Larry Bird and Magic Johnson are honored….

Larry Bird and Magic Johnson are honored…..

At the NBA Awards, which were held at Barker Hangar at the Santa Monica Airport on Monday night, Hall of Fame greats like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, and Bill Walton joined current stars Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, and Trae Young, making Los Angeles the hub of the basketball world.

Even though there were a lot of legendary players present, visitors were most excited about Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, who received lifetime achievement awards.

Bird’s Boston Celtics teammate Bill Walton, a former NBA great, gave The Hollywood Reporter an explanation of what made the two erstwhile rivals superstars of the game: The manner they performed on the field. Their goal was to win. They performed all tasks on the court. They made outstanding leaders. They have the ability to unite teams. They succeeded in igniting a sense of community,” he remarked. “They performed to the highest standard that any athlete could possibly expect, and it was truly amazing to watch their careers unfold as both their rivals and allies. They are just amazing people.

A large number of the players in attendance took advantage of the occasion to catch up with other NBA players. While Tiffany Haddish was one of the more well-liked stars of the evening, with guests like Niecy Nash and Issa Rae stopping by her table, Charles Barkley dropped by Young’s table to speak with the rookie of the year candidate.

With Greece’s Antetokounmpo, Slovenia’s Doncic, and Cameroon’s Pascal Siakam winning trophies that evening, the NBA has evolved into a genuinely global league.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a former Los Angeles Laker and contributor to THR, discussed how the NBA has elevated basketball to a global sport: “Basketball is really on the rise right now. We have players from all around the world, which indicates that excellent players are drawn to the game and want to play it. That is advantageous. It’s fantastic that that has ingrained itself into people’s cultures.