Damian Lillard named MVP of 2024 NBA All-Star Game

On Sunday, Damian Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks was honored with the Kobe Bryant All-Star Game MVP title. He led the Eastern Conference to a victory of 211-186 over the West, scoring an impressive 39 points, including 11 3-pointers.

It was Dame time all NBA All-Star Weekend long. https://t.co/nMO9PLHRo8

— ABC 7 Chicago (@ABC7Chicago) February 19, 2024

He became the second player in the history of the league, after Michael Jordan in 1988, to clinch a Saturday night event victory and be crowned as the MVP in the same All-Star Weekend.

Lillard clinched the victory in the 3-point contest, narrowly surpassing Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks in the final round. This mirrors the achievement of Jordan, who triumphed in the dunk contest back in 1988.

Damian Lillard is the recipient of the Kobe Bryant Trophy after being named the 2024 NBA All-Star Game MVP 🏆

Dame tonight 📊 39 PTS | 14-26 FG | 11-23 3P | 6 AST | 3 REBpic.twitter.com/1yAehNeqzo

— BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) February 19, 2024

Lillard expressed, “Being compared to Mike in any aspect is a privilege and a significant achievement. Even if it’s just the All-Star Weekend, it’s not as simple as it seems, or else more people would have achieved it since 1988. So, it’s a substantial accomplishment for me to be included in the same discussion.”

Lillard stated, “I entered the weekend with a clear goal – I knew I was participating in the 3-point contest, and my aim was to win. I didn’t come here to take it lightly or act nonchalant about it. I’m going to be a significant part of the All-Star Game, it’s my first start, and I’ll be on the court a lot. I’m an experienced player in this game now, so why not aim for the MVP since I’ve been around long enough. I would say it was a goal I set for myself, and that was my intention for this weekend, and I was successful in achieving it.”

In his inaugural season with the Bucks, Lillard distinguished himself as the fifth player, not counting rookies, to clinch the All-Star Game MVP title in the first season with a new team.

Lillard also made history as the 20th player to secure the All-Star MVP while being coached by his own season’s coach. This year, Milwaukee’s Doc Rivers led the East team, which set a new record for the highest points in the game’s 73-year history. The previous record was 196 points set by the West in 2016.

“I saw a couple go in and after that it was just like, ‘I’m going after it.’ That was it.”

“Everybody was asking what the record was,” Lillard said. “We found out and went after it.”

Lillard concluded the game with flair, sinking a 44-foot shot to finalize the score.

Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns mentioned that he and Kawhi Leonard of the LA Clippers were observing Lillard from the West bench. “We were mesmerized,” stated Durant.

Lillard expressed, “One must persist in shooting the ball. In a match of this nature, it’s understood that it will be fairly relaxed, and opportunities will present themselves. Being a part of the starting lineup, I was aware that I would play for extended periods, receive more minutes, and I simply reminded myself to maintain my assertiveness and continue shooting.”

“After witnessing a few successful shots, I decided, ‘I’m pursuing this.’ That was the entire thought process,” he added.

Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics scored 36 points for the East, while Tyrese Haliburton, representing the local team, the Indiana Pacers, ended with 32 points. The announcement of Lillard as the MVP was met with disapproval from the Indianapolis audience, who were hoping to see Haliburton awarded the trophy.

Haliburton expressed, “My plan was to continue shooting until I missed a shot… I was simply enjoying the game of basketball. I wasn’t sure about the duration of my play or the condition of my leg, but I felt great today. Even after the one-legged dunk, I felt positive, which is a good sign for me.”

“The intensity wasn’t high, yet it’s reassuring that I felt well. I’m hopeful to maintain this positive momentum moving forward.”

Towns racked up 50 points for the West in a mere 28 minutes. Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, representing the Oklahoma City Thunder, contributed 31 points for the West.