The NBA All-Star game is back in Cleveland for the third time. The 71st NBA All-Star game will take place Sunday, February 20th at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. It is the first time back in Cleveland in 25 years. The hometown Cavaliers will be well represented. Isaac Okoro and Evan Mobley will participate in Friday night's Rising Stars challenge. Mobley will join Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen on Saturday night for the Taco Bell Skills Challenge. Garland and Allen will play for Team Lebron in the All-Star game on Sunday night.
Let's take a look back at the previous two All-Star games held in Cleveland.
1981 - Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH
The first NBA All-Star game in Cleveland took place in 1981 at the Richfield Coliseum. It featured NBA legends such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Julius Erving, Larry Bird, George Gervin and Nate Archibald among others. The Cavaliers were represented by forward Mike Mitchell who was named as an injury replacement for Atlanta Hawks forward Dan Roundfield (right calf injury). Mitchell scored 14 pts on 6/12 shooting in 15 minutes.
The coaches were 76ers Billy Cunningham for the East and the Suns John MacLeod for the West. The Eastern Conference edged out the West 123-120. Paul Westphal (Seattle) and Dennis Johnson (Phoenix) lead the scoring with 19 pts each. Celtics big man Robert Parish grabbed 10 rebounds in 25 minutes. A Celtic also took home MVP honors as Nate Archibald posted 9 points, 9 assists and 5 rebounds in 25 minutes. Attendance at the Richfield Coliseum was 20,239.
1997 - Gund Arena, Cleveland, OH
The second NBA All-Star game in Cleveland took place in 1997 at Gund Arena in downtown Cleveland. The game featured NBA stars Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Hakeem Olajuwon and Karl Malone among others. Shaquille O'Neal, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley and Alonzo Mourning missed the game with injuries. The Cavaliers were represented by point guard Terrell Brandon who had 10 points and 8 assists in 17 minutes.
The coaches were Detroit's Doug Collins for the East and Houston's Rudy Tomjanovich for the West. The West prevailed 132-120. Charlotte Hornets forward Glen Rice was the top scorer with 26 points and took home MVP Honors. Rice set two records with 20 points in the 3rd quarter and 24 points in the second half. He broke the previous quarter record of 19 by Hal Greer in 1968 and half record of 23 set by Wilt Chamberlain and Tom Chambers. Penny Hardaway (Magic), Vin Baker (Bucks) and Latrell Sprewell (Warriors) each scored 19 points. Bulls guard Michael Jordan posted the first triple-double in All-Star game history with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. The attendance at Gund Arena was 20,562.
2022 NBA All-Star game events:
Friday, February 18th: Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game - 7:00 PM on ESPN
Clorox Rising Stars challenge - 9:00 PM on TNT
Saturday, February 19th: Taco Bell Skills Challenge, Mountain Dew 3-Point Contest & AT&T Slam Dunk Competition - 8:00 PM on TNT
Sunday, February 20th: NBA All-Star Game - 8:00 PM on TNT & TBS
Make sure you check out all of our podcasts at Believeland Media LLC! Click on the images below to access.
