Welcome to NBA All-Star Weekend 2008 … where everything happens.

(Cue the Carly Comando track.)

… where "Chris Paul is the new Isiah" happens.

… where "We're going to show Vegas how to do this right" happens.

… where no Vince Carter, T-Mac and Shaq happens.

… where "What happens in New Orleans doesn't go past Shreveport" happens.

… where "Yes, LeBron is that good" happens.

… where the preview for Beijing happens.

… where "We survived Tim Donaghy" happens.

… where Rudy Gay's YouTube experiment won't work happens.

… where the last slam dunk contest happens.

… where D-Wade doesn't three-peat in the skills comp happens.

… where Tyson Chandler ain't Kwame Brown happens.

… where Manu Ginobili got snubbed happens.

… where Dwight Howard's first of 10 straight years as the East's starting center happens.

… where introducing Jamario Moon happens.

… where "Where's Baron Davis?" happens.

… where the resurrection of Byron Scott happens.

… where the Rookie Challenge is better than the All-Star Game (again!) happens.

… where Wynton Marsalis' performance happens.

… where "I came here to help rebuild New Orleans, not watch a damn All-Star Game" happens.

… where the "distraction" of Kelly Pavlik versus Jermain Taylor happens.

… where three Pistons on the All-Star team (again!) happens.

… where "Always pay attention to your surroundings" happens.

… where "Party with a purpose" happens.

… where Chris Broussard, basketball legend, happens.

… where court dedications in St. Bernard Parish happen.

… where "second lining" in the player intros happens.

… where Slick Watts, Karl Malone, Willis Reed and Pete Maravich used to happen.

… where the basketball legend of Percy Miller still happens.

… where Brandon Roy is going to be too tired to walk on Monday morning happens.

… where Jeremy Richardson in the D-League All-Star Game happens.

… where Frankie Beverly and Maze (finally!) back at the Players Association Ball happens.

… where the love of Julius Erving's commercial happens.

… where Elgin Baylor, Moses Malone, Earl Monroe, Jo Jo White, Spencer Haywood, Wally Jones, Micheal Ray Richardson, Lenny Wilkens and other members of the NBRPA make Project Smile happen.

… where 2,500 volunteers make the Day of Service happen.

… where the revelation of Larry Brown's next coaching gig happens.

… where Carlos Boozer finally gets recognized happens.

… where the "Uh, that kid, uh, what's his name, oh yeah, Danny Granger, yeah, like, he's making people forget about Jermaine O'Neal" conversation happens.

… where the "Michael Beasley will be here next year" conversation happens.

… where Carmelo is named MVP happens.

… where "I won't be an NBA cynic or hater for one weekend" happens.

… where "Now that this is over, the real NBA season begins" happens.

Scoop Jackson is a columnist for Page 2.