In his 14th appearance at the NBA all-star game, Michael Jordan for the first time will be watching the opening tip off from the bench. While on the bench, Jordan will have the opportunity to see rookie sensation Yao Ming jump for the Western squad, a sign of a changing of the guard in the NBA. Yao, who played in China last year, replaced Shaquille O'Neal as the starting center for the Western squad. He and the four starters who jumped straight to the NBA from high school are signs of the new superstars in today's NBA. Former all-stars Karl Malone, David Robinson and Dikembe Mutombo, once regulars at the all-star game, now are home for the weekend. The changing of the guard also represents a change in the powerful teams in the NBA. The team with the best record to date, the Dallas Mavericks, is represented by two all-stars: Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki. The two Eastern conference leaders, the Indiana Pacers and New Jersey Nets, are represented by their own stars as well, Jermaine O'Neal for the Pacers, and Jason Kidd for the Nets. Amongst all these changes, one constant remains this year, the Atlanta Hawks, who are hosting the game, will be without a single all-star for the second straight year.
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