NBA All-Star Weekend events, ranked

Good morning. Let’s basketball.

There is a lot to take in during NBA All-Star Weekend. Fiends like me (and probably you, let’s be honest) will likely watch it all. But there is a certain hierarchy. Here’s how mine shakes out.

1. Verizon Slam Dunk Contest: Aaron Gordon was absurd last year, so he’s worth watching it for, regardless. Derrick Jones Jr. is going to be pretty special too, and DeAndre Jordan and Glenn Robinson has connections. This could be great.

2. The All-Star Game: It’s too long and mostly boring. But there will be ground-shaking moments to remember...like every second Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant share the court. Yikes!

3. The D-League Dunk Contest: The defending champ is 5’10. That tells you everything. These dunks are basically no props, all wild athleticism. It looks like the prelim round will be broadcast during All-Star practice around 12:30 p.m. ET on Facebook Live, with the final round happening during halftime of the D-League All-Star game in the neighborhood of 3 p.m. on NBA TV.

4. This NBA musical that The Roots and friends are putting together.

5. Taco Bell Skills Challenge: Nimble big men! Hungover little guys! What more could you ask for?

6. Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout: Can’t wait for the Klay Thompson-Nick Young final.

7. Celebrity Game and Rising Stars Challenge (tie): The Celebrity Game is pretty bad basketball because half the participants can’t play basketball. The Rising Stars Challenge is pretty bad basketball because none of these guys knows quite how to loaf through an exhibition properly. They’ll learn.

8. D-League All-Star Game.

9. Commissioner’s State of the League address on Saturday night.

10. All musical performances that aren’t that Roots-led NBA musical. (Absolutely no offense to John Legend, but All-Star crowds are notoriously awkward and that can kill the vibe.)

Here’s our full schedule for All-Star Weekend.

WAS 111, IND 98
BOS 103, CHI 104

The Bulls beat the Celtics on a highly controversial touch foul call in the closing moments. I’m sure Greater Boston will take this in stride over the next week without another game.

Baxter Holmes on the insanity of modern All-Star voting in the age of Twitter bots and hacking. Holmes found that Justin Bieber accounted for 50 percent of Chris Paul’s Twitter votes!

The artistry of Aaron Gordon in the Dunk Contest.

Phenomenal story from the great Les Carpenter on how the Pelicans brain trust sold New Orleans on buying season tickets in 2011 through a series of house parties.

Official NBA All-Star emojis, ranked.

Nick DePaula looks at the best Black History Month sneaker colorways.

Proof Manu Ginobili is greatness: He is a Neil deGrasse Tyson fanboy and posted a math riddle on his blog.

Proof La Familia de Los Spurs is greatness: Fabricio Oberto and Tim Duncan have been on a motorcycle tour of Patagonia this month. Shout out to @MegaMaz for sharing this.

Dang, man. Big Baby Davis has some real anger toward Doc Rivers, calling him overrated and saying he was lucky to win a title in Boston. Sheesh!

Steph Curry vs. Warriors Dance Cam Mom.

Jeremy Lin goes Jimmy Neutron.

In case you were unaware he is greatness personified, Marc Gasol drove 400 miles to All-Star in a Tesla.

Volleyball is beating basketball among young girls.

Interesting read from Bryan Curtis on how sportswriting became a largely liberal game.

Be excellent to each other.