Silver calls All-Star weekend in Toronto ‘a homecoming’

With NBA All-Star Weekend in Toronto, two Raptors involved in the festivities, and the team firmly entrenched as one of the top squads in the league, it feels like everything in the city is aligning on the big stage.

The Jr. NBA is the league’s youth basketball participation program that teaches the fundamental skills as well as the core values of the game.

Sunday’s Super Bowl didn’t do so hot in that category. BMO is the Official Exclusive Founding Partner of Raptors 905 and an associate partner of the NBA Canada Series.

The only problem is the NBA’s emojis aren’t really representative of the players’ true identities. NBA in Canada as well as partner of the BMO NBA All-Star Kidsfest and NBA All-Star 2016 in Toronto. “We’ll try to get him the MVP”.

The US team rosters: Jordan Clarkson, D’Angelo Russell (Los Angeles Lakers), Rodney Hood (Utah Jazz), Zach LaVine, Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves), Nerlens Noel, Jahlil Okafor (Philadelphia 76ers), Jabari Parker (Milwaukee Bucks), Elfrid Payton (Orlando Magic) and Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics).

Following that, the two went on to cement their legacy in the NBA and in the sport of basketball. In 1968, for example, the game was played at Madison Square Garden in NY, so the uniforms were patterned on the Knicks’ design.

Wade and the sock company Stance hosted a Spades tournament on Thursday night and the card game was attended by plenty of current and former players, including Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson.

All the respect in the world to D-Wade, but he’s 34 now and far from the flamethrower he once was. “Just star-struck, just sitting there”. I’m thinking more lukewarm than burning hot.

Making his 18th and final All-Star Game appearance as the leading vote-getter from fans, Bryant took a stroll down memory lane Friday, clearly enjoying the ride. “But at some point, it’s inevitable – we’re all going to have to come to an end”.

Seriously, a movie ticket?

Paying homage to that bit of trivia, NBA commissioner Adam Silver kicked off an early morning NBA All-Star Technology Summit by having a discussion with a walking, talking life-size hologram of Naismith. “That was the best 1-2 punch that I’ve ever seen”.

So little is known about Isaiah Thomas the league went with a shamrock emoji just because he plays for the Boston Celtics. “When you’ve got that going it’s flawless”. He’s more excited to talk up LaVine’s talents, telling a Sirius XM NBA radio show that his teammate’s dunks on Saturday “will leave you stunned”.

Is that a lunch box?

The Bulls’ other All-Star, Pau Gasol, owns special perspective on Bryant.

“If they were able to get along from the beginning, you know, who knows how many championships they would have won?” says Shaw.

Drake feigned anger to the referees, one of many examples of how just about everyone took the game as intended – entertaining. Man, that’s Kobe. I’ve grown up watching him my whole life and I’m about to play against him.

The red glasses are a nice effort, but the National Basketball Association should have Westbrook low-key mocking Kevin Durant for the greatest emoji ever.

For the first time, the NBA All-Star Weekend is heading outside the United States.

“I don’t want it to be too gimmicky where we’re walking ads for just everything”, Curry said.

James Harden and Klay Thompson round out the bench. “I’m not sure”, said DeRozan. “To go from that to be a competitor of his, to be going out there for his last All-Star Game, it’s going to be a great thing”. “I always belived I could come back but you never know”.

The Eastern Conference is 6-10 against the Western Conference since 2000 and has lost five of the last seven All-Star games.