This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Part of the charm of All-Star weekend is its ambiance and the overall madness that comes with it.
What makes it really fun is watching the players become wide-eyed through three days, especially the first timers. NBA athletes are the definition of cool. By this point in their lives, they've been to most places in the world and played the game on every level. Typically, nothing will faze them.
All-Star weekend is different. There's nothing like the energy that comes with it. And nothing like seeing players become fans.
"Man, I'm just so excited to be here," Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan said. "This is my first one. All the events, hanging out with my teammates, every night is going to be great. I'm just really excited to be here and to take it all in."
First-timers like Jordan and Gordon Hayward have been eager to soak everything in from start to finish. Hayward said he's been on the move from the moment his plane touched down in New Orleans on Thursday.
"I never thought I'd be in this position," Hayward said.
For these guys, the game is an accomplishment. But that's almost secondary to the overall excitement of the weekend, which is a breath of fresh air.
So often, we see guys who are guarded, who treat basketball like a business. And that's the right direction to take at the NBA level. For an athlete, maintaining his body and game is difficult, and requires lots of work. The road to the top of the mountain is often a treacherous one.
All-Star weekend is the pinnacle, the ultimate sign for players and coaches what an athlete has accomplished. That's why this weekend is often one of the best tools for the NBA to market the league. Everyone is happy, and deservedly so. Every moment, every event, every appearance for the players is an adventure.
Even for the veterans, they tend to find something new and unique each season. Carmelo Anthony has been an all-star almost every year. And yet, when he was named as a replacement for Cleveland star Kevin Love, he canceled a family vacation to Puerto Rico, and made his way down to New Orleans — and those tickets, by the way, were non-refundable.
Atlanta forward Paul Millsap is one of the unique all-stars in history. His trek to star status began as a second-round pick of the Utah Jazz. He rode the bench for a few seasons before becoming a starter.
Not many players ascend to all-star status late in a career, much less repeat status, but that's what Millsap has accomplished with the Hawks. But he didn't take a step back to take it all in during his first few appearances. His fourth time around, he's made sure to do so.
"My advice to the first time guys is to enjoy it," Millsap said. "Don't let everything stop you from having fun, because at the end of the day this is what it's all about. It's about a celebration of basketball and spending time with your family and kids. I didn't do this in the first few years and I regret it. I didn't enjoy it like I wanted to."
Jordan said he didn't know what his approach to the game would be, just that he wanted to go out and play as hard as he can on Sunday. He also made sure to join the fun of Saturday night's dunk contest.
"Us big guys, we don't ever get a lot of love in the dunk contest," Jordan said. "Fans like the little guys, because they can fly through the air. I definitely want to try and change that."
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