184. How did such a talent end up on a team like this?_2

The most direct point is that in those years, Dale Davis, Antonio Davis, Big Z, Brad Miller and others could all make the All-Star selection.

It wasn't until O'Neal joined the Miami Heat that the Eastern All-Star team held any hope of winning, but they won both times with great difficulty. In '05 Iverson got the MVP with 15 points and 9 assists, and last year it was only in the final moments, relying on O'Neal's rim protection and counterattacking defense, that they narrowly won.

This year, O'Neal's performance waned, third-year players Okafor and Howard couldn't carry the weight on such a stage, and don't even get me started on Bosh.

In the end, Kobe edged out Nowitzki to win the Most Valuable Player award of this All-Star game, as the Vegas All-Star carnival officially came to a close.