2009 NBA All-Star Game

2009 NBA All-Star Game

1 2 3 4 Total East 27 40 24 28 119 West 34 38 38 36 146
Date	February 15, 2009
Arena	US Airways Center
City	Phoenix
MVP	Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal (Co-MVPs)
National anthem	Tamia (CAN) Jordin Sparks (USA)
Halftime show	John Legend, Juanes
Attendance	16,382
Network	TNT and TSN
Announcers	Marv Albert, Doug Collins and Reggie Miller (All-Star Game) Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller, Mike Fratello and Kenny Smith (All-Star Saturday Night) Kevin Harlan, Kenny Smith and LeBron James (Rookie Challenge)
NBA All-Star Game
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The 2009 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game that was played on February 15, 2009, during the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2008–09 season. It was the 58th edition of the NBA All-Star Game, and was played at the US Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona, home of the Phoenix Suns. The Western Conference defeated the Eastern Conference, 146–119. The West's Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal were named joint winners of the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award.^[1] This was the third time that Phoenix had hosted the All-Star Game; the city had previously hosted the event in 1975 and 1995. Phoenix was awarded the All-Star Game in an announcement by commissioner David Stern on November 8, 2007.^[2] The other reported contenders for the 2009 contest were Air Canada Centre at Toronto, Madison Square Garden at New York City, Oracle Arena at Oakland and Bradley Center at Milwaukee.^[3]

The All-Star Weekend began on Friday, February 13, 2009, with the Celebrity Game and the Rookie Challenge, a game between the league's best rookies and second-year players. On Saturday, the event continued with the All-Star Saturday Night, which featured the Shooting Stars Competition, Skills Challenge, Three-Point Shootout and Slam Dunk Contest.^[2] The H–O–R–S–E Competition was first introduced and was played before the All-Star Saturday Night. The third D-League All-Star Game and the second D-League Dream Factory Friday Night, the latter of which was modeled after the NBA All-Star Saturday Night, also took place during the All-Star Weekend. The D-League Dream Factory Friday Night was held on Friday and the D-League All-Star Game was held on Saturday.^[4][5]

In the Rookie Challenge, the Sophomores defeated the Rookies, with Sophomores' Kevin Durant named as the game MVP. In the All-Star Saturday Night events, Nate Robinson won his second Slam Dunk Contest while Daequan Cook and Derrick Rose won the Three-Point Shootout and Skills Challenge respectively. Team Detroit won their second Shootings Stars Competition, beating the home team, Team Phoenix in the final round. Kevin Durant also took home another trophy by winning the inaugural H–O–R–S–E Competition.^[6]