NBA ALL-STAR GAME 2015

Of all the All-Star games, the NBA’s may be the most fun. It is pure flash, entirely about scoring and showmanship.

The NFL’s Pro Bowl has been marred by players not wanting to participate in a collision sport after the season and the league nearly decided to cancel it a couple of years ago. Baseball’s All-Star game is, well, more baseball. The NHL All-Star game this year produced 29 goals, not exactly representative of normal competition.

The NBA makes no pretenses that defense is on the menu. When it stages its game in New York on Sunday, it will be about great moves, individual stars and highlight reel dunks. The East beat the West 163-155 last year, snapping the West’s string of three consecutive victories. Popular? Oh, yes. The All-Star Game will be seen in 215 countries and territories and heard in 47 languages.

The Atlanta Hawks placed four players on the Eastern Conference team. LeBron James is also on that roster, as is Carmelo Anthony.

The Western Conference lineup includes plenty of long-time favorites – Tim Duncan, Chris Paul, James Harden, and the Golden State Warriors’ fascinating Splash Brothers – Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, who are sons of former NBA standouts.

Injuries have removed a number of entertaining players – Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant, Blake Griffin. But that just opens the door for other budding standouts, such as DeMarcus Cousins and Damian Lillard.

Earlier on Sunday, the NBA will display the talents of potential future stars with its D-League (Developmental League) All-Star Game, with a slam dunk contest at halftime.

The D-League game will be televised by NBA TV at 2:30 p.m. ET. The 64^th NBA All-Star game is on TNT at 8:30 p.m. ET.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman .