TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO, the last time the NBA All-Star Game was held in the Bay Area, nine-year-old Damian Lillard was there. Shooting 3s, of course.
With the weeklong jam session festivities taking place in town, Lillard's father, Houston, allowed him to stay home from school for the week. Among those activities: a 3-point competition for local fans, during which he and his older brother, Houston Jr., reached the championship round.
"It's definitely a full-circle moment," said Lillard, the Milwaukee Bucks' nine-time All-Star and Oakland, California, native of having the event in the Bay Area again.