Remembering McDonald's All-American Game Performances of NBA's Biggest Stars

Hoop heads, your next crop of hardwood heroes has arrived.

On Wednesday night, Chicago will host the 38th installment of the McDonald's All-American Game. History says that while being selected to participate carries no guarantees of future NBA stardom, it can serve as a springboard to the big league's top ranks for some.

In the past, the event has featured the likes of LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant, among many others. 

So join us as we stroll down memory lane and remember how this generation of NBA elites fared during one of their first performances on the national stage.

Carmelo Anthony, SF, New York Knicks

Year: 2002

Notable Numbers: 19 points (8-of-16 shooting), 4 assists, 3 rebounds

The 2002 rosters were saturated with future NBA stars, including Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire and Chris Bosh. Guess which of those three earned MVP honors?

It's a trick question—none of them did. The award instead went to sharpshooter J.J. Redick, who needed only 15 shots to pile up 26 points.

But Anthony more than held his own during the main event. Truth be told, his finest moment of the festivities might have come during the dunk contest, when he took home the crown despite a valiant (albeit a tad too optimistic) effort from Stoudemire.

As a precursor to Anthony's NBA career, he proved himself a tough offensive cover and steady scoring machine during the actual game.

Chris Bosh, PF, Miami Heat

Al Bello/Getty Images

Year: 2002

Notable Numbers: 14 points (5-of-7 shooting), 7 rebounds, 2 blocks

Who said Chris Bosh needed LeBron James to find efficiency? One year before his future Miami Heat teammate took part in the amateur all-star game, Bosh showed himself perfectly capable of maximizing his offensive opportunities.

Bosh's West squad suffered a 138-107 defeat, but it's hard to blame the big guy. Nine of his teammates put up more shots than him. Of those nine, only one converted at least half of his attempts.

Hopefully, this was a lesson learned by future all-stars on the importance of feeding the frontcourt. The West might have had a puncher's chance if some of the 32 shots taken by Dee Brown (1-of-8), Bracey Wright (3-of-9) and Hassan Adams (6-of-15) had instead ended up in Bosh's hands.

Kobe Bryant, SG, Los Angeles Lakers

Year: 1996

Notable Numbers: 13 points (5-of-11 shooting), 3 assists

There's a reason Kobe Bryant's famed No. 33 jersey still hangs inside the Lower Marion High School gym. Before the Black Mamba was dishing his sweet venom to NBA defenders, he was turning high school stoppers into turnstiles.

During his senior season, he was named both the Naismith High School Player of the Year and Gatorade Men's National Player of the Year. He told Jimmy Kimmel that had he not jumped straight from the preps to the pros, he would have chosen North Carolina over Duke for his collegiate career, per Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times.

Instead, Bryant traded the college life for early NBA exposure. But not before dazzling the basketball world with impressive, explosive showings at the McDonald's All-American dunk contest and exhibition. Considering everything he's accomplished since, it's hard to imagine Bryant has any regrets.

DeMarcus Cousins, C, Sacramento Kings

Doug Benc/Getty Images

Year: 2009

Notable Numbers: 14 points (6-of-9 shooting), 8 rebounds

Before DeMarcus Cousins teamed with John Wall at Kentucky, Boogie had to rely on other table-setters at the 2009 event: Peyton Siva, Maalik Wayns and Lance Stephenson. Cousins also had to share frontcourt touches with Derrick Favors, who captured MVP honors for his 19-point, eight-rebound performance.

But the burly Cousins still shined for his tenacity, versatility and explosiveness. He nearly averaged a point per minute (14 in 17 minutes) and rounded out his stat sheet with a block and an assist.

The following year, Cousins and Wall helped carry the Wildcats to the Elite Eight. This season, the former college teammates were reunited at the NBA All-Star Game.

Anthony Davis, PF, New Orleans Pelicans

Brian Kersey/Associated Press

Year: 2011

Notable Numbers: 14 points (5-of-8 shooting), 6 rebounds, 4 blocks, 2 steals

At this point, those numbers look pedestrian for soaring superstar Anthony Davis. But remember, the New Orleans Pelicans franchise face was playing in a no-defense all-star game.

And he still put up four blocks and two steals.

Even back then, the single-browed baller had scouts drooling over his potential.

"His combination of size, length, athleticism and competitiveness and his ownership of the biggest ceiling of anyone in the game is amazing," ESPN Recruiting's Dave Telep raved. "Not only does he have pro potential, he has the ability and desire to max out his talent."

Davis flashed his two-way talent in a setting typically reserved for one-way play. His larger-than-life profile has only expanded since.

Kevin Durant, SF, Oklahoma City Thunder

Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images

Year: 2006

Notable Numbers: 25 points (10-of-17 shooting), 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals

At the 2006 event, Kevin Durant left so many intriguing statistics for scouts to devour.

His five boards grow far more impressive when realizing he was listed then as a shooting guard. His four assists show a willingness to involve his teammates despite having an obvious gift for scoring. Those two steals proved he wasn't going to limit his effectiveness to one side of the floor.

But the best number of that night isn't even listed above. He tallied all those statistics in a wildly efficient 18 minutes of work. It was enough to share MVP honors with Chase Budinger.

It's impossible to say his performance that night set the stage for what we've witnessed since: four scoring titles, one MVP award. But it was painfully obvious then that KD had a wealth of talent to help him navigate his path to the top.

Blake Griffin, PF, Los Angeles Clippers

Year: 2007

Notable Numbers: 4 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist

The tired (and hopefully extinct) train of thought that all Blake Griffin does is dunk had some legs at the 2007 event.

The Los Angeles Clippers superstar wowed the crowd at the dunk contest with an impressive blend of power, elite athleticism and creativity. During the actual game, though, Griffin drifted into the background with only three field-goal attempts in 16 minutes.

That might seem unfathomable now—he's one of only nine players to average at least 21 points both this season and last—but it isn't as startling as it sounds. His West roster alone featured James Harden, Derrick Rose, Kevin Love, Eric Gordon and McDonald's All-American MVP Michael Beasley.

As the next slide shows, Griffin wasn't the only future NBA star who sacrificed stats that night.

James Harden, SG, Houston Rockets

Joe Murphy/Getty Images

Year: 2007

Notable Numbers: 8 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal

A quiet night from a clean-shaven James Harden? Maybe the current MVP candidate really is drawing some special powers out of that unkempt chin mop.

Back in 2007, the combo guard was just another well-groomed face in the crowd. And a rather forgettable one at that, scoring fewer points in the contest than Kyle Singler (10), Nick Calathes (13), Gani Lawal (12) and Kosta Koufos (nine).

Harden tried making the most of his 13 minutes, putting up seven shots and connecting on four of them. But he missed both of his long-range looks and—get this—didn't take a single trip to the free-throw line.

Think the Houston Rockets star has grown since? This season, he has more free-throw makes (640) than anyone else has free-throw attempts (Russell Westbrook, 571).

Dwight Howard, C, Houston Rockets

Year: 2004

Notable Numbers: 19 points (9-of-13 shooting), 8 rebounds

When Dwight Howard is healthy, he's a physical force NBA centers have a hard time matching. So you can imagine how high school bigs handled the job—especially when Howard went all Andrew Bynum on everyone and decided he was a three-point shooter.

Only Howard hit his long-range look, though he did misfire on a different three-point attempt in the game.

Just like he's done at the NBA level, Howard obliterated the rim nearly every time he attacked the basket. His eight boards came in only 16 minutes of action, and his lack of a blocked shot could be forgiven with the game's climate. (Howard's East team rolled to a 126-96 victory.)

Howard shared the MVP award with J.R. Smith, who erupted for 25 points and five assists.

Kyrie Irving, PG, Cleveland Cavaliers

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

Year: 2010

Notable Numbers: 13 points (5-of-8 shooting), 3 steals, 2 assists

Despite the sweeping changes the Cleveland Cavaliers made this season, point guard Kyrie Irving has never seemed uncomfortable. That's probably because the team's fantasy-style roster is similar to the all-star squads he has excelled with in the past.

Between his yo-yo handles and off-the-bus shooting range, his offensive repertoire is perfectly suited for these settings. There's a reason he's been crowned as MVP of both the Rising Stars Challenge and NBA All-Star Game.

Irving didn't get the nod at this event. Jared Sullinger (22 points, seven rebounds) and Harrison Barnes (18 points, five boards) split that award. But Irving still electrified the crowd with slippery ball-handling, cashed in his only three-point attempt and played like a pest at the defensive end.

LeBron James, SF, Cleveland Cavaliers

Year: 2003

Notable Numbers: 27 points (12-of-24 shooting), 7 assists 

On paper, the 2003 game couldn't have been more lopsided. The East had LeBron James and Chris Paul. The West was led by Shannon Brown, Kris Humphries and J.R. Giddens.

Somehow, the East won by only 15 points. But James, playing in front of a raucous Cleveland crowd, was every bit as good as advertised.

"He's as dominant a player I've seen since Oscar Robertson," the late John Wooden said at the time, per Christopher Lawlor of USA Today.

James, already a national sensation at Akron's St. Vincent-St. Mary, struck a perfect balance between playmaker and rim-punisher. His electrifying dunks were a sight to behold, but his no-look passes might have entertained fans even more.

Because having James and Paul on the same squad apparently isn't enough, the event also witnessed the first—and unfortunately only—dunk contest of the King's career. If scientists ever needed motivation to invent a time machine, this almost has to be it.

Chris Paul, PG, Los Angeles Clippers

Photo used courtesy of McDonaldsAllAmerican.com.

Year: 2003

Notable Numbers: 10 assists, 4 points

To call Chris Paul a pass-first point guard on that night would have been a gross understatement. The future eight-time All-Star and three-time assists champ (could be four by season's end) almost functioned as a pass-only floor general.

He took just three shots on the night, fewer than Drew Lavender, James Lang, Mike Jones and Jackie Butler. But scoring stats—or individual numbers of any kind, for that matter—have never held a lot of importance for Paul. As long as his team gets the win, he's good.

The East easily accomplished that and made Charlie Villanueva look like a future star in the process (17 points, 7-of-12 shooting). Paul played a prominent role in both efforts, though his unselfish work was overshadowed by LeBron's stat-sheet-stuffing MVP performance.

Derrick Rose, PG, Chicago Bulls

Joe Murphy/Getty Images

Year: 2007

Notable Numbers: 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 points (2-of-5 shooting)

The 2007 rosters simply weren't built in a way for one player to dominate. As such, Derrick Rose was more than willing to share the wealth with his overstocked West teammates.

On his team, only Griffin and Cole Aldrich attempted fewer shots than Rose. The future MVP carefully picked his spots and more often just pushed the ball ahead to give his guys scoring chances.

Still, the game gave an early indication of the across-the-board impact Rose could have. When he's healthy—something he arguably hasn't been since tearing his ACL in April 2012—he can simultaneously score, distribute, rebound and set the defensive tone for the Chicago Bulls.

Rose continues battling knee problems, and that may ultimately define his NBA career. But, as he hinted at in 2007, he's one of the sport's premier players when his body cooperates.