The competition between freshmen, 2nd year players and the best in the G-League goes to the team coached by Pau Gasol, thanks to the Italian and the Pelicans player, not even picked in the draft
As usual, the “Rising Stars” marks the beginning of the All Star Game Weekend and in Salt Lake City even the event that has the least appeal of the entire weekend of the NBA stars manages to give emotions. With the new format, two semi-finals and the final which crowns the winner, something has changed: there is certainly a little more competition and the challenge does not lose interest after a few minutes, as has happened for too many editions in the past.
The first victory of the weekend in the event that features the most interesting young NBA players (rookies, second-year basketball players and some G-League talents) thus goes to Team Pau which in the final beats Team Joakim 25-20, after eliminating in the semifinal Team Deron 40-25.
tribute
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The names of the teams are, of course, a tribute to their coach with coach Gasol who challenges Noah having the upper hand thanks to the play of Paolo Banchero and the verve of a super Josè Alvarado who takes home the Mvp award of the event. A Jordan brand Rising Stars also gives a surprising intensity on the day of his majesty MJ’s 60th birthday, thanks above all to the attitude of Alvarado who also tries to defend, something that historically in this event in previous editions was seen with the dropper. The player from New Orleans shows that he can also play the part of the showman and, knowing he is being microphoned, before the last action he boldly tells Donovan Mitchell sitting in the front row, “if they give me the ball, I’ll hit a three and I’ll win the game” , which happens a few seconds later.
snubbed
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Alvarado, the only player in the entire Rising Stars to be snubbed by the draft, thus drags his team to success and wins the mvp award which was also aimed at by an excellent Grimes who ends the final with 14 points on the scoresheet. “What happened is incredible – the Pelicans player commented at the end of the event – winning the mvp award is surreal. Anything is possible, I am proof of that. I’m not athletic, I don’t have an imposing physique but I have great willpower and a lot of heart. Really, anything is possible.” It’s hard to blame a player who came from nowhere and quickly became not only a key player for the Pelicans but also an idol for New Orleans fans. Now Josè Alvarado can therefore add to his incredible story also the conquest of the mvp award of the All Star Weekend Rising Stars.
February 18 – 07:41
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