2012 NBA All-Star Game: 10 Best Moments in the Game's History

The NBA All-Star Game is a good-spirited exhibition by design, yet over the years, it has taken on a more competitive and meaningful nature.

Players are not stepping onto the court with a mindset that dictates it's all fun and games, but rather, they approach it with a win-first mentality. And the game itself stands for much more than just an opportunity to showcase individual talents.

While watching the league's best players go head-to-head is bound to be amusing, it is also thrilling. NBA All-Star games have become a platform in which to honor the greats, interact with fans and see where top players lie in the Association's hierarchy.  

This transcendence has not occurred overnight, or even over a year. The game has become a product of all that has transpired over the past 50 years, as players, both past and present, have helped mold the All-Star Game into what it is now.

1972: Jerry West's Game-Winner in Front of Hometown Crowd

With the East and West tied at 110 points apiece, Jerry West went from All-Star participant to MVP, hitting a game-winning jump shot in the closing seconds of the 1972 NBA All-Star Game.

West's heroics came in front of his hometown Los Angeles crowd and sealed the second straight All-Star victory for the Western Conference.

In a game that didn't count toward the standings or playoff race, the two teams performed admirably. Neither team quit or let up down the stretch, and the attachment to the outcome conveyed through the crowd's eruption had a postseason-like feel to it.

West's game-winner wasn't just another basket scored in an insignificant contest. It was a triumph that would continue to be talked about four decades later.

That's meaningful, not meaningless.

1985: The Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas Rivalry Begins

Cherish the featured clip of Michael Jordan scoring, as it's one of few that exists from the 1985 All-Star Game.

The rookie Michael Jordan managed only nine shots and seven points in his All-Star debut, less than impressive numbers for a starter.

Chalk it up to rookie jitters, right?

Wrong.

After the game, a conspiracy theory surfaced. Isiah Thomas apparently played a large role in freezing Jordan out of the game because of his early and exuberant success.

Was it meant to teach Jordan a lesson? Was it simply out of jealousy? Did it even actually happen?

Regardless of whether it's true or false, Jordan believed it, and a bitter rivalry was born.

If the NBA All-Star Game was of little importance, it wouldn't create grudges that extend beyond the contest in question.

1986: Isiah Thomas Named All-Star MVP

Isiah Thomas dropped 30 points and 10 dimes, leading the Eastern Conference to a 139-132 victory over the West. His performance was capped off by receiving the All-Star Game's MVP honors.

But that's not what we should take away from this. Thomas' outing was impressive, but his reaction to his performance was even more noteworthy.

With the East trailing 128-121 with 3:50 left in the game, Thomas led an 18-4 run, sealing his status as the game's MVP. He described his performance afterward as "the game that would push him to win championships."

Pretty heavy words for a menial exhibition, aren't they?

His resiliency and appreciation for the experience helped prove that this was more than just another game, that it meant something and that it had a lasting impact on his entire career.

Love him or hate him, it doesn't matter. Thomas joining the ranks of two-time All-Star MVPs is one of the most influential moments in the history of the game. 

1991: The Tribute Game

In 1991, the NBA dedicated its All-Star weekend to the men and women in the United States Armed Forces, who were serving overseas in the Persian Gulf War.

Charles Barkley took home the MVP honors, scoring 17 points and grabbing 22 rebounds to lead the Eastern Conference to a 116-114 victory over the West.

Upon accepting his trophy, Barkley said that he hoped the troops and the fans were able to enjoy themselves for two hours and forget everything else.

The All-Star Game is not bigger than reality, but it can be an escape from it. It provides a healthy, entertaining distraction from whatever may be going on not just in the country, but in any individual's life.

In 1991, even if only for a couple of hours, the All-Star Game provided an escape without ever straying from the root of the cause. The game was about more than prolific displays—it was about unity and awareness.

It was unforgettable.

1993: John Stockton and Karl Malone Share MVP Honors

Karl Malone scored 28 points and John Stockton dished out 15 assists to lead the West to a 135-132 overtime victory in the 1993 NBA All-Star Game.

On a stage that is built for the individual to succeed, Malone and Stockton showed how teamwork can be just as effective a form of star power. While it was a close game, they crippled the Michael Jordan-led Eastern Conference with their chemistry and unselfishness.

In front of the hometown crowd, Stockton and Malone were the first teammates in NBA history to be named co-MVPs of the All-Star Game.

We often get lost in the accomplishments of one, especially during All-Star weekend, but back in 1993, teamwork finally got its due. 

1994: Scottie Pippen Emerges

No Michael Jordan? No problem.

His Airness' absence from the NBA in 1994 could have crippled interest in the All-Star Game. The greatest to ever grace the court was nowhere to be found, and as Magic Johnson noted, everyone was still "trying to find out who is the man of the NBA."

On this day, that man was Scottie Pippen, who until this very season, had spent his entire career overshadowed. 

Pippen went for 29 points, 11 rebounds and four steals, leading the East to a 127-118 victory over the West. He was a unanimous selection for the MVP award and solidified his spot in the history books without the assistance of Jordan.

Pippen's sudden rise to prominence added an air of unpredictability to the All-Star festivities. Even without Jordan, this game boasted the likes of bigger-name players such as Karl Malone, Patrick Ewing and Gary Payton. Yet it was Pippen who stole the show.

Looking ahead to the 2012 NBA All-Star Game, what's to stop past heroes Kobe Bryant and LeBron James from running rampant all night? Guys like Rajon Rondo and LaMarcus Aldridge still looking to prove their mettle.

The fact that such a dynamic can exist among the league's elite speaks volumes.

2001: The Improbable Comeback

Back in 2001, when Allen Iverson was a highly sought after commodity and Stephon Marbury's antics were tolerable, the East found itself down by 21 points to the supposedly stronger Western Conference team.

If the All-Star Game is merely an exhibition, it is likely the East would have continued to do what it was doing, not caring one way or another what the outcome was. But the All-Star Game is not meaningless—not to these players at least. 

The East overcame an overwhelming deficit to prove, as a Conference, it wasn't inferior. Marbury hit what turned out to be the game-winning three-pointer with just over 28 seconds remaining to give the East a one-point lead and complete the improbable comeback. 

After the game, Dikembe Mutombo noted that, "It was like a championship game out there."

Would a futile exhibition have a "championship" like feel to it?

Absolutely not. 

2003: Vince Carter Steps Aside, Michael Jordan Is at It Again

Vince Carter surprised Michael Jordan by stepping aside and allowing him to start in the 2003 NBA All-Star Game.

Jordan responded by scoring 20 points, including what should have been a game-winner over Shawn Marion with just over four seconds left to play.

Carter's selfless display was refreshing. To know that a sense of generosity still existed within a group of players that have their egos boosted by the public on a daily basis is nothing short of spectacular.

And to know that a perennial All-Star, on his last legs, continued to give everything he had to a contest that had no impact on his everyday team, speaks to the significance of the NBA All-Star Game.

Why would Carter relinquish his starting spot if this game meant nothing?

It's more than a game laden with superstars—it's an opportunity to prove, whether you're fresh out of college or merely days from turning 40, that you have what it takes to keep pace with the league's best. 

2010: The Record-Breaker

The 2010 NBA All-Star Game was played at Cowboys stadium in Dallas, and despite inclement weather, the game remained one of the most highly anticipated ones of all time.

The East beat the West in a nail-biter, 141-139, but that's not what was so important about this one. At halftime, the game's attendance was showcased on that monstrosity of a video screen, confirming what most already knew. With 108,713 fans in attendance, it broke the record for the largest crowd to ever watch a basketball game.

Still think the All-Star Game is simply a superstar exhibition?

Fans flock to this event from all over. They pay astronomical prices for tickets and travel accommodations for the chance to watch the best attempt to distinguish themselves from one another.

It may have only been an attendance record that was broken, yet such a milestone further validated how significant the All-Star Game had become.

1992: Magic Johnson's Return

Three months after retiring from basketball upon the announcement that he had contracted HIV, Magic Johnson returned for the 1992 NBA All-Star Game.

The fans voted Johnson into the game despite his regular-season absence. That would have been enough to cap off the entire weekend, but Johnson decided to kick it up a notch, completely taking over the game.

For one more night, Magic was magical. He put up 25 points and nine assists in 29 minutes of action, sealing his second All-Star MVP award by draining a three-pointer with just over 14 seconds remaining in the game.

But this was about more than Johnson's individual performance. This was about the camaraderie displayed on the floor. This was about Johnson being welcomed with open arms back into the game he loved so much.

And most importantly, this was about humanity prevailing over all else, including an incurable disease.

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