SANTA CLARA – All-star games are meant to shine light on the best of the best. Here in the Bay Area, such theater doesn’t always go as scripted.

Instead, twists and turns occur, such as a gust of wind blowing a pitcher off the Candlestick Park mound, an owner getting vociferously booed by the home crowd, or a rookie phenom scoring four goals just to tie a game.

What will the NBA have in store Sunday, Feb. 16, when Chase Center hosts its first all-star game and Steph Curry takes center stage as not just a starter but seemingly the grand marshall of this parade.

Assembling the world’s greatest basketball players remains a spectacle to behold, even if the on-court competition has waned over time. There is no doubt, however, that anytime a sport’s tentpole event comes here, people flock to see it evolve into a cultural phenomenon, with Super Bowl LX and the FIFA World Cup on the 2026 horizon.

Here is a recap of Bay Area all-star game history, all due respect to other world-class athletes who’ve performed here, as well as those groomed here:

NBA

1967, Cow Palace

West 135, East 120

Crowd: 13,972

The Warriors’ Rick Barry scored 38 points to earn his only All-Star MVP honor. Teammate Nate Thurmond (16 points, 18 rebounds) helped the West snap a four-game losing streak to the East. Wilt Chamberlain came within 86 points of scoring 100 for the East.

2000, Oakland Arena

West 137, East 126

Crowd: 18,325

The East Bay’s Jason Kidd racked up 14 assists, big men Tim Duncan (Spurs) and Shaquille O’Neal (Lakers) split MVP honors, and, Vince Carter won the dunk contest. Most unforgettable: Chris Cohan, a decade before selling the Warriors to Joe Lacob & Co., drew a chorus of boos from the crowd of 18,325 while handing off a ceremonial host trophy to Washington’s Michael Jordan.

Seattle SuperSonics’ Gary Payton, right, and Phoenix Suns’ Jason Kidd take a break during the NBA All-Star Western Conference team practice in Oakland, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 12, 2000. Payton and Kidd grew up a few miles awayfrom the Oakland Arena, site of Sunday’s NBA All-Star game in which perhaps the league’s two best point guards will be reunited as Western Conference teammates. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg) 

MLB

1961, Candlestick Park

National 5, American 4 (10 innings)

Crowd: 44,115

To quote the United Press International’s definitive lede: “Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente rapped out consecutive hits in the bottom of the 10th inning Tuesday to account for two runs and give the National League an error-filled, come-from-behind victory over the American League in the 30th All-Star Game.” Aaron pinch-hit for winning pitcher Stu Miller (more on him later), then Mays delivered a game-tying RBI double before scoring on Clemente’s walk-off hit.

Earlier in the ninth, the Giants’ Miller wound up to pitch to Rocky Colavito, a gust of wind sent Miller off-balance, and umpires signaled for a balk even though Colavito swung and missed at Miller’s offering. That made for banner headlines (“Miller Blown Off Mound”) in a sweltering Midsummer Classic featuring 21 future Hall of Famers, including 40-year-old Warren Spahn, who opened with three perfect innings.

1984, Candlestick Park

National 3, American 1

Crowd: 57,756

Montreal’s Gary Carter won MVP honors with a go-ahead, solo home run in the second that shot toward the left-field Marlboro scoreboard against starter Dave Stieb, an Oak Grove High and San Jose City College product. George Brett earlier homered to straight-away center. Fernando Valenzuela and Dwight Gooden struck out the side in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively, and the game overall saw a then-record 21 strikeouts.

The Giants were represented by two reserves, catcher Bob Brenly and outfielder Chili Davis, who drew standing ovations, as did honorary captain Willie McCovey. Throwing out ceremonial first pitches were Miller and Carl Hubbell. On cue, the crowd loudly booed the introduction of Dodgers nemesis Tommy Lasorda, the National League manager. Candlestick’s notorious wind had sailors literally sailing into the air as they held an oversized American flag for the national anthem, sung by Huey Lewis and the News.

1987, Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

American 2, National 0

Crowd: 49,671

Tim Raines’ two-run triple off the A’s Jay Howell broke a scoreless deadlock in the 13th inning. Rickey Henderson hit leadoff in Yankees pinstripes before being eventually replaced by A’s rookie Mark McGwire. Eight National League pitchers combined on the shutout, and San Jose native Dave Righetti allowed one hit in his second and final all-star appearance. The Giants’ lone all-star was outfielder Jeffrey Leonard (0-for-2).

San Francisco Giants’ Willie Mays, left, poses with the Golden Glove award and Juan Marichal with the All-Star Game MVP trophy on Sept. 11, 1965 at Candlestick Park. (Russ Reed/Oakland Tribune) 

2007, AT&T Park

American 5, National 4

Crowd: 43,965

After a 20-year absence, baseball’s Midsummer Classic returned to the Bay, to the Giants’ 7-year-old ballpark. Ichiro Suzuki, elected just this year to the Baseball Hall of Fame, delivered the first inside-the-park home run in All-Star Game history. Barry Bonds started in left field and went 0-for-2 in his 14th and final All-Star Game, in his 22nd and final big-league season, at The House Barry Built. Oh, and the American League earned home-field advantage for the World Series that Boston would win.

NHL

1997, San Jose Arena

East 11, West 7

Crowd: 17,422

The Shark Tank was supposed to host its first All-Star Game in 1995, but the NHL lockout sent those plans to the penalty box. Two years later, in the franchise’s seventh season, San Jose owned a 6-7 record in playoff action, and it was time to welcome in all of hockey’s royalty. Hometown hero Owen Nolan scored two goals in an eight-second span late in the second period, leading up to a call-your-shot hat trick finale that the home fans loved so much. “I thought the roof was coming down,” Nolan would say. San Jose teammate Tony Granato started for the West as a commissioner’s selection and took the opening faceoff against longtime pal Wayne Gretzky. Montreal’s Mark Recchi secured a hat trick (before the third period) and MVP honors for the victors.

2019, SAP Center

Central 10, Pacific 4

Metropolitan 7, Atlantic 4

Metropolitan 10, Central 5

Crowd: 17,562

The Sharks’ Joe Pavelski, Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson started for the Pacific Division’s all-star side, in what was the fourth year of the NHL employing a 3-on-3 single-elimination format among four teams. Karlsson scored twice and Burns once as the pseudo-home team got bounced in the opening game. Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby won MVP honors with four goals and four assists in two wins.

MLS

2001, Spartan Stadium

MLS West 6, MLS East 6

Crowd: 23,512

Six years after the MLS made its debut in San Jose, all-stars descended and played to a draw. Earthquakes 19-year-old rookie Landon Donovan won Man of the Match honors with a four-goal outburst, with three scores in the first 20 minutes and a final one in injury time for the tie. Goalkeeper Joe Cannon, one of six San Jose players to start the game, assisted on Donovan’s first goal. Donovan ripped off his shirt to unveil a sports bra after his final goal in a tribute to the South Bay’s Brandi Chastain. “It’s beyond my wildest dreams to do this in my first year in the league,” Donovan said. “It’s something special.”

The West’s Landon Donovan of the San Jose Earthquakes celebrates his fourth goal against the East team during the MLS All-Star Game on Saturday, July 28, 2001, at Spartan Stadium in San Jose, Calif. Donovan honored Bay Area soccer icon Brandi Chastain by showing a sports bra he had hidden beneath, in a scene reminiscent of the U.S. Women’s National Team victory over China in the 1999 Women’s World Cup. (Oakland Tribune, Ray Chavez) 

2016, Avaya Stadium

Arsenal 2, MLS 1

Crowd: 18,000

The Earthquakes were represented by MLS all-time leading scorer Chris Wondolowski, goalkeeper David Bingham and manager Dominic Kinnear, who grew up in Fremont. A bipartisan crowd enthusiastically embraced the proceedings, as did Kinnear: “I grew up 15 minutes down the road. I never thought in my wildest dreams that I’d be sitting at a table next to Didier (Drogba) and sharing a field with the great MLS and great Arsenal players.” Chuba Akpom scored a late goal and won MVP honors.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

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EAST-WEST SHRINE GAME

The Bay Area hosted this college football showcase for nearly 80 seasons between 1925 and 2005, anchoring mostly at Kezar Stadium and then Stanford Stadium before stints at the Oakland Coliseum and AT&T Park before ultimately getting outsourced to Florida, Texas and Nevada.

Among those who played in the bowl at Stanford: Tom Brady (2000), John Elway (1983) and Walter Payton (1974). Pat Tillman was inducted in 2005 into the Shrine Game’s hall of fame and an annual award is presented in his name. The 100th version of this game was played Jan. 30. The 49ers’ Brock Purdy was in the 2022 game in Las Vegas (3-of-7, 17 yards; five carries, 7 yards).

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

CHARLIE WEDEMEYER ALL-STAR GAME

For 50 inspiring years, Santa Clara County’s top high school football seniors have come together for this all-star game, including future NFL stars Davante Adams, Jeff Garcia, Jared Allen, Vita Vea, Doug Cosbie and John Tuggle, who was the 1983 NFL Draft’s “Mr. Irrelevant” almost 40 years before Purdy was with the 49ers’ last overall pick.