All-Star competition tips off with card game

As you may have noticed, the Eastern Conference is actually trending upwards this year.

As much as they've spent their time apart, Kobe and Toronto basketball grew up together. If the season were to end today, every team in the East now in the playoffs has a winning record.

The honor typically goes to the coaching staff of the team leading their respective conference at the break, provided that staff didn't also coach in the game the year before.

Noel (2012-13) has enjoyed a solid second season in the NBA (Noel did not play in 2013-14 as he recovered from knee surgery).

Leonard said ^[1] the same thing: "His 81-point game and just going to school the next day and talking to everyone about it".

The rapper will be playing a prominent role in the all-star festivities in Toronto this weekend.

Kyrie Irving and LeBron James led Cleveland to their 38th win in 52 games played.

Scheduled to play in the game for the World team are Stephan James ("Race"), Arcade Fire's Win Butler, Drew and Jonathan Scott (HGTV's "Property Brothers"), professional tennis player Milos Raonic, actor and singer Kris Wu, seven-time NBA All-Star Tracy McGrady, NBA TV analyst Rick Fox ^[2] and former WNBA player Tammy Sutton-Brown. It is the first time that NBA All-Star MVP fan voting will be done entirely through Twitter ^[3]. The Indiana Pacers big man recently appeared in a photo ^[4] with Ben Higgins from "The Bachelor", so George's emoji should be him holding a rose, obviously. When George snapped his leg crashing into the stanchion under the basket during a team United States of America scrimmage in August of 2014, many doubted whether George would ever regain his All-Star form. "That was cool, they went to Las Vegas, Dallas, and now Toronto".

What can be taken more from the whole experience is the fact that Okafor will be around star players who will be in the "varsity" All-Star game and who have been in the league for years and really know the ropes. Lyles is averaging 4.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and shooting at a 41.9 percent rate. The latter is a career high for Anthony. "I would definitely like to be on that team". Drake, 29, and Kevin Hart, 36, are going to head-to-head as rival coaches in the NBA All-Star Celebrity game ^[5] at the Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto. But this season he is playing like his old self again, better in fact. Wade is also clearly still a fan favorite ^[6]. "Not only for myself, but for the fans here and for all of Kobe's fans".

Two things certainly worth noting would be the Rising Stars game on Friday night - pitting some of the top young stars from the US against the best young worldwide talent in the league - and the NBA Development League All-Star game on Saturday afternoon. "There are more National Basketball Association players from Canada than any country outside of the U.S".

BUZZER BEATERS 1. The West has won four of the past five meetings and the teams have combined for more than 300 points in three of the past four contests. 2. While this won't be Lowry's first All-Star game, the spotlight will shine brightest on him, as he'll be starting in front of his home crowd.

Slam-dunk contestant Will Barton on his favourite Canadian food: "I had poutine before, it was good and I put syrup on my pancakes".

Prashar was trying to talk himself out of buying an Eastern Conference jersey because of the retail price of $109.99 ^[7]. DeRozan's easy going, Lowry has a surly side. "It just came about genuinely", DeRozan said.

John Wall gives obvious Valentine's Day advice. Size off the bench won't be an issue for this squad.

Last time the two sides could not come to an agreement, the owners locked out the players that shortened the 2011-12 season by 16 games.

Image via USA TODAY Sports Peter Llewellyn