Monday 18 February 2019 19:04, UK
This week, we look back at the NBA All-Star weekend to identify the players who made noise on – and in some cases - off the court. Which players dominated the headlines in Charlotte?
Although he plays his basketball in California for the Golden State Warriors, Steph Curry was somewhat of a hometown hero for Charlotte's big weekend.
Curry's father, Dell, retired in 2002 as the highest-scoring player in the Charlotte Hornets' history, meaning Steph grew up in the city, before playing his college basketball at nearby Davidson College.
Curry began his weekend by returning to Davidson to watch his former side claim a victory on Friday night, after which he sent the student section wild by jumping into the crowd to celebrate.
On Saturday there was a Curry-dominated three-point contest, which he didn't win (more on that later), but still starred in alongside both his dad and brother, Seth, who has shot impressively for the Portland Trail Blazers this season.
Despite ending up on the losing team on Sunday, Curry produced the assist of the game as he found Giannis Antetokounmpo with an astoundingly high bounce pass, before producing a rare dunk of his own late on.
However, the best play by a Curry all weekend came from his mother, Sonya, who drained a stunning underarm half-court shot as the family attended the unveiling of a refurbished community center on Friday.
Added to the All-Star game as an honourary participant, Dwyane Wade made the most of his 13th and final appearance at the NBA's showpiece event.
Wade kicked off the weekend by bringing together a who's who of the NBA for an event in his honour on Thursday evening, during which Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul made toasts to him.
While it was the 37-year-old's last appearance in the game, it may not have been the last by a Wade. His son, Zaire, took every opportunity to soak up the atmosphere, practicing on court with his 'uncle' LeBron James and reigning MVP James Harden.
The 17-year-old has reportedly attracted interest from several college teams and will hope to emulate his dad by reaching the NBA.
When it came to the game itself, Wade didn't disappoint, exchanging alley-oops with James as he contributed seven points, two rebounds and four assists in just over 10 minutes of action as Team LeBron sealed a comeback victory.
It wouldn't be right to include Wade without a mention for his fellow honourary participant, Dirk Nowitzki, who went a perfect 3-3 from three-point range to score nine points in just under four minutes on the court for Team Giannis.
Back to that three-point contest... the only reason Curry didn't win was due to an immense performance from perhaps the most unheralded member of the competition's lineup.
Few would have been surprised if reigning champion Devin Booker, perennial All-Star Damian Lillard, or big-time shot-maker Danny Green had denied Curry, but it was Brooklyn Nets wing Joe Harris who took home the trophy.
Harris scored 25 points in the opening round to advance, before going one better in the final as he made 36 of his 50 total shots.
Although statistically speaking Harris' victory wasn't such a shock - the 27-year-old had the second-best three-point percentage in the NBA going into the All-Star break - his ability to maintain his composure on the biggest of stages was hugely impressively.
There was a fairy tale element to Harris's victory, with the former Cleveland Cavalier teammate of LeBron James having been left without a team in the summer of 2016, before the Nets gave him another shot at the NBA.
Thankfully, the decision is working out for both player and team, with the Nets, who extended Harris' contract last summer, on course for the Eastern Conference playoffs.
There was a reason LeBron James barely hesitated before selecting Kevin Durant with the first pick in the All-Star game draft.
The best scorer in the NBA produced a highly-efficient performance, calmly amassing 31 points on 10-15 shooting from the floor, including 6-9 from three-point range.
While he didn't produce the night's most eye-catching plays, Durant did exactly what he has done for the past two seasons with the Golden State Warriors, made shots when it mattered most.
After returning to the game with 6:43 remaining and his team ahead by two points, Durant converted all four of his fourth-quarter attempts, including three from beyond the arc, to help Team LeBron pull away for an emphatic victory.
That showing earned Durant the second All-Star MVP trophy of his career, adding to his 2012 award and setting him up perfectly for an assault on a third straight title with the Warriors.
Although he didn't feature in Sunday's main event, Atlanta Hawks power forward John Collins provided ample entertainment over the first two nights of All-Star weekend.
Collins helped Team USA to victory in the Rising Stars game on Friday night and delivered one of the most memorable plays of the weekend in the process, setting himself up for a ferocious alley-oop off the backboard.
The 21-year-old returned on Saturday for the dunk contest, and while he didn't win, he could claim to have attempted the most creative slam of the evening.
Having called upon a model airplane in a nod to Charlotte's aviation history, Collins unfortunately failed to pull off the stunt as intended, clipping (and breaking) the prop as he slammed the ball home.
However, rather than be put off by the incident, Collins has promised to remain creative when the Atlanta Hawks return to action later this week.
"I think I'm going to be putting a little bit more flair now (into my game)," Collins said.
"Being in the dunk competition kind of gives me a little bit of leeway, a little bit more leash to show out a little bit."
