NBA All-Star Weekend: What you need to know
The 75th NBA All-Star Game will be played Sunday at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, but there are several events and activities at the Intuit Dome, the Kia Forum and the L.A. Convention Center that are part of the three-day All-Star Weekend.
Here’s what you need to know, beginning with the main event:
NBA ALL-STAR GAME
When: Sunday, 2 p.m.
Where: Intuit Dome
TV/Radio: NBC (Ch. 4) and Peacock
The All-Star Game has changed formats again this year. It’s now a four-game tournament between three teams – two eight-player teams of U.S.-born players and a nine-member team of international players. The top five vote-getters in each conference qualified for the game, while the reserves were selected by the NBA coaches. Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard was added to one of the U.S. rosters to offset an imbalance of foreign players.
Each game will be just 12 minutes. If all three teams finish 1-1 in round-robin play, a tiebreaker based on point differential will be used to determine the two finalists. The championship game will begin at approximately 4:10 p.m.
The rosters are:
Team USA Stars: Scottie Barnes (Toronto Raptors), Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns), Cade Cunningham (Detroit Pistons), Jalen Duren (Pistons), Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves), Chet Holmgren (Oklahoma City Thunder), Jalen Johnson (Atlanta Hawks), Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia 76ers)
Team USA Stripes: Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics), Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks), Steph Curry* (Golden State Warriors), Kevin Durant (Houston Rockets), Brandon Ingram (Raptors), LeBron James (Lakers), Kawhi Leonard (Clippers), Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers), Norman Powell (Miami Heat)
Team World: Luka Doncic (Lakers), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander* (Thunder), Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets), Jamal Murray (Nuggets), Alperen Sengun (Rockets), Pascal Siakam (Indiana Pacers), Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks), Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs)
* – injured, will not play
ALL-STAR SATURDAY SKILLS SHOWCASE
When: Saturday, 2 p.m.
Where: Intuit Dome
TV/Radio: NBC (Ch. 4) and Peacock
Shooting Stars: The obstacle course-style skills challenge is not part of the lineup this year, replaced by the Shooting Stars competition, which features four teams of three players each.
The teams, which include two current NBA players and one “legend,” are Team Knicks (Jalen Brunson, Allan Houston and Karl-Anthony Towns), Team Harper (Ron Harper Sr. and his sons Dylan Harper and Ron Harper Jr.); Team All-Star (Richard Hamilton, Scottie Barnes and Chet Holmgren) and Team Cameron (Corey Maggette, Kon Knueppel and Jalen Johnson, all of whom are former Duke stars).
The Shooting Stars is a two-round format, with the top two teams advancing to the final. The teams have 70 seconds to score points while rotating through seven designated shooting locations, with all three players on a team shooting at each spot in a specific order.
3-Point Contest: There are eight competitors in this longstanding event – Devin Booker (Suns), Kon Knueppel (Charlotte Hornets), Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers), Tyrese Maxey (76ers), Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers) Jamal Murray (Nuggets), Bobby Portis Jr. (Milwaukee Bucks), Norman Powell (Heat).
The competitors shoot from five racks of five balls each. Four of the racks contain one “money ball” worth two points instead of one, and there is one rack of five money balls positioned at a location chosen by the player. There are also two “Starry ball” pedestals behind the third rack, to the left and right, worth three points each. The top three shooters will advance to the final round. Competing are: Devin Booker (Suns), Kon Knueppel (Charlotte Hornets), Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers), Tyrese Maxey (76ers), Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers) Jamal Murray (Nuggets), Bobby Portis Jr. (Milwaukee Bucks), Norman Powell (Heat).
Slam Dunk Contest: This event, which has gone through assorted format changes over the years, is a two-round event featuring four contestants this year. As always, it’s the finale of the Saturday showcase and typically provides the most viral moments.
The Lakers’ Jaxson Hayes, San Antonio’s Carter Bryant, Miami’s Keshad Johnson and Orlando’s Jase Richardson will each get 90 seconds to complete two dunks – with three attempts per dunk – in front of a panel of judges (former dunk contest winners Dominique Wilkins, Brent Barry, Dwight Howard and Nate Robinson and an NBA ID Member Rep). At the end of their time, they will be given one last attempt. The top two scorers advance to the final under the same format. Fans can score each dunk (from 40 to 50 points) via the NBA ID app. In case of a tie, fan voting will be the tiebreaker.
CELEBRITY GAME
When: Friday, 4 p.m.
Where: Kia Forum
TV: ESPN
Who: Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts is coaching one team and actor/comedian Anthony Anderson will coach the other. Betts’ team includes Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (USC, Mater Dei High), rapper GloRilla, actor Keegan-Michael Key and retired Brazilian soccer star Cafu, while Anderson’s squad features Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen, actor Simu Liu, seven-time Olympic medalist sprinter Andre De Grasse (USC), reality TV star Taylor Frankie Paul and former NBA player Jason “White Chocolate” Williams. The K-pop group CORTIS will perform at halftime. The Celebrity Game will be followed by the HBCU Classic between Coastal Athletic Association rivals North Carolina A&T and Hampton at 8 p.m.
RISING STARS CHALLENGE
When: Friday, 6 p.m.
Where: Intuit Dome
TV/Radio: Peacock
A trio of Hall of Famers (Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady) and recently retired former Clipper Austin Rivers are the honorary coaches for this four-team tournament. Three teams were drafted from a pool of rookies and second-year players while a fourth team is made up of G League players (though Clippers rookie center Yanic Konan Niederhauser is on that roster). The semifinals will be won by the first team to score 40 points, while the championship game will be played to 25.
The rosters are:
Team Melo: Cooper Flagg* (Dallas Mavericks), Reed Sheppard (Houston Rockets), Stephon Castle (San Antonio Spurs), Dylan Harper (Spurs), Jeremiah Fears (New Orleans Pelicans), Donovan Clingan (Portland Trail Blazers) and Collin Murray-Boyles (Toronto Raptors).
Team T-Mac: Kon Knueppel (Charlotte Hornets), Kel’el Ware (Miami Heat), Tre Johnson (Washington Wizards), Alex Sarr (Wizards), Zaccharie Risacher (Atlanta Hawks), Ajay Mitchell (Oklahoma City Thunder), Jaylon Tyson (Cleveland Cavaliers) and Cam Spencer (Memphis Grizzlies).
Team Vince: VJ Edgecombe (Philadelphia 76ers), Derik Queen (Pelicans), Kyshawn George (Wizards), Matas Buzelis (Chicago Bulls), Egor Demin (Brooklyn Nets), Cedric Coward (Grizzlies) and Jaylen Wells (Grizzlies).
Team Austin: Sean East II (Salt Lake City), David Jones Garcia (Austin), Yang Hansen (Rip City), Ron Harper Jr. (Maine), Alijah Martin (Raptors 905), Tristen Newton (Rio Grande Valley) and Yanic Konan Niederhauser (San Diego)
* – Injured, will not play
G LEAGUE NEXT UP
When: Sunday, 12:30 p.m.
Where: L.A. Convention Center
How to watch: NBA App
The G League Next Up event is another mini-tournament with four teams of seven players each. It’s a three-game tournament, similar to the Rising Stars. The first team to score 30 points will be the winner in each game. The top 10 players in fan voting were automatic selections to the game, while the G League selected the 18 others before they were all drafted on to the four rosters. Seats for this game will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Friday
10 a.m. – Rising Stars practice at the Intuit Dome (NBA app)
4 p.m. – Celebrity Game at the Kia Forum (ESPN)
6 p.m. – Rising Stars Game at the Intuit Dome (Peacock)
8 p.m. – HBCU Classic, Hampton vs. North Carolina A&T, at the Kia Forum (Peacock, NBA TV)
Saturday
10:30 a.m. – NBA All-Star media session at the Intuit Dome (NBA TV)
1 p.m. – Commissioner Adam Silver’s annual All-Star press conference at the Intuit Dome (NBA TV)
2 p.m. – All-Star Saturday: Shooting Stars, 3-point Contest, Slam Dunk Contest (NBC and Peacock)
Sunday
11:30 a.m. – NBA G League Next Up Game at the L.A. Convention Center (NBA app)
2 p.m. – 75th NBA All-Star Game at the Intuit Dome (NBC and Peacock)
NBA CROSSOVER
Crossover is a chance for fans to experience basketball through pop culture, fashion, technology, music and entertainment, with the L.A. Convention Center transformed into a fan destination with live performers, customized experiences, retail offerings, player appearances with the likes of Oscar Robertson, Dr. J, Robert Horry and Mitch Richmond, panel discussions, memorabilia displays, photo opps and more.
There will be concerts three nights in a row – hip-hop band Cortis on Thursday, rapper Ludacris on Friday and the country/hip-hop singer Shaboozey on Saturday. A beats & brunch event with DJ Pauly D will follow on Sunday at 11 a.m.
Crossover will be open Thursday from 4-9 p.m., Friday from 2-11 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. More details on Crossover can be found here.
The Clippers are hosting, with their All-Star City of Stars Alliance, the DJ Cassidy Pass the Mic Live! event on Saturday night at the Forum – an ensemble of hip-hop and R&B artists that will feature Busta Rhymes, Ashanti, Ja Rule, Lil Kim and others.
BASKETBALL BLVD FAN ZONE
The Clippers are opening the Basketball Blvd Fan Zone, which is free to attend and will feature a variety of family-friendly activities throughout the weekend. The fan zone, which is located next to the Intuit Dome, will be open Friday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. each day.
The space has multiple features, including a Skills & Drills Zone, Film Room and The Block. Local vendors will be located at the Give & Go Marketplace and a selection of more than 20 food booths and trucks will be at the Food Court all weekend long.
More information can be found at clippers.com/basketballblvd