Bryant earns fourth MVP, West All-Stars trump East

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Sunday, February 20, 2011
Posted: 11:56 p.m.Updated: Feb. 21, 2011

By Dei Lynam
CSNPhilly.com

LOS ANGELESThe 60th NBA All-Star game had all the glitz and glamor expected from a tinsel town event. Players arrived walking down a magenta carpet -- not red --taking interviews and having their photo taken, with each players attire suiting their individual personality but all on the high end of style.

This is like our Oscars or Grammys, if you will, Kevin Garnett described. This a chance for us to play with one another and in sports you always wonder if Tim Duncan and Shaq played together. I wonder what that would look like and as all-stars we get a chance to do that.

The game didnt receive as many style points, but hometown fans did get to cheer often for one of their own. Kobe Bryant, a 13-time all-star, scored 37 points in 30 minutes, grabbed 14 rebounds had three assists and three steals on his way to being named the games MVP as the West edged the East, 148-143 at the Staples Center.

Bryants 37 points were fourth most in the games history tying him with Kevin Garnett. Wilt Chamberlain holds the record with 42 points scored in 1961.

It was Bryants fourth MVP honor, tying him with Bob Petit for the most all-time. Bryant now has scored 244 points combined in all-star games, second only to Michael Jordans 262.

I wanted to play hard in front of the hometown fans, Bryant said. It feels great being at home, it is the last time I will be an All-Star in this building so it feels great.

Bryant says he has a deep sense of responsibility when he is voted onto the All-Star team, believing players must play hard and compete for the fans who put you there.

Bryant had competition for the MVP honor from LeBron James, who recorded a triple- double with 29 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Only Michael Jordan in 1997 had a triple-double on all-star Sunday.

Kevin Durant was second on the West in scoring with 34 points, while Amare Stoudemire tied James with 29 points.

From the start Kobe we could tell wanted the MVP, Stoudemire said. He wasnt passing at all but thats Kobe.

In recent days Bryant and the Lakers received criticism for their play, having gone into the All-Star break losing three straight and playing .500 basketball in their last 10.

When asked about his inspired play on this night Kobe said, Just being around so many young players energized me, but in the fourth quarter I had nothing left; I had exceeded my dunk total for a game.

One reporter took Bryants comments to mean he wanted younger teammates on his Lakers team. Bryant took exception to the stretch.

That is a bikram yoga stretch, Bryant said emphatically. I am not going to answer that. Thats silly.

Bryant won his first All-Star game MVP award in 2002 when the game was played in Philadelphia. It was memorable because the Philly fans booed him despite him having attended Lower Merion High School. It was somewhat understandable because the wound from Bryant and the Lakers beating the Sixers in the NBA Finals eight months earlier was still fresh.

That All-Star Sunday nine years ago, Kobe scored 31 points. When he won the award in 2007 he scored 31 points again and two years after that he earned the award scoring 27. He did not receive the honor when he played on his home floor in 2004 -- that year his teammate, Shaquille ONeal, was honored as the games best player.

This is likely the last time Bryant will play an All-Star game in Los Angeles. So it was not surprising that Bryant, buoyed by a hometown crowd, scored 21 points in the first helping the West to a 76-64 lead at the half.

Kobes performance capped a weekend that was quite entertaining. John Wall set a record with his 22 Assists in the Rookie-Sophomore Challenge Friday night. The Dunk Contest featured unmatched showmanship, highlighted by Blake Griffin dunking over a car with an assist coming through the sunroof from his Clippers teammate Baron Davis.

And what would L.A. be without entertainers? Lenny Kravitz was the opening act when it came to the entertainment side of things, rocking the house before the all-stars were introduced. Los Angeles native Josh Groban sang the anthem and then Rihanna took the stage at halftime.

Now that was Showtime!
E-mail Dei Lynam at dlynam@comcastsportsnet.com

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