Backyard ballin’ in the Bay.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
Feb. 17, 2025
An OG Dub: Shaq’s OGs deliver a vintage performance in Sunday’s revamped All-Star Game
Historic Homecoming: Steph puts on a show for his second ASG MVP, Dame Time does it again
A Generational Night: The OGs lead the way while the young stars leave their mark
No. 74 In Photos: Some of our favorite frames from Sunday’s midseason classic
Reads Of The Week: A few of the top All-Star stories from the NBA world
1. SHAQ’S OGs SHINE IN 74TH NBA ALL-STAR GAME
New format, same OGs.
In the All-Star Game’s first-ever 4-team, 3-game, single-elimination tournament, it was a group of championship vets and all-time greats who took home the crown.
The rules? First team to 40 wins.
Ready. Set. Go.
Chuck’s Global Stars 41, Kenny’s Young Stars 32: In the first semifinal, it was the Kia MVP Ladder leader Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who took over with 12 points – 6 more than other player – capped by a game-sealing slam to advance. | Recap
- Shai & KAT Splash: SGA went a perfect 5-of-5 from the field, including two 3s, while Karl-Anthony Towns added two deep treys of his own, including a 37-footer
- Sizzling Young Stars: Saturday’s Starry 3-Point Contest champion Tyler Herro (6 pts) had two more triples left in the tank, while fellow Cavs, Evan Mobley & Darius Garland, added 6 points apiece
- First-Timers Trade Jams: Victor Wembanyama threw down a big slam before Cade Cunningham beat him to the rack on the other end for a one-handed hammer
- Joker To Alien Oop: After a slick Nikola Jokić dime and a pair of Wemby dunks, the two generational bigs linked up for an epic international lob
Shaq’s OGs 42, Candace’s Rising Stars 35: Friday’s Castrol Rising Stars champions put up a fight in the second semifinal, but Shaq’s OGs were too much, breaking a 28-28 tie with a 14-7 closing run, stamped by Damian Lillard’s game-winning 3. | Recap
- Steph Being Steph: In his home arena, Steph Curry opened the OGs scoring with a floater before knocking down two triples
- Finals MVP Effort: Jaylen Brown ignited the decisive run with six straight points, including a big finish off a lob from Kyrie Irving
- Then? Dame Time: Stuck at 39 points with the Rising Stars clawing back, the OGs turned to Lillard (9 pts), who splashed his third triple of the game for the win – setting up a championship showdown against the Global Stars…
Shaq’s OGs 41, Chuck’s Global Stars 25: In a heavyweight bout, the OG’s threw the first haymaker and kept on swinging as Jayson Tatum and Curry ignited an 11-0 opening run, before scoring their squad’s final eight points to top Wemby, Jokić and the Global Stars for the title. | Recap
- Curry & JT Close: Curry (12 pts, 4 3s) and Tatum (15 pts, 3 3s) splashed seven 3s, including two clutch triples from Steph before JT punched home the dagger dunk
- Alien Abilities: A mic’d up Wemby led the charge for the Global Stars, pouring in a team-high 11 points
- Back & Forth Buckets: On the precipice of a title, the pace picked up, with Kyrie throwing himself and off-the-backboard oop before Trae Young dished out an absurd coast-to-coast dime
- Curry Cooks: But the star of the night was Curry, who sank a halfcourt 3 and signature no-look triple on his way to earning the Kobe Bryant Trophy as Kia All-Star MVP
2. BAY AREA HOMECOMING: STEPH WINS MVP, DAME TIME DELIVERS
“This is very symbolic of the entire journey,” said Steph Curry on his Kobe Bryant MVP Trophy.
“Having played here for 16 years – and this is the only place I’ve played – it’s a great celebration of basketball in this area.”
The Bay Area and basketball go hand in hand. From Wilt to Rick Barry to the ‘07 “We Believe” Warriors – San Francisco and Oakland have witnessed plenty of iconic moments.
But in the region’s rich hoops history, perhaps nobody’s delivered more classics than Curry.
And in Sunday’s championship, surrounded by the game’s greatest players on his home floor, it was Curry who shined brightest – again.
- The Party Starter: An unbelievable one-legged running 3 kicked off the OG’s opening 11-0 surge
- The Show Stopper: Next, Steph tried his luck from halfcourt, pulling up from 39 feet – and splashing to send Chase Center into a frenzy
- The Finish Touch? What else but a vintage launch-and-turn before the ball found the bottom of the net – putting the OGs up 39-21 to all but secure the win
Curry finished the night with 20 points, 10 boards, six 3s and two trophies – marking just the 7th instance in the last 50 years that a player has won All-Star MVP with his team playing host.
- His Company? Michael Jordan (1988), John Stockton & Karl Malone (1993), Shaquille O’Neal (2004, 2009), Kobe Bryant (2011) and Anthony Davis (2017)
- “The hosting experience was unbelievable,” said Curry postgame. “This is an honor and a blessing to share this beautiful Bay Area … and the basketball culture and history that’s been here.”
Curry’s historic homecoming wouldn’t have been possible without another Bay Area OG, as Oakland native Damian Lillard called game in the semifinals to send their squad to the chip.
- “Some of the stories write themselves,” said Curry on capturing the title with Lillard. “Dame is from Oakland … He is Oakland. Every time he comes back here, he wants to put on a show…
- “He’s just about inspiring people. He’s as real as they come, to the point where they don’t even say he wears the number 0 – he wears the letter O.”
That inspiration extended far beyond the court this weekend, as Lillard returned to Oakland to make college more attainable for kids while Steph and his wife, Ayesha, continued their commitment to give back to underprivileged schools.
- “It was a 10 out of 10 experience,” said Curry on the weekend. “The impact that the game being here has had on both cities … it was awesome from start to finish.”
3. A GENERATIONAL NIGHT: FROM OG EXCELLENCE TO RISING STARS
Between a revamped All-Star Game and the AT&T Slam Dunk contest’s first-ever three-peat champ, the last three days in the Bay produced an All-Star Weekend like never before.
But amid a flurry of ‘firsts,’ it was the longstanding OGs who closed the weekend on top.
- “They say that you don’t get better in your 30s,” said Kyrie Irving after Sunday’s title. “But I think our generation has proven otherwise.”
Shaq’s OGs boasted an average age of 33.4. No other team eclipsed an average age of 27.
Yet, they were the only ones to hit 40 twice – as their longevity was on full display, despite being without LeBron James (ankle/foot).
- The Beard Ballin’: While Steph took over the championship, James Harden finished with the best plus-minus (+18) and a game-high 4 assists, including the game-winning dime to Tatum
- KD Chemistry: In the semis, it was Kevin Durant who led the OGs in assists (3) while dishing out the game-sealing helper to Lillard
- Kyrie’s Clinic: Meanwhile, Irving diced both squads, finishing the night with 11 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals and one reminder for Chuck’s Global Stars
Generations Collide: While the OGs took home the hardware, the younger talent also came to play.
- Candace’s Rising Stars took the OGs to the brink, with Amen Thompson (4 pts, 3 reb, 4 ast), Dalton Knecht (8 pts) and Stephon Castle (6 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl) all showing off their potential
- Kenny’s Young Stars saw first-timers Tyler Herro (6), Evan Mobley (6), Cade Cunningham (5) and Jalen Williams (2) combine for 19 of their 32 points, including a monster jam by JDub above
- Chuck’s Global Stars reached the championship thanks to SGA’s perfect shooting performance, while Wemby dazzled in his All-Star debut on both ends
Speaking of can’t-miss debuts, one of the biggest winners of the night was Jaren, a fan who beat Lillard at the buzzer in the MrBeast $100,000 Challenge, draining a 3 under pressure to win the prize.
That wasn’t the only unforgettable moment outside of Sunday’s box scores, as our all-access crew went behind the scenes to capture what makes the All-Star Game so special.
- The Legend Arrives: Introducing one of the game’s greatest legends… Kevin Hart!
- Herro’s ASG Jersey Reveal: “Lots of blood, sweat and tears went behind that, so it’s much appreciated.”
- “You Really Brought A Book?”: Jokić’s reaction to Wemby’s pregame ritual was priceless
- Gone Fishin’: Ernie, Chuck, Shaq and Kenny give a heartfelt farewell in their final NBA All-Star Game
- Giannis Channels SGA: Watch Giannis try to replicate some of Shai’s unmatched aura
- JB’s Signed Kicks: Jaylen Brown got his fellow All-Stars to sign his shoes – and rocked them in the game
- Ring Of Honor: LeBron receives his All-Star ring from the kids at BCG SF-Oakland, along with a special note
4. SOME OF OUR FAVORITE FRAMES FROM THE 74TH ALL-STAR GAME
From young buckets to a vintage Curry flurry, check out some of the greatest moments from Sunday night, captured in real time.
5. READS OF THE WEEK: CATCHING UP ON ALL-STAR WEEKEND AROUND THE NBA
Before we enter the final sprint of the regular season, let’s dive into some of the top stories around the league following an epic All-Star Weekend.
- All-Star Groove: The most iconic music moments in NBA All-Star history – Michael Saponara, Billboard
- KD Returns To Chase Center: How Kevin Durant feels when he returns to the Bay, a place he still calls home – Janie McCauley, AP
- McClung Enters Rare Air: With an unprecedented three-peat in AT&T Slam Dunk, Mac McClung accomplished something few ever achieve in pro sports – Josh Cohen, NBA.com
KD 🤝 Steph: Steph Curry and Kevin Durant proved to be a winning combo once again – Evan Webeck, The Mercury News
M-V-P: How Curry’s All-Star performance earned him 12 of 14 votes for MVP. – Jeff Zillgitt, USA Today
Life-changing Moment: 18-year-old Jaren Barajas leaves All-Star weekend with a grand prize – Janie McCauley, AP
