Gosh, where was T-Mac?

Oh, that’s right, he didn’t make the team. Or, he was “injured” and wanted to avoid our scary city. Well, Tracy, that’s your karma for dissing our great city. Anybody know whether he made the scene or wussed out? Ass.

On the other hand, it brought a tear to my eye to watch the New Orleans mojo in such fine display. I’m sure this was the first All Star game I’ve watched in 15 years, and the game sucked, but NOLA rocked. Nice job getting real local musicians to play live and show everyone how much this city rocks.

Stephanie Jordan nailed the anthem (with a great assist by Branford Marsalis and Jonathan Dubose). I mean great. Then the dueling pianos with Connick, Jr., Ellis, Dr. John, Davell, Toussaint, and a bunch of others was brilliant. And I’m sure that Rebirth won some converts, with Kermit and Trombone Shorty guesting. Still, I can’t help but think that the rest of the country thinks brass bands, Indians, and second lines are simply novelties that we break out for tourists instead of the integral parts of life here that they are.

One more thing: “Reggae Music Man Dr. John???”

UPDATE: from Ian Thomson

For so many years the NBA’s All-Star Weekend has been growing like a tumor upon the soul of the game, a vehicle of greed, selfishness and other vices in blight of the larger team values. But that trend was arrested by coming this weekend to New Orleans, where the NBA’s biggest stars spent Friday working on community projects that emphasized giving instead of taking.

For this weekend, at least, the league rediscovered its soul.

…

The music of New Orleans is a unifying force of joy, and I have a feeling that no one who watched the pregame or halftime performances of jazz was turned off or threatened or in any way bemused by it.