A Look Back as the CAVS Prepare to Host This Year’s NBA All Star Game
From Tip Off: The Official Magazine of the Cleveland Cavaliers

 By Bill Nichols

 Regardless of the weather in Cleveland this winter, the stars will come out on the first full weekend in February. That’s when the Cavaliers and Gund Arena play host to the National Basketball Association’s All-Star Game.

The Cavaliers and Cleveland have been important players in the NBA’s annual mid-winter showcase, which rewards players, coaches and even the media with a weekend of fun and frolic.

Sixteen years ago, the CAVS played host to the All-Star Game at the Coliseum when a record crowd at that time of 20,239 came to see CAVS forward Mike Mitchell play a leading role as the Eastern Conference defeated the West, 123-120.

Mitchell, a third-year pro from Auburn, was not named to the original All-Star Game roster that year, but was added to the team when Atlanta Hawks forward Dan Roundfield had to bow out because of a leg injury. Mitchell made the most of his opportunity. He played 15 minutes, scored 14 points, grabbed four rebounds and handed out two assists in his only appearance in the mid-season classic.

What Mitchell remembers most in 1981 was the ovation he received when he entered the game. "That was the biggest cheer I ever got," he said. "I was pretty nervous. It was a shock, just walking out there. I never saw 20,000 people cheering for me before. It was very special to me.

"I did not feel bad about not making the team in the first place," he added. "But, it all worked out. It was great to be out there with that caliber of players. It meant a lot to me."

Mitchell was one of eleven Cavaliers who has played in the NBA All-Star Game since the franchise was founded in 1970. The latest Cleveland standout to be honored was current point guard Terrell Brandon, who represented the CAVS last year.

Others who performed in the GAME are: John Johnson (1971), Butch Beard (1972(, Lenny Wilins (1973), Austin Carr (1974), Campy Russell (1979), Brad Daugherty (1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993), Larry Nance (1989, 1993), Mark Price (1992, 1993, 1994), and Tyrone Hill (1995). Daugherty’s five appearances are a CAVS record.

"I had a lot of fun at All-Star Weekend," said Brandon, who is regarded as one of the premier point guards in the NBA. "I wasn’t nervous at all. My teammates were very nice, and we talked among each other. I was just happy to be there."

"The game was fun. The teammates encouraged each other. Practice was a lot of fun. I had a great time."

Hill, a relentless rebounder, represented the CAVS two years ago. "Playing in the All-Star Game was one of the highlights of my career," he said. "Being recognized as one of the best power forwards in the league was an honor. It showed what good hard work can do."

There was a very special time in the 1993 NBA All-Star Game. That was the year that three Cavaliers were named to the Eastern Conference squad, Daugherty, Nance and Price. And Price, one of the better three-point shooters in the NBA, won the long distance shootout in 1993 and again in 1994.

Price scored 19 points in 23 minutes in 1993 and the next year he played 22 minutes and scored 20 points. The seven-foot Daugherty averaged 6.8 points in his five appearances.

Nance, a smooth power forward with outstanding shot-blocking skills, averaged 8.5 points in two appearances. Carr, Russell and Hill each played in one NBA All-Star Game.

Carr, the NBA’s draft pick in 1971, played just five minutes in his one appearance in 1974, but thoroughly enjoyed his All-Star experience.

"Being selected for the team was a sense of accomplishment," said Carr, CAVS Director of Community Business Development. "I was a little bit in awe, but it was a great feeling to be among the best players in the game for a weekend. Individually, that was the high point of my career up to that time."

The NBA All-Star Game returns to Cleveland after a hiatus of 16 years. Despite the clouds that hover over the city most of the year, the stars will shine on a weekend in February.
 
 

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