Allen Iverson and Michael Jordan both skipped out on Friday's interview session with the media. Too hectic.

It turns out they have much more in common as well.

Jordan and Iverson were placed in a separate room Saturday afternoon because of the added media interest. They sat side by side answering questions for 30 minutes.

And as Jordan listened to Iverson speak, he heard a little bit of himself in the younger Iverson.

"When I was losing, everybody just took shots at me because that was the opportunity to, when I wasn't doing well on the basketball court, as far as the team aspect," Iverson said when asked about how he's earned people's respect. "And I always said it was unfair that it took me winning some games for people to try to understand me. I feel like I still have a long way to go. I've won different awards, personal awards, achievements and personal goals, but I haven't done what I wanted to do, and that's win a championship. And that's all I'm concentrating on doing."

Sound familiar Michael?

"We went somewhat the same path," Jordan said of Iverson. "A lot of critics said, 'You can't lead the league in scoring and win.' There were a lot of people who said that and we had to prove them wrong. That's the type of respect I finally earned, and I'm pretty sure he's talking the same. And when you do that, it's just amazing how they put you in that elite class.

"I was always just a step below Magic Johnson and Larry Bird and all the guys who won championships. When I started winning championships, it's amazing how I got into that class. It's always been proven that way. Charles Barkley's not in that class. And I love Charles, but there's no way he's going to be in the class of Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan. I mean, he's just a step below. But until you win, you sit in that second tier."

? Sophomore jinx: Jason Richardson scored 26 points on 11-of-18 shooting and was named MVP of the Rookie Challenge, as his rookie team beat the sophomores 103-97 in Saturday's first event.

Another Richardson, Quentin of the Clippers, led the sophomores with 22, but the group of second-year players lost for the second straight year. Last year they lost as rookies.

At one point in the game, the diverse rookie class had players from five different countries on the floor. Pau Gasol of Spain, France's Tony Parker, Russian Adrei Kirilenko, Zeljko Rebraca of Yugoslavia and American Shane Battier.

? Dull dunking: The days of the Slam Dunk competition seem numbered. The problem used to be a lack of originality. Now it's an abundance of rules.

Golden State's Jason Richardson won the contest, beating three competitors and overcoming ridiculous rules.

The rules were changed once again this season to try to add interest to the competition. The four competitors were split into competing pairs, with the two winners meeting in the final. In the first round, each contestant had to perform one solo dunk, one dunk with a teammate and finally spin a wheel to determine what historical dunk he would try to replicate.

Replicating a Dominique Wilkins windmill dunk, Richardson received a perfect score of 50 on his last dunk of the first round to beat defending champion Desmond Mason of Seattle.

Sacramento's Gerald Wallace met Richardson in the final after beating Houston's Steve Francis.

? From a distance: Before All-Star Saturday night even began, NBA Commissioner David Stern said the league is exploring the possibility of expanding overseas, mentioning specifically the possibility of having NBA teams in Europe.

Why not? That's where all the shooters are anyway -- when they're not playing in Sacramento.

Sacramento's Peja Stojakovic, a native of Yugoslavia, won the Three-Point Shootout, joining Canadian Steve Nash in the top three. Stojakovic, one of several European players making a splash in the NBA, edged out Cleveland's Wesley Person by one in an overtime shootout to win the title.

Turkey's Hedo Turkoglu and Russia's Sarunas Marciulionis joined WNBA star Ticha Penicheiro and actor Tom Cavanagh on a Sacramento team to win the All-Star Hoop It Up contest. Turkoglu's last-second shot beat a Philadelphia team that featured Moses Malone in the final.

All-Star Game

WHERE: First Union Center, Philadelphia.

WHEN: 5:30 p.m.

TV: WPTV-5.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: With Shaquille O'Neal out with a foot injury, the West has no true center, leaving Chris Webber and Dirk Nowitzki to play minutes at center. West coach Don Nelson likes to tinker with unusual lineups, so that might work to his liking. . . . Allen Iverson is playing in his home city, which could mean many shot attempts for The Answer -- especially now that he's moved to shooting guard with the addition of Jason Kidd to the starting lineup. . . . Michael Jordan knows this is not 1988, and he doesn't plan on putting up many shots. He's already told Kobe Bryant that if it turns into a one-on-one thing, Jordan will foul out.