The plane from New York touched down safely at O’Hare Airport. As it taxied to the gate and Rick Welts unbuckled his seat belt, he literally froze from the announcement made over the loudspeaker.

“Welcome to Chicago,” the pilot said. “The wind chill is minus-22.”

February is normally sluggish at the welcome center in Chicago because the Yukon is often a balmier option for travelers. This is not a sensible time to frolic on Oak Street Beach or window-shop along Michigan Avenue or see the beasts at the Lincoln Park Zoo who are probably under wraps anyway except for the penguins. But Welts was an NBA vice president on a business trip, prepping for the 1988 edition of All-Star Weekend which was his baby -- he created the concept four years earlier -- and Chicago suddenly was a popular destination in the dead of winter for two reasons:

The promise of greatness from Michael Jordan and the guarantee of warmth for a sport played indoors.

“Thank goodness for both,” said Welts, now the chief operating officer of the Golden State Warriors.

As a bonus, Larry Bird was in town to steal the weekend and nearly succeeded. Ask any historian -- better yet, just check the hazy CBS and TBS video and listen to Dick Stockton and Skip Caray -- and you’ll understand why the league’s annual midseason showcase was never more glorious than it was in Sweet Home in ’88.

Listen up: Jordan won the dunk contest in a duel over Dominique Wilkins. Bird proved his mastery of the 3-point shot. And the 1988 All-Star Game was played intensely with Jordan winning MVP before the home fans -- but not before bodies were diving on the floor. Need we say more?

Michael Jordan stole the show and was named MVP of the 1988 All-Star Game.

That weekend will be forever symbolized by Jordan's takeoff just inside the free-throw line and Bird giving us the index finger while his money ball was still in the air and then Jordan again raising the trophy on the final day. And the best thing about that weekend, other than thank heavens for overcoats and scarfs, is how it still resonates here on the eve of All-Star’s return to Chicago.

Oh, what a different time it was: Jordan hadn’t yet won the first of his six championships with the Bulls, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made his final All-Star Game, all events were staged inside an old barn named Chicago Stadium which had staircases leading to brick walls, and the first name of the starting center on the West was spelled “Akeem.”

The weekend truly belonged to the host city; in addition to the presence of Jordan, it was the birthplace to three All-Stars that year: Isiah Thomas, Mark Aguirre and a star-struck Doc Rivers who couldn’t believe his timing.

“I made one All Star team in my career and it’s the one in Chicago,” he said. “I’m from Chicago and I made it with Isiah and Mark. We grew up together and played at 10th Park in Maywood, over by Proviso East, where I went to high school. That was the All Star team to make.”

Doc Rivers (right) played his lone career All-Star Game in his hometown of Chicago.

The NBA then was robust, throbbing with heated rivalries and blessed by legendary players still in their prime, with winning teams in the biggest markets and the league making roots with a new generation of fans. The 80s laid the foundation for what we see in today’s NBA. Best of all, it had Jordan, already making inroads as a marketing Goliath and starving to become the face of the league.

“Michael was not from Chicago, but he was the perfect child for Chicago, especially for those two days,” Rivers said.

Also, the ’88 All-Star Weekend was an exhibition in name only. The pride of the players involved, along with their unflinching competitive instinct, made for an intense 48 hours.

Rivers said: “With that generation of players, no one backed down to no one. You respected everyone but when the game started you were trying to go at him. The game was played that way and the weekend was that way, too. All the events on Saturday. It was a competitive weekend.”

Welts had the job of coordinating the behind-the-scenes nuts and bolts, a task he was familiar with. In 1984 he and the new commissioner, David Stern, wanted to expand the All-Star experience to involve more players and gain more sponsorship and attract media attention. After the league stole the dunk contest from the ABA, Welts pushed for another skills event and so the 3-point shootout was added. They also created an old-timer’s game but after five too many geezers collapsed from injuries it was eventually and thankfully scrapped.

Today, it’s often a chore to get superstars to compete in the Saturday night skills events. In ’88, it was a cinch; Jordan signed up immediately for a hotly anticipated dunk contest with two-time champ Wilkins among others, and the shootout wasn’t lacking a legendary contestant, either.

“Getting Larry in the contest wasn’t an issue because he loved kicking everybody’s ass,” Welts said. “Bird’s gamesmanship was a classic moment. He was just bent on crushing people.”

Besides, Bird was going for his third straight 3-point contest win. Two years earlier at the inaugural event, he entered the room where the other contestants gathered and famously announced: “Which one of you is finishing second?” Bird then made 11 straight shots at one point to back up his talk.

Larry Bird and Kevin McHale recount Bird's string of 3-point shootout victories.

In 1988, before a back injury stole his mobility, Bird was so cocky and sure about his chances that he refused to remove his warm-up top the entire contest while he shot.

But, uh-oh: Bird trailed Dale Ellis by eight points in the final round with only two racks of balls left. As Ellis watched from a few feet away, his expression turning grimmer by the second as Bird came through in the clutch. He swished all five balls from his next-to-last rack. He needed to make the final ball on the final rack to win.

Well, with the clock running and the crowd standing and Ellis dreading what was coming next, Bird aimed from the deep corner and released. While the ball was just starting its descent toward the hoop, Bird shot a finger in the air to signify who was No. 1, yet again, trash talking without saying a word.

And that was just the appetizer.