LeBron James noticed the open space in front of him and grounded, cocking the ball back in his right palm as he jumped before blasting it through the rim for a thunderous slam.

He did it at his first All-Star Game in 2004. He did it on his twentieth Sunday night in Indianapolis.

The East defeated the West 211-186, breaking records for the most points scored by a team and both teams combined.

James admitted that the NBA and players must work out the All-Star Game, but his sheer participation for the 20th time was remarkable enough.

“I think as a kid growing up and loving the game of basketball and watching the NBA All-Star weekend and seeing the Sunday game, I always had dreams and visions if I was able to play the game at a high level and give everything to the game, hopefully I could be a part of that game someday,” James told reporters prior to the game. “It’s just been an absolute honor to be able to grace the floor throughout my career and be out there with the greatest players in the world year in and year out.”

He played 14 minutes in the first half, scoring eight points before giving way to the remainder of the West team.

The league returned to the old East-West format in the hopes of increasing the game’s intensity and eliminating some of the entertaining fat from the production. However, it became evident early Sunday night that there would be more wide-open shots than competitive basketball.

“I believe we sat down with the players and listened to them, and we said, okay, we have to get back to basketball, so to speak,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Saturday. “It is about the game. “That is ultimately how we will be judged.”

Sunday’s best moment might have came early in the second half, when Luka Doncic’s self-alley-oop attempt was rejected by the rim. The miss resulted in Damian Lillard, the Kobe Bryant All-Star MVP, making a three-pointer from half-court, reflecting the NBA All-Star Game’s trademark combination of skill and carelessness.

To begin the game, Reggie Miller, Larry Bird, and Oscar Robertson took center court. And when the player introductions began, James approached Robertson for a long embrace.