The Starting Five

This is a good move. What has Dallas won anyway?

TNT’s Craig Sager interviewed New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul before the game.

Paul on being introduced in his first All-Star Game: “I told Coach (Byron Scott) all along that I might get introduced and throw up, I’m so nervous right now.”

Barkley on Hornets guard Chris Paul’s pre-game jitters: “(Chris Paul is) nervous and playing at home makes it even harder for him. He just needs to have a fun; this is a celebration just like the entire weekend is.”

Smith on the rebirth of New Orleans: “This is a rebirth and letting the world know that (New Orleans) is starting again. But rebirth is still infancy; it still needs help and a helping hand. There have been no incidences, it’s been great, the food has been great. Everything has been good.”

Barkley on overindulging in the food New Orleans has to offer: “I’m going to start my diet tomorrow.”

TNT’s David Aldridge talked to New Jersey Nets guard before the game.

Kidd on the potential trade that would make him a Dallas Maverick: “Hopefully there will be a decision made by after the game or by tomorrow morning…(If I was going with my gut I’d say) that I would probably be in Dallas.”

TNT’s Craig Sager interviewed Lakers guard and 10-time All-Star Kobe Bryant before the game.

Bryant on his plans to play limited minutes during the NBA All-Star Game: “I’d rather sit out despite how much I love playing this game, but my competitive juices are flowing. You just have to be smart about it, get in and get out and get some treatment during the game.”

Bryant on playing through his injury and delaying surgery: “We are playing so well, we have great rhythm and great chemistry. I’ve been able to play through the injury and be efficient. We have a great medical staff and it doesn’t make any sense to jump the gun and do the surgery right now.”

Magic Johnson on Lakers guard Kobe Bryant being happy with his team in Los Angeles: “This is the happiest Kobe (Bryant) has been since Shaquille O’Neal was with the Lakers. He feels confident about the team and thinks they can make a good run in the Playoffs.”

Smith on the impact Nets guard Jason Kidd will have if traded to the Dallas Mavericks: “(Jason Kidd) puts (the Mavericks) in contention, they were not in contention to win the West. This puts them in the mix and gives them a fighting chance.”

Collins on Cavaliers forward LeBron James being the MVP of the season thus far: “(LeBron James) keeps getting better and better. If you had to vote for MVP today he would be my MVP. (The Cavs) have been injured, they had early season holdouts, they haven’t been able to win a game without him and he’s the best closer in basketball now.”

Collins on the Pistons’ backcourt of Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton: “(Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton) are the reason the Detroit Pistons are quietly going along. You throw in a much improved bench and this is the team you’re going to have to beat in the East.”

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NBA All-Star Game

Marv Albert, Doug Collins and Reggie Miller; Craig Sager and David Aldridge reporting

Miller on the revitalization of the Slam Dunk Contest: “I’m just glad (Dwight Howard) finally brought back creativity to the dunk contest. It had gotten stale for a little bit but those were some unbelievable dunks by all of the participants.”

TNT’s David Aldridge interviewed Eastern Conference All-Star head coach Doc Rivers.

Rivers on coaching the Eastern Conference All-Stars: “We were trying to figure out how can you have a bad option on a play when you coach a team like this? It’s great, it’s about players though, when you get players that give a coach a chance, I’m just having a good time.”

Miller on the similarities between Hornets guard Chris Paul and former Pistons guard Isiah Thomas: “You listen to Byron Scott and he’s saying that Chris Paul might be the closest guy to Isiah Thomas, when it comes to toughness. He’s not going to take anything, he’s a great floor general and for his size he’s a really great leader.”

TNT’s Craig Sager interviewed Lakers guard Kobe Bryant during the game.

Bryant on sitting out for the rest of the All-Star Game: “It’s very difficult, all my friends were trashing me saying once the game gets going it’s going to tough to sit down. I want to play, I desperately want to play, but you also have obligations to the franchise.”

Bryant on the potential trade sending Nets guard Jason Kidd to the Mavericks: “I think it makes the game more interesting. The Western Conference is tough to begin with and it makes the West extremely competitive.”

Miller on a slam dunk by Magic center Dwight Howard: “I think all that’s missing now is the (Superman) cape he broke out last night in the Dunk Contest that drove everyone crazy.”

Miller on Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy criticizing Dwight Howard prior to the All-Star break: “There is nothing wrong with a coach coaching, that’s what he’s supposed to do. (Dwight Howard) is a young player and he’s establishing himself in the league. Stan Van Gundy gets on him a little bit, he responds with 24 points and 23 rebounds. He is one of the new faces of this league.”

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Halftime

Smith on which NBA stars emerge during the All-Star Game: “It’s interesting to see who becomes the stars of stars, who the ball gravitates to and it is obviously LeBron James and Dwight Howard. These are two guys that always have the ball in their hands either finishing or making the play.”

Barkley on the East trying to redeem themselves from last year’s All-Star loss: “You can see that the East is a little pissed off about last year and they are a little bit more competitive, they don’t want to lose by 30 points again. They are trying a little harder.”

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Collins on Craig Sager’s report that Allen Iverson gave a lecture to his team at halftime about playing better: “(Allen Iverson) also has got six turnovers in the first half. If a guy is going to speak, I love that, but you’ve got to put yourself in the heat if you’re part of the problem.”

Miller on the hardest playing players in the NBA: “I think about the three strong willed guys in this league, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Allen Iverson. You know what you’re going to get from those guys night in and night out, those guys probably play the hardest of anyone in the NBA.”

TNT’s Craig Sager interviewed Western Conference All-Star coach Byron Scott after the third quarter.

Scott on the sentiment by the Western Conference All-Stars to win the game: “They feel it’s important, they had a pretty good win last season and they want to keep it going. The thing they’ve been saying on the bench is ‘let’s go ahead to try to win this thing,” so we’ll see how it goes.”

Collins on his vote for MVP of the game: “I thought (Ray Allen) changed the game and I thought Chris Paul, had they won, would have gotten my vote because of what he did to get his team back in the game. But Ray Allen’s electric shooting changed the game with those brilliant shots.”

TNT’s Ernie Johnson presented the NBA All-Star Game MVP Award to Cavaliers forward LeBron James.

James on winning the All-Star Game and which All-Star was an integral part of their victory: “We didn’t want to come out here and get beat up on again. The East did a great job, we got a big lead in the first half and we withstood the run (of the West) in the fourth quarter and they put on a good one, but we made plays down the stretch. Ray Allen had a heck of a shooting night, he kept us in the fourth quarter. He was the reason why we were able to keep the lead, his shooting ability is amazing.”

 

 

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