LeBron James helped lead Team LeBron to a win over Team Stephen 148-145 in the 2018 All-Star Game on Sunday night that earned him MVP honors.
James finished with a near triple-double with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists in 31 minutes played that gave him the award for the third time in his career. The 33-year-old was a factor on both ends of the floor in a well-rounded performance that lifted his team to win in the new All-Star Game format.
James played a huge part in helping set the tone for his team that overcame a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter. He made a couple of huge plays late in the final period, first hitting a 3-pointer to tie the game at 144 with less than two minutes remaining and followed it up with a finger roll layup to give his team the go-ahead lead with 34.5 seconds left.
This honor has put James in rare company in league history becoming just the sixth player to have three All-Star Game MVP awards joining the likes of Bob Petit (four), Kobe Bryant (four), Oscar Robertson (three), Michael Jordan (three), and Shaquille O’Neal (three), according to Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated.
In the previous 13 appearances in the All-Star Game, James has made a living of putting up strong performances in the event averaging 24.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.3 steals in 29.4 minutes per game while shooting 51.8 from the floor.
This has already helped him become the All-Star Game’s all-time leader in scoring (333 points), field goals (141) made, 3-pointers made (35), and 20-point performances (11). His strong outing on Sunday night also pushed him past Robertson for fifth all-time in assists in All-Star Game history.
It was entertaining throughout the game with there being an increased emphasis on playing defense from both sides that helped bring back a renewed level of excitement toward the event.
