How To Enjoy NBA All-Star Saturday While Being a Perfect Valentine

On Saturday February 14, couples around the world will be celebrating the holiday of love when they celebrate Valentine's Day. If you’re a lucky lady, you will most likely be receiving some lovely roses and a cute stuffed animal from the love of your life.

If you’re a lucky man, it's no surprise that you believe this holiday is "made up" and can't understand the logic on spending lots of money on a random day in February when you just spent a fortune on Christmas less than two months ago.

However, if you’re an NBA fan, there is a different issue this time of year on Valentine's Day.

For the first time since I was in ninth grade (don't ask me why I remember that), Valentine's Day will be celebrated on a Saturday night. This also happens to fall on the same weekend as NBA All-Star Weekend in Phoenix, Arizona.

Even though the actual game takes place Sunday night at 8 p.m., the last thing you want to do is miss all of the fun events Saturday night such as the Dunk Contest and the Three-Point Shootout.

Gentlemen, if you are smart, you know the last thing you want to do is ditch your girlfriend on Valentine's Day to watch your favorite athletes perform in a variety of challenges Saturday night. So this is just one of those sacrifices you will have to make, right?

What if I told you there was a way to have BOTH?

What if I said there was a way to not only treat the love of your live to the perfect Valentine's Day ever but watch your favorite athletes perform in NBA All-Star Weekend as well?

Some of you may call me crazy. However, if you follow these steps in the perfect way there will be a way for you to have your cake and eat it too once Saturday arrives.

Step One: Dinner at Her Favorite Restaurant

Valentine's Day is a holiday that men should go out of their way to treat the love of their life like a queen. If you have been dating her long enough, you hopefully are aware of her favorite restaurants by now. So what better way to make her happy other than taking her to her favorite restaurant?

The most important part about Saturday night's events on All-Star Weekend is that the PlayStation Skills Challenge starts off at approximately eight. If you’re smart, you will make reservations at her favorite restaurant around six.

If you think that you will get into her favorite restaurant on Valentine's Day without having to wait, then I request that you stop reading this article now because you are in no shape for this plan to work.

As you arrive to the restaurant a few minutes before your reservation, make sure you play it cool. The last thing you want to do is for her to get suspicious that you're up to something.

With the Haier Shooting Stars event kicking off the night at eight, you want to make sure dinner is done by 7:45. Before the waiter brings the check, slip your way to the bathroom for a few minutes.

While you're in the bathroom, the waiter brings an envelope to your Valentine's Day sweetheart. As she opens the envelope, she realizes that she is now part of a scavenger hunt with clues leading her to a local Hallmark store that is approximately 20 minutes from the restaurant.

Lucky for her, she met you at the restaurant in her own car because you got caught up at work. As she heads to her first destination, you are set to watch Tim Duncan, Leandro Barbosa, and the rest of the participants in the opening event of All-Star Saturday.

Step Two: There's No Way like the Hallmark Way

After getting caught up in traffic while driving to the Hallmark store, there are numerous thoughts running through her head about what you could possibly be up to. Meanwhile, you are sitting at the restaurant bar with a couple of locals watching the conclusion of Derrick Rose and Tony Parker in the Play Station Skills Challenge.

As she arrives to the Hallmark store around 8:45, she is greeted by an employee named Carol. Carol directs her to the back of the store where there is a pathway of Hershey kisses that lead to 36-inch stuffed Valentine's Day bear wearing a sweater that says "Be My Valentine."

The tip you gave Carol to arrange the stuffed bear setup: $40. The expression on your girlfriend's face when she sees how sweet you are for getting her an enormous bear: priceless.

Step Three: One Can Never Fail With Roses

Just when she thinks the surprises are over, Carol hands her another envelope with instructions inside. The note says to walk outside of the Hallmark store and to wait in the parking lot. Around 9:30 pm, your best friend Derek (who happens to work for a limousine company) pulls up to pick her up.

As he hands her 24 beautiful roses that you happened to hand select yourself at a local florist, you and your new friends are cheering on Jason Kapano to win his third straight Three-Point Shootout.

The last thing Derek wants to do is ruin your chances of missing the end of All-Star Saturday. For your benefit, he decides to take her on a wonderful drive through the city as she enjoys expensive champagne and chocolate covered strawberries in the back of the limousine.

Step Four: The Final Dance at a Special Location

After a lovely tour of the city in a fancy limousine, your Valentine's Day sweetheart is getting anxious as to why she has not seen you for the last couple of hours. Lucky for you, Dwight Howard performed a dunk that was so spectacular, you knew that Nate Robinson, J.R. Smith, or Rudy Fernandez would not even come close to topping his dunk.

You decide to leave the restaurant a little early to meet your date at the final location of the night, which is a local playground where the two of you shared memories of your first date on the swings.

As Derek drops off your date around 10:55 pm, she steps out of the car only to find you waiting in the middle of a heart of candles with a stereo on the ground.

With her jaw dropped to the ground, you press play and ask her if he could have the privilege of a dance to your favorite love song. The two of you dance in the center of the candles while K-Ci and JoJo lead the way with their classic love song "All My Life."

Dinner at her favorite restaurant: $52.53 plus $14.00 tip

36-inch Valentine's Day stuff bear: $37.99

$40 tip to Carol at Hallmark: $40

Limousine ride from Derek: $259 (luckily he gave you his employee discount)

Champagne and chocolate strawberries: $84.94

23 candles in the shape of a heart: $45.49

K-Ci and JoJo song off of iTunes: $0.99

Watching NBA All-Star Saturday while giving the love of your life a Valentine's Day she will never forget: Priceless

Ladies, if your gentleman is good enough to pull off a task such as this, you better keep him forever. Gentlemen, if you are good enough to get away with an idea such as this, not only would I give you all of the respect in the world, but your lady friend will love you forever.

From my heart to yours, happy Valentine's Day everybody.