem of the weekend, the precise All-Star Game.

Did the Rising Stars unleash relentless, playoff-level competitors? No, in fact not. They didn’t must. What issues right here is that they didn’t do the naked minimal. They didn’t sleepwalk and loaf by the exhibition in a method that insults followers investing their time and capital within the expertise.

This is what’s essential for the survival of the NBA All-Star Game, and the All-Star video games of all the most important home sports activities leagues, if we’re being sincere. There’s a option to strike a stability of elevated competitors with out compromising security or risking harm.

This was what the 4 coaches of the Rising Stars — Carter, Carmelo Anthony, Tracy McGrady and Austin Rivers — preached to their gamers.

“(The message) was compete hard but be smart,” Rockets guard Reef Sheppard, who performed for Team Melo, informed reporters. “This All-Star Weekend is supposed to be fun. At the same time, don’t go out there and just run around. Compete and play, but be smart and have fun.”

Said second-year Bulls ahead Matas Buzelis, one other rising NBA star and one who mixed to attain 10 factors throughout the 2 mini-games for Team Vince: “We weren’t trying to just lay back and cruise.”

The solely disgrace Friday night time was that, understandably, NBC prioritized its Olympic protection for its primetime nationwide broadcast and was compelled to relegate the Rising Stars showcase to streaming-only broadcast Peacock, that means a piece of followers missed the showcase.

Several gamers stated they observed the handful of NBA All-Stars who spent their Friday night time within the cosmopolitan metropolis of Los Angeles court-side on the Intuit Dome, taking within the Rising Stars competitors.

Donovan Mitchell of the Cavaliers, Scottie Barnes of the Raptors, De’Aaron Fox of the Spurs and Tyrese Maxey of the 76ers have been all in attendance. All have been proven on the jumbotron to applause from the followers in attendance.

It was this final participant who, partly, impressed Edgecombe.

“Tyrese is my dog, man,” Edgecombe stated. “I was like, he ain’t coming to watch if I ain’t going to play hard. So I was like, I’m going to play hard so at least it’s not a waste of his time.

“I know he has a whole lot of stuff he could probably be doing right now, especially being an All-Star. Tyrese is my dog. I love him.”

Here’s to hoping Maxey and his fellow All-Stars take after these younger gamers to offer followers the showcase they deserve.