All-Star Double

FRIDAY

If the main event of the weekend - “The Match of All Stars” - is traditionally called a basketball show, then in the only significant event of the first day the sports component is even less. The newcomers match , in which the guys from the 2006 set will meet with the generation that joined the league in 2005, is the purest entertainment for the boys who have not forgotten that the most interesting thing in basketball is slam dunk, and who have not had time to realize that the titles bring protection. You can only sympathize with tall players: they are unlikely to be allowed to really feel the ball. Special condolences to the serious man Jorge Garbajos, who in incomplete 30 has nothing to do here at all. However, once Arvydas Sabonis managed to become the MVP of a similar match.

As for the winner, second-year winners have an advantage here - simply because of their much more solid roster. The set of “kids” in the team is simply fantastic - Paul, Williams, Ellis and Felton run over any rivals.

Another Friday will accommodate a celebrity match - by American standards. Among others, Jamie Foxx, Nelly, Michael Clarke Duncan, David Arquette, Lil Bow Wow, as well as female NBA basketball players Katie Smith and Tamika Catchings will perform there. The coaches will be ex-players, now ESPN analysts Tim Legler and Greg Anthony.

SATURDAY

A fun competition called " Casting Stars ", and this time last year’s winners from San Antonio honored their presence. Tony Parker, who got from center field in the first attempt in 2006, will be helped by George Gervin (he will replace Steve Kerr, who has a backache) and Kendra Waker. Oppose them will be teams from Chicago, Detroit and Los Angeles.

Steve Nash, who starred in a “match of the stars” due to injury, will miss the basketball competition . But the Canadian successfully joked: “The remaining participants could well arrange a slam dunk contest ". Indeed, Dwayne Wade (last year's triumphant), Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are famous not only for dribbling or passing ...

In the competition "truckers" the favorite for the second year in a row will be Dirk Nowitzki. The 2006 winner will have to fight with Jason Capono, Gilbert Arenas, Mike Miller, Damon Jones and teammate Jason Terry. It’s interesting, maybe Arenas will throw treshki here with one hand as well?

Of course, the audience will wait for exactly this moment - when the participants of the slam dunk contest will enter the site. With miniature Nate Robinson from New York, this time Gerald Green from Boston, Tyrus Thomas from Chicago and the real All - Star Dwight Howard from Orlando will argue . Countless repetitions of attempts from Robinson last year forced the organizers to change the rules. This time, the participant will have two minutes to complete the dunk, plus two attempts.

Finally - “The match of all the stars of the D-League” , that is, the farm league NBDL . It's hard to talk about him - you have hardly heard of guys like Pu Jeter or Clay Tucker ...

SUNDAY

Now about the main thing - the 56th “All-Star Game” of the NBA . Here, the East will be opposed by almost a duplicate composition of the West. On the only replacement of Jason Kidd by Joe Johnson (congratulations to the defender of Atlanta!), The Westerners answered with four. They lost the two-time MVP league of Steve Nash, ex- MVP Allen Iverson, supercenter Yao Ming and Carlos Boozer, who was about to debut in a similar game. Most likely, Yao in the starting five will replace Dirk Nowitzki, who will move Tim Duncan to the position of the nominal center.

Coach Eddie Jordan (Washington) Coach Mike D'Antoni (Phoenix)

Nikolai TSYNKEVICH