All-Star Game

By Bernie Miklasz
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

We saw 47 of the 50 greatest players in NBA history, decked out in colorful leather jackets, standing under a spotlight so the world could remember them and appreciate their legacies.

Kevin McHale and Larry Bird share a laugh while being honored among the NBA's 50 greatest players.

It was halftime at the 47th NBA All-Star Game at Gund Arena, and the current NBA stars not on the "50 Greatest" list stood in the tunnel leading to the floor, peering out at their basketball ancestors.

Goose bumps.

"Everyone was very excited," said Glen Rice, the Charlotte guard who would win All-Star Game MVP honors. "The very foundation of the NBA was on the floor. We were in awe."

Memories?

So many Tall Tales.

There's Wilt Chamberlain, who scored 100 points in a game. "I asked him how tired he was after doing that," Michael Jordan said. "I can only imagine."

And Oscar Robertson, who averaged a triple-double one season. And Willis Reed, who courageously limped out for Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, and hitting the first two shots to inspire his New York Knicks teammates. And Larry Bird, on the wing.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, releasing a sky hook from the rafters. Bill Russell, blocking shots. Earl the Pearl Monroe, called "Black Jesus" on the steamy summer playgrounds of Philadelphia. Wes Unseld, ripping a rebound off the glass and firing a bullet outlet pass. Tiny Archibald, skimming and darting. Doctor J, Julius Erving, elevating the game with his spectacular solo flights.

The NBA -- as usual -- did it right, merging the golden years with the modern years in a ceremonial weekend sweetened by respect, nostalgia and, of course, entertaining basketball. The East defeated the West 132-120. But the hoops were less exciting than the hoopla.

The legends savored their return to the arena. They were reminded -- after all of these years -- what they meant to the game, and so many fans. And that made them feel warm.

"This is the best thing that could happen to all of us," retired Knicks guard Walt Frazier said. "None of us really got that recognition that we deserved because we played in the league when it was not as popular as it is now. We didn't make the money.

"At this stage of my life, being in my 50s, it couldn't come at a better time. My son who is 30 years old, he's elated. I have a daughter, she's collecting my basketball cards, taking them to school to show the other kids."

Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan enjoy a light moment during the gathering of NBA legends.

There was plenty of grousing on Friday, when the old-timers were asked to comment on the late-century game. But Los Angeles Lakers great Elgin Baylor said the griping was unfair to the youngbloods.

"It's like asking the Wright brothers if they think about the 747 supersonic jet and all that," Baylor said. "What are we supposed to say? Personally, I can see that the talent is getting better, faster and quicker. Players are 6-9 and they can handle the basketball. And you have the little guys dunking the basketball. They're all such great athletes. How far it's going to go? Who can tell?"

And on the other side of the generational wall, the contemporary NBA players genuinely seemed humbled. Jordan said he was nervous to be standing next to the other greats at halftime.

"I haven't been nervous in these situations for a long time," he said. "I sat back and looked at all the great players who paved the road for myself and others. It's a great feeling to go out there and pay gratitude to them and at the same time see yourself among those players. It was amazing to have an opportunity to meet some of them."

Over the weekend, Jordan sought audiences with Chamberlain and Russell. Jordan wanted to know how Chamberlain and Russell approached the game. "I used it as an educational thing for me," MJ said.

On Sunday night, Jordan produced the first triple-double -- 14 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists -- in All-Star Game history. And if Jordan believes he can learn something from the pioneers, then perhaps the NBA kids will listen, too. If so, maybe they'll be OK.

Detroit's Grant Hill thinks so.

"A lot has been made of Generation X and guys not having respect for the game," Hill said. "I feel that in due time, a lot of these young guys will be superstars, will mature as players and as people, and they will represent and carry the NBA as well as the guys who came before."

There was no crying in the beer over the good old days. But this sentimental journey rolled into Cleveland and touched all of the participants.

"It reminds me how much I miss being around the guys," Bird said. "Playing with the Celtics and playing against the greatest players in the world is why I played. Show your skills every night -- I had a blast while I was doing it. I miss being around the guys, but there are other things in life besides basketball."

The legends will move forward now, back to those lives. But they did the fans, the players, and the NBA an important service. They reminded us of why we love this game.

Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.