One of the best parts about this NBA season starting back up has been the return of the NBA on NBC. From the iconic Roundball Rock theme song to Bob Costas and Michael Jordan bringing the nostalgia and insight, fans around the world have been eating up NBC’s coverage.
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Another tremendous addition has been a stellar new cast of analysts and commentators, and in particular, Carmelo Anthony and Vince Carter. Melo and VC retired relatively recently, which means they still have a great handle on the modern game. They also had extremely long careers. Between them they played 41 NBA seasons, so they also have a wealth of stories to call upon.
NBC will be airing the All-Star Game and most of the related festivities from All-Star Weekend, and in honor of tonight’s announcement of what the exact format will be, Maria Taylor asked Melo and Vince to share some of their best All-Star memories. Melo was an All-Star 10 times, while Vince made it eight times, so they both had stories to tell.
They say you never forget your first, and Melo went with the 2007 All-Star Game, the very first time he was invited. “It was Vegas. I was a replacement for Carlos Boozer that year,” Melo recalled. “I just remember like, ‘Man, I don’t want to go to be a replacement,’ but once you get there, you forget all about the replacement stuff, and you just partake in the weekend and what’s going on.”
Melo described what it was like to be rubbing elbows with Yao Ming, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, a real thrill for such a young player. “These are the guys that were leading the West, so for me to be a part of that group was a very special moment. It made me want to do it again, but it also made me want to go get better.”
Vince also talked about his first All-Star Game, except his was back in 2000. It was a moment he had pictured in his mind long before it happened. “You dream about being an All-Star. You dream about playing in the game,” he said, revealing, “For me, I had dreams of being in the Dunk Contest, and I used to practice holding the trophy up.”
When Vince finally had the chance to make his dream a reality, he authored one of the best Dunk Contest performances of all time, clinching the trophy with a bounced alley-oop, through the legs slam that included his iconic, “It’s over” declaration to the camera. Afterwards, he got to cheese with the trophy, just like he’d practiced, and was even congratulated by his idol and fellow dunking superhero, Dr. J.
Hopefully the presence of such a legendary dunker on NBC’s team inspires some big-name stars to take part in the Dunk Contest this year. As for the All-Star Game itself, we know that it will feature some sort of USA vs. international component, but we’ll have to tune in to halftime of the Celtics-Sixers game tonight to find out exactly how it will look.
