With the 2020 NBA All-Star Game upon us, we look back at the top 10 MVP performances in league history
The NBA All-Star Weekend is finally here. In honor of the All-Star festivities, this is a good time to take a look back and countdown the top 10 performances by All-Star MVPs.
The NBA All-Star Game began in 1951 when Ed Macauley of the Boston Celtics took home the inaugural MVP award. Over the last 69 years, we have seen the game evolve. From big men to quick guards, the All-Star Game MVP has been hoisted by a variety of all-time greats.
Just missing the cut:
1962: Bob Pettit ~ 25 points, 27 rebounds, two assists
1967: Rick Barry ~ 38 points, six rebounds, three assists
1978: Randy Smith ~ 27 points, seven rebounds, six assists, came off the bench
1980: George Gervin ~ 34 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, three steals
2001: Allen Iverson ~ 25 points, two rebounds, five assists, four steals
2007: Kobe Bryant ~ 31 points, five rebounds, six assists, six steals
2013: Chris Paul ~ 20 points, 15 assists, four steals
10. Anthony Davis (2017) ~ 52 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals
Considering that the NBA All-Star Game is more of a glorified shootaround, a 52-point performance still deserves recognition. Anthony Davis went 26-39 (both ASG records) from the field in only 31 minutes of action.
Even though the rest of the starting lineup was filled out with knockdown shooters like Stephen Curry, James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Kawhi Leonard, the fact that AD was able to score 50 solely on 2-point field goals serves to be equally impressive in the modern NBA.