The West wins 2004 NBA All-Star game in final seconds; Shaq honored as game MVP

Jet, March 1, 2004

With a week of NBA All-Star festivities in the glitz and glamour city of Los Angeles leading to the East-West showdown, the All-Star game proved to be the climactic finale.

In an All-Star game that resembled a slam dunk contest-the game featured 44 dunks-the West defeated the East 136-132 at the Staples Center. The taller West, with five 7-footers to none for the East, entered as a solid favorite, but neither team led by more than 9 points. This was the West's four win in the last five games.

An all-star among All-Stars, Shaquille O'Neal used the evening to shine above the rest. Though the center didn't start the game-Houston's Yao Ming edged O'Neal in fan balloting--O'Neal certainly finished.

With 24 points in 24 minutes and 11 rebounds, Shaq was selected the game's MVP. The self-proclaimed Super Man shot 12-of-19 including a crowd-pleasing 9 dunks.

"Can you dig it!" Shaq told the hometown fans after he received the MVP award. "It feels pretty good. I'm not really one to be taking over All-Star games.

"I said to myself, 'If it's going good, nobody is really shining, I'm going to go ahead and go for it,'" said Shaq, who was the co-MVP of the 2000 game with San Antonio's Tim Duncan.

The 11-time All-Star also thrilled fans by making like a point guard on a couple occasions. The 360-pounder dribbled the length of the court and slammed in his eighth dunk for a 126-123 lead. After he banked in a shot late in the third quarter, Jamaal Magloire grabbed his jersey; Shaq then grabbed a camera from a courtside photographer, pointed it at himself and admired his reflection in the lens.

"I had a lot of fun," said the 31-year-old Shaq, who has been slowed much of the season by a strained left calf, but showed no ill effects in the game. "A couple of people told me if I get it, there's an opening, they want me to go coast-to-coast."

Another hometown All-Star who dazzled the thousands of fans, movie stars and celebrities was Lakers guard Kobe Bryant. Bryant scored 20 points in 36 minutes, the most minutes played by any player on both teams. The five-time All-Star had a steal and what should have been a 3-pointer with 1:20 left, but the officials only counted it as a 2-pointer, tying the game 131-131.

Several of the stars grabbed their 15 minutes of fame during the evening. A pair of alley-oop passes from the 76ers' Allen Iverson to Toronto's Vince Carter for resounding dunks, along with a lookaway underhanded lob pass from the Nets' Jason Kidd to Nets teammate Kenyon Martin for another forceful slam led fans to an uproar.

Indiana's Ron Arrest and Orlando guard Tracy McGrady donned mismatched shoes. Adding to Shaq's highlights was a goal-tended shot into the lap of Bill Russell, sitting courtside on his 70th birthday. Shaq later added an especially demonstrative dunk-grabbing the rim after the slam, kicking his legs up and spinning 180 degrees before his landing.

New Orleans' Magloire led the East with 19 points and Kenyon Martin added 17 points.

Other Western Conference All-Star starters were San Antonio forward Tim Duncan, who scored 14 points and 13 rebounds, Houston guard Steve Francis, who scored 13 points, and Minnesota forward Kevin Garnett, who finished with 12 points and seven rebounds. Other Eastern starters were Indiana forward Jermaine O'Neal, who scored 16 points, and Detroit center Ben Wallace who added 4 points and 7 rebounds.

Newly crowned dunk champion Fred Jones of Indiana and 3-point Shootout champ Voshon Lenard of Denver gained acclaim by upsetting some NBA veterans for the titles. Also, sophomore players won bragging rights when they beat the rookies 142-118, including top star rookies LeBron James of Cleveland and Denver's Carmelo Anthony in the Rookie Challenge. Phoenix's second year player Amare Stoudemire set a record with 36 points.

Though the players provided a lot of entertainment for the fans, the star-studded crowd still enjoyed a provocative but scandal-free halftime show featuring the sexy, pop singer Beyonce. Also, singer/ actress Nona Gaye, daughter of the late singer Marvin Gaye, sang the national anthem before the All-Star Saturday events. Marvin Gaye sang the national anthem in 1983, the last time an NBA All-Star Game was played in the Los Angeles area. Nona Gaye sang along with her father's rendition as he loomed large on a screen behind her.