Professional journalists are paid to notice things. After the recent NBA All-Star Game in Chicago, these are some things I noticed:
u LeBron James is a worthy torchbearer for the physical greatness of Michael Jordan, the dignity of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the passion and growth of the late Kobe Bryant.
u Who knew battered, 34-year-old 6-footer Chris Paul could finish an alley-oop feed with a spectacular dunk?
u Watching All-Stars actually play defense is thrilling.
u Chaka Khan did something to the national anthem with 10,000 notes that might never be untwisted.
u And then this: Whatever happened to American-born white stars?