All-Stardom: It’s Not Just for the Kids

Amid potential off-court strife -- players’ union vs. owners, winner TBA -- and on-court strife -- Shaquille O’Neal vs. Kobe Bryant, winner also TBA -- the NBA will put forth its 54th All-Star game today.

The focus has shifted to a new stock of rising stars, a group that included Bryant not so long ago, and O’Neal not so long before that, but has moved toward Cleveland Cavalier guard LeBron James, Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade and Phoenix Sun forward Amare Stoudemire.

“I think both teams have a lot of young players, and many of them are the faces of the future,” said forward Kevin Garnett of the Minnesota Timberwolves. “I’m 28, and this is my 10th year in the league. I’m the old guy now, and it’s a good stat to have.”

James has led the Cavaliers to the third-best record in the Eastern Conference, Wade has moved well beyond a supporting role to O’Neal in Miami, and Stoudemire is the leading scorer in the NBA’s highest-scoring offense.

At the same time, as the NBA ponders establishing a minimum-age requirement of 20, Seattle SuperSonic guard Ray Allen offered up cautionary words about the league’s trend toward youth.

“I think there are a lot of guys in high school, when they watch the game [today], they’ll think they have a shot,” said Allen, a five-time All-Star. “But it’s not that easy. The guys that are in the building are the ones that have really excelled.”

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Atlanta Hawk rookie forward Josh Smith won the slam-dunk competition Saturday at Pepsi Center, defeating Stoudemire in the final round.

Smith scored a perfect 50 on his final three dunks, including one in which he leaped over a seated Kenyon Martin.

Stoudemire advanced to the final round with a perfectly scored dunk involving Phoenix teammate Steve Nash. Stoudemire threw the ball hard off the backboard, Nash headed it soccer-style back toward the basket, and Stoudemire caught the ball and dunked it.

During the contest, Smith put on the jersey of former Hawk Dominique Wilkins, a former dunk champion whom he consulted before the competition.

“He didn’t know I was going to do that, but I was going to do a dunk symbolizing what he did in previous years,” Smith said. “I grew up watching him. He’s been a mentor. He was a real big person in my life to follow.”

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Phoenix swingman Quentin Richardson won the three-point shooting competition. Richardson had 19 points in the final round, beating Kyle Korver of the Philadelphia 76ers by a point.... Nash won the skills competition, beating Denver Nugget guard Earl Boykins in a competition that included passing accuracy and shooting.