Jayson Tatum, All-Star Game, NBA
Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum accepts the 2023 All-Star Game MVP after leading Team Giannis to the victory over Team LeBron. ESPN Stats & Info/Twitter

KEY POINTS

  • Jayson Tatum took home his first-ever All-Star Game MVP while showcasing his new shoes
  • NBA stars take their turns shooting from "Lillard Range"
  • LeBron James honored alongside Karl Malone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the halftime show

The 2023 All-Star Game showcased the best of the best that the NBA's current stars have to offer, and everyone was treated to a fun night of basketball at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Here are a couple of highlights from the NBA's midseason spectacle.

Jayson Tatum wins All-Star Game MVP in New Kicks

"It's gotta be the shoes" is a classic tagline from the iconic commercial featuring all-time basketball great Michael Jordan, and Spike Lee and the spirit of that commercial appear to have taken hold of Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum.

He went on to take home the All-Star Game MVP after dropping 55 points and 10 boards in Team Giannis' win over Team LeBron, and fans were able to get their first glimpse of the brand-new "JT1" on the court.

As sneaker outlets reported, the Jordan JT1 is the lightest basketball shoe in the illustrious history of the Jordan Brand under Nike and Tatum definitely looked comfortable in them.

Balling out in the "Pink Lemonade" colorway for the All-Star Game, Jordan Brand could not have picked a better time to reveal them to the world as the way Tatum moved on the court while striding gracefully after every shot is the best type of marketing that any shoe manufacturer can hope to see.

Not only did he take home All-Star Game MVP honors, but Tatum also became the first player in NBA history to have a 50-point game in the regular season, playoffs and All-Star Game while also dropping the same number of points in a play-in game.

"Shooters shoot" is another adage that basketball fans subscribe to, and if Tatum continues to go on a scoring rampage the rest of the season in his new signature kicks, it would not be a surprise to see him lead the Celtics to another NBA Finals berth this season.

'Lillard Range' Becomes Flavor Of The Night

As if to say that the NBA has reached a new level, guys like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Donovan Mitchell and LeBron James making at least one from the fan-favorite distance, but none made more than Damian Lillard himself.

Out of 20 three-point attempts, the 2023 Three-Point Contest winner himself knocked down 6-of-11 from that area and had the longest shot of the night with a 48-foot pull-up in the third quarter.

What piqued the curiosity of the fans in the closing moments was who could make the near-halfcourt shot to end it all to send the fans home happy, and many attempted it for Team Giannis.

However, it was only fitting that it was Lillard who made the 29-footer to win it all.

"Logo" Lillard took deep three-point shooting to an all-new level throughout his career, and this game only proved that he deserves his shine.

In next year's iteration, it would not be a surprise to see the NBA add a one-off stipulation that the final shot of the game must be made from that far out just for that game or a four-point line to accommodate it.

NBA's Top Three Scorers Honored During Halftime Show

The modern NBA is always built on the foundations of the giants that graced the league. and the organization made sure that the three greatest scorers in history were recognized.

Utah Jazz legend and two-time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Karl Malone was brought out first to a generally positive reaction from the fans with former all-time points leader Kareem Abdul-Jabbar being introduced after him.

James was then brought out after a rousing introduction from longtime friend Dwyane Wade.

The league's top three scoring leaders then posed for a couple of photographs together and what is certainly eye-catching here is James and Malone were virtually the same height–further putting into perspective how astounding it was that the former was the one to break the record.

It is a moment that, while slightly overshadowed on social media by Malone's past issues, will at least be a memorable moment in the NBA's history.

Honorable mentions:

  • LeBron James throws an alley-oop to himself, while Ja Morant responds with a double-clutch reverse
  • Boston Celtics teammates Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum go one-on-one to close out the third quarter
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo calls himself a "great GM"
  • DeMar DeRozan is bewildered during his All-Star introduction
Jayson Tatum, All-Star Game, NBA
Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum during the 2023 All-Star Game as part of Team Giannis. Taylor Snow/Twitter
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