The 55th NBA All-Star game returns to Houston for the first time since 1989, the difference betweeen then and now being a whole weekend's worth of festivities. Sure, a few of the unique features were in place then, like the Slam Dunk contest and the 3-Point Shooting contest, but the hype was nowhere near what it is now. Incidentally, in 1989, it was the Knicks Kenny Walker exhibiting sky-walker status in winning the slam dunk and Dale Ellis draining the long ball around the circle of the arc to win the 3-point contest.

The All-Star experience has grown into a weekend event drawing thousands of people to the various events. Besides the game itself, a variety of on-court and off-court activities will go on. Beside the aforementioned Slam Dunk and 3-Point shooting contests, a Skills challenge, the Rookies against the 2nd year player’s game and Shooting Stars are also on tap for people to watch in Houston.

The last two first picks in the NBA draft, Andrew Bogut and Dwight Howard, will lead their respective teams in the Rookies vs. Sophomores game. The Denver Nuggets Carmelo Anthony led the Sophomores to a 133-106 victory last year, and earned the Most Valuable Player award. This is the seventh year of the rookie-sophomore format with the Sophomores leading the series 4-2.

The Slam Dunk was the first of its genre to add additional excitement to the All-Star weekend, starting back in 1984, when Larry Nance of the Phoenix Suns won the inaugural contest. Atlanta’s Josh Smith will be back to defend his title against Andre Iguodala and rookies Nate Robinson and Hakim Warrick. SportsBook.net has Smith listed as the choice at 7-5; with Robinson right behind him an 8-5.

The Skills Challenge is a recent addition to the roster of events, with four-time All-Star Steve Nash ready to defend his title against a star-studded field. Besides Nash, LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and potential rookie of the year Chris Paul fill out the field. This has been an interesting addition to the line-up of events, with each player truly needing special skills to complete all the tasks against the clock. Nash is the favorite again at 6-5 at SportsBook.net

Besides the Slam Dunk, the other contest that draws the most excitement from the crowd is the 3-Point Shooting contest. Every year this is a SportsCenter highlight, with one of the participants scurrying around the 3-point arc, literally throwing up bombs and swooshing the nylon four or more times in a row. Defending champion Quentin Richardson is back on Saturday night for the event’s 20th year. The field is loaded, with 2001 champ Ray Allen, Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry Chauncey Billups and Raja Bell all competing. Allen is the current favorite at 12-5 at SportsBook.net.

The game itself is a who’s who in NBA history. Current stars like Allen Iverson, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan are all recent MVP winners. Today’s current game is built upon its past stars, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird who ushered in a new era of NBA popularity. Going back even further, NBA Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson, Rick Barry, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlin, Bob Pettit and the original big man George Mikan all were voted the best player in these All-Star contests.

The game itself is always a highlight reel of excitement with all the brightest stars shining. The last ten meetings have been evenly divided among the two conferences with the East capturing last year’s contest 125-115. For the West squad San Antonio’s Tony Parker and Memphis’s Paul Gasol are making their first All-Star appearance. In the East, three players will be wearing the All-Star jerseys for the first time. They are the Pistons guards Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton, along with outstanding and talent Chris Bosh from Toronto. Gilbert Arenas has been chosen by the commissioner to replace the Pacers Jermaine O’Neal who is out due to injury.

TNT will have the All –Star game starting at 8:00 EST on Sunday. Check with SportBook.com for the side and total on this exciting game, along with prop bets to add enhancement to your viewing pleasure.