THE 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has forced the cancellation of some significant events this month, including the much-anticipated National Sports Summit 2020.
The Department of Education (DepEd), too, has cancelled the scheduled regional athletic meets scheduled in February through the issuance of DepEd Memo Number 15. In light of these developments, health is still our top priority.
Amidst all the nCoV scare, which has already spread worldwide, an annual sports spectacle awaited by most is the upcoming NBA All-Star Weekend. This event will be held in Chicago starting February 14 to 16, 2020 (February 15, Manila time), and is the third All-Star weekend in Chicago. The weekend festivities will kick off with the Rising Stars match-up between Team USA, bannered by Trae Young of the Hawks and Team World led by Luka Doncic of the Mavs.
Last year, Team USA trounced Team World, 161-144. For the other side highlights, Jayson Tatum (Celtics) and Joe Harris (Nets) are out to defend their Skills Challenge and Three-point Shootout titles, respectively.
In Slam Dunk Contest, there will be former champions returning to try and add to their human highlight reels. Aaron Gordon (Magic) and Dwight Howard (Lakers) are back and are shoo-in favorites to win.
The annual All-Star game took an unprecedented change in the format following the tragic death of Kobe Bryant last January 26, 2020.
The first three quarters will be scored individually as separate games, with the scoreboard resetting at halftime. The team that wins each quarter gets $100,000 for their team’s charity; otherwise, $50,000 to both sides if the period ends tied. At the end of the third quarter, the cumulative score is posted on the scoreboard, and the entire period is played under The Basketball Tournament’s Elam Ending for the whole quarter. The NBA All-Star Game’s Elam Ending will use a target score of 24 points more than the leading team’s or both teams’ scores in honor of Kobe Bryant. The winning team will win $200,000 for their charity.
While this veers away from the usual, it also shows us that sports can be used for a more significant cause. In this case, a fitting tribute to Kobe Bryant’s legacy on and off the court.
Note from the sidelines:
Congratulations to the Little Knights developmental team for their first win in the Vegas Fuels League. It was a different feeling watching the game from the stands. I had my time on the court as a basketball coach; now, it is my son’s time as a player.