Culver City Observer -

There was a lot of doubt about this all-star game played Sunday night at Staples Center.

I was among the journalists who weren’t thrilled with the drastic change of choosing teams, letting LeBron James and Steff Curry make picks and ignoring the tradition of East playing West.

But I must admit the teams played an interesting game that resulted in LeBron’s team winning 148-145.

I’m happy to report that there was more defense than we normally see in an all-star game.

OK let’s not carried away but there was a little more.

The highlight for me was the introduction to fans some new names who became genuine all-stars. The main one is Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers. His talent has been well known for years but his playing time has been limited by injuries.

Take it from me or anyone else who saw his performance and realize he belongs with the big boys.

As for the big names I applaud LeBron for making the plays that allowed his team to overcome several double digit deficits in the first half to win another game.

I’ve been to about 30 all-star games during my writing career. Through the years I’ve

seen the event give away to a celebrity feast. The most famous NBA people are there so I guess that’s normal.

But covering NBA games for so many years I tend to concentrate on the action on the court.

Now we’re getting back to NBA action when we can learn if Houston can overtake Golden State or if the Warriors can continue their dominance for another year.

A friend asked me if the Lakers had any stars in the game and I pointed out that none were selected.

A Clippers fan told me Lou Williams belonged and I couldn’t agree more.

But there will always be controversy no matter who’s choosing the rosters.

I don’t know when there will be another all-star game in Los Angeles. It’s important for the league to showcase its talent in a lot of places.