Destiny’s Children Grab Torch

The NBA’s torch passed Sunday, even if it was less than memorable and all but eclipsed by appearances by Destiny’s Child, LeAnn Rimes, Toby Lightman, Big & Rich, assorted dancers, violinists, drummers, cheerleaders and mascots.

In 1993, when Shaquille O’Neal played in his first All-Star game, there were 10 players 30 or older. Sunday there were two and O’Neal was one of them.

This was the youngest collection of All-Stars in league history. Eight of the 24 players were 25 or younger. Six turned pro out of high school. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade became the first to play for the sophomores in the Friday game against the rookies and come back for the real game on Sunday.

The league is beside itself with delight at the exploits of James and Wade, who both seem poised beyond their years, after the misadventures of the generation that preceded them.

Commissioner David Stern notes happily that there has been “a changing of the guards ... and the forwards and the centers.” In Stern’s cosmos, he now regards O’Neal, 32, as an “elder statesman.”

This is a new one for O’Neal, the lover of theme parks and Jet Skis.

“I agree with that,” said O’Neal of Stern’s description. “I’ve been in here 12, 13 years and myself and Grant Hill, we were the oldest this weekend. And we were also talking about how we can remember when we were here with [Michael] Jordan and Dominique [Wilkins] and [Charles] Barkley and Karl Malone and John Stockton.”

Unfortunately for the NBA, one of the things the modern generation has not mastered is the art of the All-Star game, remembering to compete while putting on a show.

This game had a moment or two, such as Vince Carter throwing the ball off the backboard to himself, catching it one-handed and jamming, but in general, it was ragged and boring, with less intensity than you would see when a good team practices.

For the record, the East won, 125-115. Fourteen players were in double figures, with no one getting more than 17 points. Allen Iverson was named the most valuable player because they had to give it to somebody.

Fortunately or not, the production values keep increasing as the quality of play declines. Sunday was the next step in the process, starting with Lightman’s appearance in the mouth of a papier mache gold mine, singing “Rocky Mountain High.” Then Destiny’s Child did a number, the East team was introduced, Destiny’s Child, which had just done a quick wardrobe change, came back to do another number, and the West players were finally introduced. I know what we can do next year! Why don’t we skip the game and go right to the pop festival?

It was some weekend. Denver greeted the game as if it were the Summer Olympics, for better or worse. The league was less than enchanted at a story headlined, “Denver police, FBI join forces” in the Rocky Mountain News.

It started like this:

“Riots, terrorist attacks or a deadly confrontation between rival rap labels -- if anything happens as NBA All-Star events take place this week, Denver police and the FBI will be ready.”

Said a league official: “All they left out was Saddam Hussein and Rosa Parks.”

Fortunately for the league, it’s in a lot better shape than the supposed centerpiece of this weekend, the actual game. Stern pronounced business booming and he and union head Billy Hunter said they hoped to make a deal soon.

Everyone was enthralled by the sober mien of the young players, even the players they’re pushing to the side.

“He’s a good friend of mine,” said Iverson of James. “I feel good about the things that you people [media] say about him. It’s just a great feeling.

“But, you know, I always let him know that LeBron James right now is on top of the world, you know, but don’t ever forget that these same people that put you on top of the world can put you under ...

“I thought plenty of times that reporters were my friends and they laughed in my face and smiled in my face but their first opportunity to knock me down when I made a mistake ... they were right there on my front step and they weren’t smiling.”

Yes, Wade and James are just starting out and, no, they haven’t seen anything yet. This was just the coming-out party. Now for the rest of their careers.