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NBA All Star 2008

It is a game in which the concept far surpasses the reality. It is a game that promises the ultimate competition -- the twelve best players from the Eastern Conference against the twelve best players from the Western Conference. It is a game that delivers sloppy basketball -- the 24 best players in the NBA never play their best in the All-Star game.In the midst of a long, grinding, day-to-day season, chosen star players are suddenly asked to act out the fantasies of their fans -- to perform in a game where everyone is a star. It is a flattering offer, and players are happy to oblige. Although they know that they will not be able to oblige with a great basketball game, the players also know that that doesn't matter because a great basketball game is not expected of them by the fans.No fan who has watched an All-Star game before is surprised or upset by the game's lack of rhythm, lack of cohesiveness, lack of precision, or lack of desire. A fan only cares about seeing the top players on the court together, or about seeing his favorite players from his favorite team performing on the court with the other top players. The All-Star game is about image. It is about what the fans want to see. The physical contest between the players is nearly insignificant -- pride being the only element that maintains its significance. The game's interest lies almost entirely in the appearance of the players -- in Steve Nash and Chris Paul sharing the backcourt, in Dwight Howard and LeBron James tossing alley-oops to each other, in Jason Kidd caught guarding (his future teammate?) Dirk Nowitzki.

Kobe Bryant will take part in the 3-point shooting contest at All-Star weekend against a field that includes defending champion Jason Kapono and the last repeat winner, Peja Stojakovic.Steve Nash, Detroit All-Star Richard Hamilton and Cleveland's Daniel Gibson also were chosen Wednesday to take part in the event, which will be held Feb. 16 in New Orleans during All-Star Saturday night.Bryant will try to add the 3-point title to the dunk championship he won as a rookie in 1997. He is shooting 35 percent from behind the arc this season.Kapono signed with Toronto in the offseason and is shooting 51 percent from 3-point range. He won last year in Las Vegas while playing for Miami, falling just shy of the event record with a 24 in the final round.

For his first run through the obstacle course of the PlayStation® Skills Challenge, Utah Jazz point guard Deron Williams said he was a little nervous. He shook off those jitters very quickly.After advancing to the final round, Williams put together a flawless performance - no missed shots, every pass through the hoops - and set a record time for the final round at NBA All-Star Saturday Night, winning another duel with perennial rival Chris Paul. Not moving at full speed, Williams clocked 31.2 seconds in the first round. In the final round, he covered the course in 25.5 seconds, just one tick off the all-time mark set by Steve Nash in the first round in 2005. Paul, the All-Star point guard of the host New Orleans Hornets, posted a strong final-round time of 31.2.A pair of Eastern Conference All-Star guards were eliminated in the first round. Jason Kidd of the New Jersey Nets clocked 39.7 seconds and two-time defending champion Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat lost his dribble and timed 53.9 seconds. Paul had the best first-round time at 29.9.