The NBA All Star weekend concluded in New Orleans on Sunday evening with the Eastern Conference winning the exhibition contest against the West 134-128 but the more significant victory was recorded by the city itself.

As representatives of Events for London continued to hold talks with NBA officials on Sunday about the possibility of staging the event at the O2 Arena in 2011 or 2012, the 2008 edition of the gala event extended beyond a mere friendly basketball game.

Still ravaged by the effects of Hurricane Katrina, two and a half years ago, the Louisiana city proved a perfect location for the event, the largest in the NBA’s annual calendar and one which attracts thousands of visitors and millions of dollars to the host venue.

Despite fears to the contrary, expressed by the players’ union leader Billy Hunter, the weekend passed without major security problems and, with the city still desperately struggling to re-establish itself as a tourist destination, the All Star Game offered the Big Easy priceless public relations exposure.

As if in response to those circumstances, the NBA players helped breathe life into the weekend, in the same way in which their mass charitable efforts had helped some of the city’s disadvantaged in a 2,500-man charity drive on Friday.

The Saturday evening skills events, featuring the Slam Dunk contest, were among the best in recent memory with the Orlando Magic’s exciting youngster Dwight Howard winning with an incredible, gravity-defying repertoire highlighted by him completing one dunk dressed as Superman.

Similarly, the All Star Game on Sunday was more competitive than has been the norm in recent years as the Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James was named MVP for a 27-point performance which killed off a late rally by the host Western Conference team.

“This was one of the most competitive ones,” said James of the game. “You’ve probably seen on a lot of guys’ faces, going through the fourth quarter, how competitive they wanted to be and who wanted the ball game.

“We were able to make a couple more plays down the stretch than the West and I was able to put the finishing touch on it with a dunk that kept the momentum going for us.”

Ray Allen, the Boston Celtics forward, was also a deserving candidate for MVP honours, finishing with a game-high 28 points, half of them in the final period as he helped finally kill off the West after they had turned a 16-point deficit into a three-point lead.

Had the West won the contest, playmaker Chris Paul, of the host team New Orleans Hornets, would have been an overwhelming favourite to win the MVP after his 16-point, 14-assist performance capped what had been an emotional weekend for the youngster.

“Coming to the game on the bus, I was like a little kid,” said Paul. “I couldn’t keep anything down, my stomach was churning. It was totally different to anything I have ever experienced, even for the US national team, because this is one of the biggest stages there is for an NBA player.

“It meant a lot because millions and millions of people are watching the All Star Game. Me and [Hornets teammate David] D West are two people that feel very strongly about bringing New Orleans back, when you go around and see people homeless in those tents, still just trying to make it.

“So to talk to not only everyone in the arena but the whole world, and let them know that New Orleans is back but it is still a re-building process … that was something I was very thrilled about.”

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