It was probably only fitting that Stephen Curry walked away with the Kobe Bryant Trophy following a sterling showing in the final of the 2025 National Basketball Association All-Star Game the other day. After all, the festivities throughout the weekend were held in familiar confines. He certainly wanted to give the 17,539-strong Chase Center crowd cause to celebrate as he made up for a pedestrian showing in the Round of Four. Three of his four field goals were, naturally, from three-point territory: a one-leg runner to start an 11-0 blitz for the OGs after tipoff; a nonchalant pull-up from half court; and a trademark look-away to all but ensure victory.
Interestingly, fellow OGs starter Jayson Tatum could well have brought home the hardware with an even more impressive 15 points off six-of-seven shooting from the field, including three of four from beyond the arc. Eight of the aforementioned 11 points were his, as was the dunk to bookend the 41-25 shellacking. Not that he cared about the recognition in an exhibition; he had already claimed it in 2023, and, insofar as snubs go, his limited role in Team USA’s march for the gold at the Paris Olympics was far more egregious.
That said, Curry happily accepted the Most Valuable Player award — in part because he did play well enough to earn it, and in larger measure because he knew his second in four years was also likely his last. He was among the OGs for a reason; at 36, he understood that he was getting closer to retirement. And, to be sure, he enjoyed not just playing, but being instrumental in the outcome. Forget the stress-free atmosphere; his competitiveness compelled him to be at his best — and, in the process, to win.
This time next year, the format for the All-Star Game will most assuredly feature more tweaks. As entertaining as the proceedings the other day may have been, the experience was uneven at best. The marquee names, Curry included, seemed inclined to exert more effort on both ends of the court, but the truncated length of the set-tos tempered the pluses — not to mention highlighted the sheer number of disruptions due to sponsorship obligations. All the same, it was an improvement that heralded the promise of better things to come.
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.
