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Ranking the 15 Greatest Player Performances in NBA All-Star Game History

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15 Greatest NBA-All Star Game Performances

Kobe Bryant Michael Jordan All-Star Game
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The NBA All-Star Game features the best players in the world going head to head for bragging rights. The result of the game may not matter in the end, but with so much firepower on the court at one time, you never truly know what you’ll witness during the midseason event. Here are the best of the best -- the 15 greatest player performances in NBA All-Star Game history in ascending order.

15. Blake Griffin, 2014

Blake Griffin Paul Pierce All-Star Game
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15. Blake Griffin, 2014

Blake Griffin Paul Pierce All-Star Game
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Stats: 38 points (19/23 FGs), 6 rebounds

The 2014 All-Star Game was the highest scoring affair in the game’s long history with a combined 318 points. Kyrie Irving stole the show in the East’s 163-155 win, but Griffin’s 38 points on 19/23 shooting is efficiency at its finest.

14. Allen Iverson, 2011

Allen Iverson All-Star Game
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14. Allen Iverson, 2011

Allen Iverson All-Star Game
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Stats: 25 points (9/21 FGs), 5 assists, 4 steals

Iverson’s stat line might not blow you away, but it’s how the former 76ers legend closed out the game that makes his 2001 performance one to remember. The East trailed by 19 points heading into the fourth quarter and by 21 with nine minutes remaining. Iverson scored 15 points in those final nine minutes, leading his team to an improbable 111-10 victory.

13. Tom Chambers, 1987

Tom Chambers All-Star Game
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13. Tom Chambers, 1987

Tom Chambers All-Star Game
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Stats: 34 points (13/25 FGs), 4 rebounds, 2 assists

What makes Chambers’ 1987 performance even more impressive is that he only made the team as a replacement for the injured Ralph Sampson. Playing in front of his home crowd in Seattle, Chambers exploded for a game-high 34 points. His performance led the West to a 154-149 overtime victory, making Chambers the most unexpected MVP in the event’s history.

12. Dwyane Wade, 2010

Dwyane Wade All-Star Game
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12. Dwyane Wade, 2010

Dwyane Wade All-Star Game
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Stats: 28 points (12/16 FGs), 11 assists, 6 rebounds, 5 steals

Playing in front of an all-time basketball attendance record of 108,713 at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Wade simply stole the show. Wade’s 28 points led all scorers, carrying the East to a narrow 141-139 victory.

11. Rick Barry, 1967

Rick Barry All-Star Game
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11. Rick Barry, 1967

Rick Barry All-Star Game
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Stats: 38 points (16/27 FGs), 6 rebounds, 3 assists

One of more underrated scorers and players overall in league history, Rick Barry erupted for 38 points in the 1967 All-Star Game. The East had won the previous four contests and were the heavy favorites entering the 1967 game. Barry’s performance propelled the West to a convincing 135-120 victory.

10. Kevin Garnett, 2003

Kevin Garnett All-Star Game
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10. Kevin Garnett, 2003

Kevin Garnett All-Star Game
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Stats: 37 points (17-24 FGs), 9 rebounds, 5 steals

It was Michael Jordan’s final All-Star Game, but it was Garnett who stole the show. The current Brooklyn Nets power forward and future Hall of Famer was named the game’s MVP after his dominant performance led the West to a thrilling 155-145 double overtime victory.

9. George Gervin, 1980

George Gervin San Antonio Spurs
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9. George Gervin, 1980

George Gervin San Antonio Spurs
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Stats: 34 points (14/26 FGs), 10 rebounds, 3 assists

“The Iceman” took over the 1980 edition of the NBA’s All-Star Game with a 34-point and 10-rebound effort. On the way to the only MVP Award of his Hall of Fame career, Gervin tallied 11 more points than any other player in the game.

8. Isiah Thomas, 1986

Isiah Thomas All-Star Game
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8. Isiah Thomas, 1986

Isiah Thomas All-Star Game
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Stats: 30 points (11/19 FGs), 10 assists, 5 steals

The West led 128-121 with less than four minutes to play, and that’s when Isiah Thomas single-handedly willed the East to a 139-132 win. With his performance, Thomas became the first player in All-Star Game history with at least 30 points and 10 assists.

7. Oscar Robertson, 1961

Oscar Robertson Milwaukee Bucks
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7. Oscar Robertson, 1961

Oscar Robertson Milwaukee Bucks
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Stats: 23 points (8/13 FGs), 14 assists, 9 rebounds

No player in league history could dominate every facet of the game like “The Big O,” and that was on full display in the 1961 All-Star Game. Just a rookie at the time, Robertson finished one rebound shy of a triple-double, winning his first of three All-Star Game MVP Awards.

6. Kyrie Irving, 2014

Kyrie Irving All-Star Game MVP
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6. Kyrie Irving, 2014

Kyrie Irving All-Star Game MVP
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Stats: 31 points (14/17 FGs), 14 assists, 5 rebounds

Irving’s performance in last year’s All-Star Game propelled the young Cleveland point guard to superstardom. In a game where four players scored 30-plus points, it was Irving who stood above the rest. The 2011 No.1 pick finished three of six from three-point range, meaning he did not miss a single two-point attempt.

5. LeBron James, 2011

NBA All-Star Game LeBron James
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5. LeBron James, 2011

NBA All-Star Game LeBron James
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Stats: 29 points (10/18 FGs), 12 rebounds, 10 assists

In 2011, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James faced off in a superstar duel for the ages. With 29 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, James became just the second player in league history to record a triple-double in the All-Star Game.

4. Magic Johnson, 1992

1992 NBA All Star Game Magic Johnson MVP
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4. Magic Johnson, 1992

1992 NBA All Star Game Magic Johnson MVP
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Stats: 25 points (9/12 FGs), 9 assists, 5 rebounds

Only three months after announcing his retirement from basketball, Johnson returned to the court in emotional fashion. The floor general led the West to a decisive 153-113 victory, capped off with a game-ending three-pointer. Johnson was named the game’s MVP, his second such honor.

3. Kobe Bryant, 2011

2011 NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant
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3. Kobe Bryant, 2011

2011 NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant
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Stats: 37 points (14/26 FGs), 14 rebounds (10 off), 3 assists, 3 steals

Playing in front of his home crowd at the Staples Center, Kobe Bryant won his record-tying fourth All-Star Game MVP Award in 2011. Going head to head with LeBron James, Bryant carried the West to a 148-143 victory and displayed the kind of effort on both ends of the court that has become frustratingly rare in All-Star Games in recent years.

2. Wilt Chamberlain, 1962

Wilt Chamberlain Los Angeles Lakers
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2. Wilt Chamberlain, 1962

Wilt Chamberlain Los Angeles Lakers
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Stats: 42 points (17/23 FGs), 24 rebounds (8/16 FT)

A 42-point and 24-rebound type of performance was so common for Chamberlain that his 1962 All-Star Game performance doesn’t get its just due. Missing only six of 23 shots, Chamberlain was about as dominant as you could get. His 42 points still stand as the All-Star Game record, but amazingly enough, Chamberlain was not named the game’s MVP.

1. Michael Jordan, 1988

Michael Jordan All-Star Game
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1. Michael Jordan, 1988

Michael Jordan All-Star Game
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Stats: 40 points (17/23 FG), 8 rebounds, 4 steals, 4 blocks, 3 assists (29 minutes)

The year was 1988, so Jordan’s legacy was still yet to get into full swing. His 1988 All-Star Game performance allowed the world to see what type of player he had become and was an indication of the dominance “MJ” would hold over the league for the next decade.

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