National Basketball Association

All-Star Game ratings highest since 2003

Published Feb. 21, 2011 12:00 a.m. ET

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Sunday night's NBA All-Star Game was watched by 9.1 million people and seen in six million households, the highest TV rating for the game in eight years, The Hollywood Reporter reported Monday.

Lakers star Kobe Bryant delivered a memorable 37-point performance in his home arena to win MVP honors as the West squad topped the East 148-143. Bryant joined Bob Pettit as the only players to win the MVP four times.

Rihanna performed at halftime and later sat courtside next to teen pop star Justin Bieber, who was MVP of Friday night's Celebrity All-Star Game.

The TV rating on TNT was 37 percent higher than last year and the best since Michael Jordan's last All-Star appearance in 2003. And it continued a strong weekend for the NBA after the "All-Star Saturday Night" telecast posted its best-ever rating, bolstered by Clippers rookie Blake Griffin's highly anticipated performance in the Slam Dunk Contest.

Griffin won the event after dunking as he he leaped over the hood of a car.