The Skills Challenge has invariably been one of the more entertaining offerings during the National Basketball Association All-Star Weekend, and the latest edition lived up to expectations. Competition the other day was, mildly put, intense, with the Cavaliers ending up the winners following two rounds of outstanding play. They clearly wanted to prevail; no less than fellow All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley were on hand to represent the provisional leaders in league standings, and they navigated the obstacles with a clear eye toward putting in the best times possible.
To be sure, the same goal was on the Spurs’ minds when they kicked off the competition. It was just too bad that, in their desire to finish the course as fast as they could, they figured on gaming the system. As things turned out, skipping the shooting requirements by simply tossing the balls aside was not allowed, leading to their disqualification. Needless to say, they argued their case; Chris Paul — 20 years in the league and certainly no stranger to pushing the envelope — even went so far as to plead to an official behind the scenes. For their efforts, they were literally handed a rulebook along with a denial.
Interestingly, sophomore sensation Victor Wembanyama disclosed in the aftermath that he came up with the idea — best described as unsportsmanlike — to shave off precious seconds from their time. “We had the best time,” he said, the misstep notwithstanding. “I’m going to have many more opportunities to win it in the future.” Needless to say, his admission ran counter to conventional wisdom; during the festivities, broadcasters Mark Jones and Reggie Miller took pains to note that the development had Paul’s fingerprints all over it.
In any case, the Cavaliers deserved the hardware. It was also no surprise that they had to beat the host Warriors in the final. Not without irony, they clinched their victory following three uncharacteristic passing miscues from otherwise-superior setup man Draymond Green; he was unable to match teammate Moses Moody’s efforts and didn’t even get to finish the course. Bottom line, they proved to be the best of the best. And when they compete in the event next year, they know they’ll be the favorites and in great shape to defend their title with no need for shenanigans.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
