The NBA All-Star weekend is already providing high-end entertainment for the fans. The Rising Stars challenge, Celebrity All-Star game, 3-point contest, and Slam Dunk contest, all have given fans what they wanted to see, basketball players providing highlight-reel plays. The various skills on display by players were met with raucous appreciation from fans. But the All-Star weekend is not over.
The grand finale is the 73rd All-Star game, which will be held tomorrow. The selection for the All-Stars was done a while back. However, owing to injuries to some of the players, some new entrants made it into the list at the last moment.
But All-Star players do not play with their All-Star teammates in the season, therefore they too need practise before the game.
NBA stars showed off their skills at All-Star practice
The All-Star practice took place earlier today. The West and the East teams had their own practices with their respective coaches. They initially went with basic shootarounds, 3-pointers, 30-foot shots, etc. But the real fun started when they decided to put up half-court shots. Every year during All-Star weekend, half-court shots give a glimpse into the fun side of these players.
Luka Doncic, Trae Young and Damian Lillard put up trick shots during All-Star practice (image via Open Source/X)But there was something more in the offing from the participating All-Stars. Some of them wanted to put on a show with trick plays that could not be done in any other setting. Luka Doncic, Trae Young, and Damian Lillard tried their best to entertain the fans. Some of those trick plays left spectators sending out roars of appreciation.
Luka Doncic’s bounce shot sends teammate and fans reeling
Luka Doncic decided to wow crowds with a trick shot that left even his teammate Dereck Lively II reeling. Doncic said to Lively II that he was shooting a bounce shot, then let it fly. Both watch as the ball bounces near the basket and go in, sending Lively II and the fans roaring.
Derick Lively II is Doncic’s teammate. Despite having seen probably a lot of trick plays during team practice, this one was new. Which is why he was left stunned by his All-Star teammate. What was even more hilarious was that Doncic tried it a second time, only for the shot to not be anywhere close to the basket.
Trae Young puts up a shot from the stands
Trae Young was a late selection to the All-Star team. Despite having a fantastic season, Young was selected after an injury to a starter paved his way for the team. He did not want to let the opportunity go to waste with a trick shot for the fans.
Young decided to head into the stands, take the position, and launch a shot from that distance. The ball went in to send the fans surrounding him into a frenzy. Young finished this shot with his traditional ice-cold celebration. Trae Young sure knows how to entertain fans in any way he can.
Luka Doncic shocks the crowd with a 50 ft high-arching shot
Doncic then decided to do one better this time. He was around 50 feet from the basket. He launched a shot that almost reached the ceiling of the arena then came back down to go through the net. Fans were left in shock as to the difficulty of the shot.
Doncic’s second attempt on his bounce shot did not go in. But this time he wanted to show that he could redo the high-arching shot again. He shot it a second time and even that went in. Fans could not believe what they were seeing from the young superstar.
Damian Lillard ALMOST recreates OKC game-winner
Damian Lillard was practising when journalist Chris Haynes decided to ask him some questions. During the conversation, Haynes asked Lillard to recreate the clutch game-winning shot he took against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2019 playoffs.
Haynes reminded Lillard that they were standing at around the exact same distance as that shot. Lillard took the shot, only for the ball to bounce off the rim. This embarrassment drew a smile from Lillard, after which he said he did not have it in him anymore. Haynes and the commentators broke out laughing.
The All-Stars Luka Doncic, Trae Young, and Damian Lillard have given the fans more than enough entertainment until now. We will have to wait and see what else is in store from these superstars come game time.
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