New NBA All-Star format forges bonds, old and new

Credit: CourtesyLOS ANGELES — As loathe as he has been to talk about his former NBA home, and especially LeBron James, Kyrie Irving had to admit that a little of that old chemistry re-emerged last night.

Asked about the bounce pass he laced to James for a go-ahead layup in the fourth quarter of Team LeBron’s 148-145 over Team Stephen in the NBA All-Star Game, the Celtics guard said, “I played with him a few times.”

Such was the beauty of the new All-Star format, with the top vote-getter in each conference picking teams.

The possibility of an Irving/James reunion was highly anticipated, and probably could not have been better delivered by both players. By the end of the game, Irving was…