The NBA All-Star Weekend kicks off this Friday with the Rookie Challenge, but the real festivities don’t begin until Saturday with the start of the Slam Dunk Contest, as discussed previously, and the return of the fan-favorite H-O-R-S-E Competition.

For the uninitiated, H-O-R-S-E is a game in which the participants must successfully mirror the shots executed by their competitors. If an opponent scores from half court, the rest of the players must as well, or else they’ll receive one letter from the word “horse.” If they receive all five, they’re eliminated from the competition. In short, it is the ultimate competition for those who live by the credo: “Anything you can do, I can do better.”

Back in the early 90s when the contest was truly popular amongst basketball enthusiasts, NBA legends Michael Jordan and Larry Bird would often go head-to-head to determine who the better shooter was. As far as I am concerned, a victor was never crowned, which is a supposition fully supported by this Big Mac commercial from McDonald’s.

MJ and Bird could probably spend an eternity playing H-O-R-S-E and not get anywhere. But man, it sure was amazing watching them try.

For this and other amazing H-O-R-S-E-worthy shots, head over to Gunaxin.