Chapter 54 Section 5

"Sonny is an animal, no doubt about it (I can't remember how many times I've called him that in my book)."

———— Excerpt from Larry Bird's autobiography "Drive: the story of my life", published in 1989.

On the evening of Saturday, February 7, 1987, at KeyArena in Seattle, the All-Star Game's three-point contest and dunk contest took place as the first events.

The arena, which looked like a giant pavilion, had been the home of the Seattle SuperSonics since the 1985-1986 season, and during the 80s, the venue was considered fairly modern.

Over 18,000 fans filled the arena, waiting for the start of the three-point and dunk contests.

As a prelude to the All-Star Game, the three-point contest and dunk contest quickly rose in popularity and drew attention comparable to the main event.

In the first few years of their inception, the contests were participated in by star players from the league, which everyone found very fresh, and both viewership and attendance were very good.