NBA All-Star Game worth $100 million to area

Les Levine

llevine@cjn.org | @LesLevine

If you’ve been having trouble navigating downtown Cleveland during the construction around Quicken Loans Arena, you now know about the first return on the investment. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was in town last week to announce that the 2022 NBA All-Star Game will be played at The Q on Feb. 20 of that year and Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish estimated there will be more than $100 million in economic impact to the region.

Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert said the transformation of The Q was an important factor in the NBA’s decision to choose the city for the actionpacked weekend.

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This will be the third time the NBA All-Star Weekend will be hosted by Cleveland. The first was in 1981 when it was held at the Richfield Coliseum, when the Cavs’ franchise was only in its 11th season. More memorable was the 1997 classic, when the NBA celebrated its 50th anniversary, and the league announced its top 50 players of all time. Only one, “Pistol” Pete Maravich, was deceased at the time. For you younger basketball fans, I suggest you Google “Maravich” and enjoy watching highlights of his career.

The 2022 game will be 25 years from that announcement and maybe they can redo the list without embarrassing those they would have to take off. Recently, the website, “The Undefeated,” headed by Marc Spears and Mike Wise, presented their version of the top 25 that ruffled some feathers.

The original list included:

Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Nate Archibald, Paul Arizin, Charles Barkley, Rick Barry, Elgin Baylor, Dave Bing, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, Bob

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To nominate a player of the week, email Staff Reporter Ed Carroll at ecarroll@cjn.org.

Cousy, Dave Cowens, Billy Cunningham, Dave DeBusschere, Clyde Drexler, Julius Erving, Patrick Ewing, Walt Frazier, George Gervin, Hal Greer, John Havlicek, Elvin Hayes, Sam Jones, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Jerry Lucas, Karl Malone, Moses Malone, Maravich, Kevin McHale, George Mikan, Earl Monroe, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O’Neal, Robert Parish, Bob Pettit, Scottie Pippen, Willis Reed, Oscar Robertson, David Robinson, Bill Russell, Dolph Schayes, Bill Sharman, John Stockton, Isiah Thomas, Nate Thurmond, Wes Unseld, Bill Walton, Jerry West, Lenny Wilkens and James Worthy.

The Undefeated accounted for players who didn’t play before 1997, such as LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. Others added were Ray Allen, Stephen Curry, Tim Duncan, Kevin Durant, Kevin Garnett, Allen Iverson, Jason Kidd, Reggie Miller, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Pierce and Dwyane Wade. To make room, they took off

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Archibald, Bing, Cowens, DeBusschere, Drexler, Jones, Maravich, Parish, Schayes (the only Jewish player mentioned), Sharman, Unseld, Walton, Wilkens and Worthy.

The only one who has publicly complained about being omitted was Walton, who had a two-year run, broken up by numerous injuries and operations. Those two years may have been the best by a big man in history.

The lists are fun to discuss and maybe we will get to see these players honored in Cleveland. The last time was something I will never forget as I got to be part of the media that interviewed most of them. But, most of all, this will be a great weekend in and for Cleveland.

Kudos to the people who put it all together.

Read Les Levine online at cjn.org/Levine. Follow Les at Facebook.com/Cleveland JewishNews.