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Jayson Tatum shatters NBA All-Star Game record, leads Team Giannis to victory bagging Kobe Bryant MVP trophy
Jayson Tatum put on a record-setting show, and made Giannis Antetokounmpo look like a genius. Tatum scored an All-Star Game-record 55 points on his way to winning MVP honour
Jayson Tatum had a phenomenal performance at the 2022 NBA All-Star Game, leading Team Giannis to a 184-175 victory over Team LeBron on Sunday night. The Boston Celtics player scored an All-Star Game-record 55 points on his way to winning the MVP award named after his hero, Kobe Bryant.
Tatum's teammate Donovan Mitchell also had an impressive game, scoring 40 points, while Damian Lillard added 26 points, including the game-winner to push Team Giannis past the target score.
Team LeBron's Jaylen Brown scored 35 points and had 14 rebounds, while Kyrie Irving had 32 points and 15 assists, and Joel Embiid finished with 32 points. However, Tatum's record-breaking performance stole the show.
Tatum had 27 points in the third quarter alone, setting another All-Star Game record for any period. His dominant performance was a testament to his skills and talent, and his selection as the first pick by Team Giannis in the starters' portion of the All-Star draft proved to be the right decision.
Antetokounmpo, who became the first captain to hoist a new trophy presented to the winners of the All-Star Game, praised Tatum for his performance, stating that he knew Tatum would take the game seriously. The win broke LeBron James' hold on All-Star captain supremacy, with it being his first loss in six times as captain.
The All-Star Game was also a night for tribute, as the league paid homage to the three leading scorers in NBA history: No 3 Karl Malone, No 2 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and James, now the game's career leader after he passed Abdul-Jabbar earlier this month.
Overall, the game was played for charity, with Team LeBron raising money for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah, and Team Giannis for Raise the Future. Each team started with $150,000, with the first three quarters worth another $100,000 apiece, and the All-Star Game winner getting another $150,000. Team Giannis won $550,000 for its charity, while Team LeBron won $200,000.
NBA All-Star Weekend 2024
Indianapolis will play host to the next NBA All-Star weekend, set for 16-18 Febraury, 2024. The city was supposed to have the 2021 game, but it was moved to Atlanta and considerably scaled down because of the pandemic.
