NBA All-Star Game

Hey there sports fans and welcome to this weeks edition of the Wide World Of Wildcats. This weekend marks one of my favorite weekends of the entire year and that is not because it's Valentines day, but because it's the NBA All-Star game. The All-Star game occurs once a year and gives NBA players and fans alike the opportunity to have fun and compete with the best of the best and this year it is being held right down the road in Phoenix. There are different events such as the three-point shootout and the slam dunk contest that all lead up to the actual game which will be played tonight and aired on your local TNT network. 

Fans from around the world vote for their favorite players from the Eastern conference and the Western conference and the top 12 players from each conference with the highest vote make the roster and the 5 with the highest amount of votes are starters. This year, the Eastern conference team consists of (with the 5 starters listed first) Allen Iverson (Detroit), Dwayne Wade (Miami), Lebron James (Cleveland), Kevin Garnett (Boston) and Dwight Howard (Orland0), Joe Johnson (Atlanta), Jameer Nelson (Orlando), Ray Allen (Boston), Danny Granger (Indiana), Paul Pierce (Boston), Chris Bosh (Toronto), Mo Williams (Cleveland), Devin Harris (New Jersey) and Rashard Lewis (Orlando).  The east is coached by Mike Brown of the Cleveland Cavaliers. For the West coast, the team is (with the 5 starters listed first) Kobe Bryant (LA), Chris Paul (New Orleans),  Tim Duncan (San Antonio), Amare Stoudemire (Phoenix), Yao Ming (Houston), Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas), Shaquille O'Neal (Phoenix), Brandon Roy (Portland), Chauncey Billups (Denver), Pau Gasol (LA), David West (New Orleans) and Tony Parker (San Antonio).  The west is coached by Phil Jackson of the Los Angeles Lakers. 

One thing that stands out to me every year is the number of international players in the All-Star game. This year, there are five international players, all part of the west coast roster. These players include Yao Ming from China, Tim Duncan from the Virgin Islands, Dirk Nowitzki from Germany, Pau Gasol from Spain and Tony Parker from France. Only Yao and Duncan are starters, each getting over 2 million votes from fans everywhere.

In my opinion, these five players are truly the best the international market has to offer (in addition to Steve Nash who didn't make the cut this year). Here's a rundown of these five All-Stars.

Although Yao and Duncan received the highest amount of votes for the international starts, Dirk Nowitzki is undoubtedly the best foreign player in the NBA. Dirk, from Wurzburg, Germany, is a 7-ft. forward for the Dallas Mavericks. In the current 2008-2009 season, Dirk averages 24.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. He is an eight-time All-Star, eight-time member of  the All-NBA team and the first European player in NBA history to receive the MVP award. Dirk is currently the fourth highest scorer in the NBA and not only deserves to be a member of the All-Star team, but deserves to be a starter as well.

On paper, Tim Duncan has the best resume. As forward for the San Antonio Spurs, reigning from St. Croix, Virgin Islands, Duncan has won four NBA championships, two MVP awards, three NBA finals MVP, was named Rookie of the Year in 2008 and has made the All-Defense team, All-Star team and All-NBA First team since his NBA debut in 1997. This season, Duncan has 20.8 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. Duncan has earned his spot as starting forward for the Western Conference and will prove that in tonight's game.

Pau Gasol has been flying under the radar, but is finally starting to get the attention he deserves. Gasol first made a name for himself in his hometown of Barcelona, Spain where he led his team to victory in the Spanish National Cup Championship where he earned the title of MVP. Before being traded to the Lakers in February 2008, Gasol broke 12 franchise records for the Memphis Grizzlies. Today, Gasol averages 18.3 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.  Gasol is the perfect example of a superstar on the rise and has the potential to someday be one of the greats. 

Although Yao Ming started his career off slowly, he has become one of the most well-known centers in the league. Hailing from Shanghai, China, Yao truly lives up to his international superstar reputation. Yao has been selected to the All-Star team every year since being drafted in 2002 and has been named to the All-NBA Team four times. This season, Yao averages 19.8 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. 

Last but not least is Tony Parker who was born in Belgium, but raised in France. Parker is a young guard who has helped lead the San Antonio Spurs to three championship where in 2007 he was  named the NBA Championship Finals MVP. Parker is also a three-time all-star who averages 20.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game. Still considered a youngster in the league, Parker possesses the capability to reach superstardom in the near future.

That wraps up this weeks edition. Congratulations to both the UA mens basketball team who upset #11 UCLA yesterday and last weeks spotlight Andres Arango who was named the Pacific 10 Conference Player of the Week.  Until next time, Bear Down!