Stars here, not there

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LAS VEGAS -- Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton had an ideal situation at Friday's NBA All-Star media day.

They were there. They're certainly All-Stars. And they seemed to be in great spirits -- proud to talk up the Pistons and one another.

But, as usual, they were not the stars the media really cared about. While layers of reporters surrounded some other players, Billups and Hamilton had room to stretch at side-by-side tables at the Palms Hotel and Casino.

They even had time to pause and think, a luxury not afforded Allen Iverson, Gilbert Arenas and Kobe Bryant. Heck, on Friday, former NBA star Scottie Pippen, who announced he'd like to return to play this season, had more cameras buzzing around his table than the two Pistons combined.

Stars here, not there