Around the NBA: All-Star 2021 recap

In case you missed it: we are dropping a quick recap of the 2021 NBA All-Star events because it was… well, quick.

Instead of the usual full weekend of festivities, the 2021 NBA All-Star events took place in one wild night of elite skill and hoops. The Skills Competition and 3-Point Contest took place first, followed immediately by the All-Star game itself. The Dunk Contest was held at halftime.

The Skills Competition only featured six competitors with two getting a first-round bye. One was Luka Doncic because he was an All-Star starter and expected to log big minutes. The other was Chris Paul because… he’s old. Despite the byes, Luka and CP3 fell to rolling big men, Domantas Sabonis and Nikola Vucevic. Pacers forward Sabonis would go on to take the title.

Next up was the 3-Point Contest, which wound up being one of the best parts of the night. There was a great field of competitors as usual and multiple shooters brought their A-game.

Mike Conley filled in admirably for the injured Devin Booker, putting up great scores in both rounds. However, it would be the unreal shooting of Steph Curry that would take the night. It came down to Curry’s final shot to overtake Conley, which he drained in classic Chef Curry fashion.

As we mentioned, the Dunk Contest was sandwiched between halves of the All-Star game. The contest featured rookies Cassius Stanley and Obi Toppin as well as second-year guard, Anfernee Simons of the Trailblazers.

Not much star-power to be had here, but plenty of bounce. Unfortunately, the dunk contest can be hit-or-miss and this one was a bit more in the miss column. Cassius Stanley looked impressive but played it safe. Toppin and Simons jumped high but did not get the (limited) crowd out of their seats. In the end, Simons won the judge’s favor with his (almost) kissing the rim slam.

Anyone who stopped and took much stock of the Team LeBron and Team Durant rosters had a feeling that it may be a bit lopsided. During the draft of the players, Durant admitted he had no plan and that may have cost his team. Team LeBron won every quarter, racking up big bucks for their charity.

Philadelphia 76ers stars, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons were forced to miss the contest due to last-minute COVID contact tracing. Team Durant could have used MVP candidate Embiid (and Durant himself, who is injured). Team LeBron featured starters: Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nikola Jokic. Unstoppable.

For those that cannot watch the video highlights - the first half featured high flying and deep-bomb fun. Damian Lillard, Steph Curry, and Chris Paul each caught consecutive alley-oop slams and Curry and Lillard also unleashed barrages of deep, deep threes for Team LeBron. First-time All-Star, Zion Williamson mysteriously started the game 0 for 4 on dunks for Team Durant.

The second half featured less exciting sequences and Curry no-look follow-throughs but rounded out the night nicely. Giannis Antetokounmpo went 16 for 16 from the field (including two banked-in threes) en route to MVP honors.

Historically black colleges and universities were recipients of most of the charity and were highlighted all night. The condensed style of the contests was refreshing, though it is up for debate whether or not it was an improvement. The Rising Stars game was certainly missed.

That is a quick rundown! The NBA and basketball organizations at all levels continue to navigate unprecedented circumstances and hopefully, the light at the end of the tunnel is growing near. For more Around the NBA action as well as all things hoops - keep it locked right here!

Around the NBA: All-Star 2021 preview

The Basketball Movement previews the unique 2021 NBA All-Star “weekend.”

As you may expect, the 2021 version of NBA All-Star weekend is unique compared to previous years. The game format remains roughly the same and will encourage the competitive style we saw at the last event. There will still be a Skill Challenge, Three-Point Competition, and Dunk Contest, though everything will be taking place in one wild night.

All-Star 2021 was announced as canceled last November in anticipation of the worsening pandemic. The league and NBA Players Association met and decided that the event could still be held if conducted properly. The event will take place in Atlanta.

In order to minimize exposure, what is normally a three-night event is being crammed into one - Sunday, March 7th on TNT. The Taco Bell Skills Competition and MTN Dew 3-Point Competition will take place right before the game, with the Slam Dunk Contest happening during halftime. You may need to pop two bags of popcorn for this jam-packed evening.

Missing this year is the Rising Stars Game made up of rookie and sophomore players, which always provides a fun look at the league’s future. Less of a bummer is the lack of a celebrity game and NBA Legends Brunch. Our condolences to big fans of those.

The format of the All-Star Game itself will be similar to last year, encouraging healthy competition each quarter. It can be a bit complicated to spell out, so check the below tweet for a breakdown:

Shoutout to the NBA for continuing to honor the legacy of Kobe Bryant, who was an inspiration to so many of the evening’s participants and was taken far too soon.

Another parallel from previous years is the playground-style method of picking teams. Top Western Conference vote-getter, LeBron James will be a team captain and Kevin Durant will represent the East. The captains will take turns selecting first from the pool of starters and then the reserves. See the selections below based on fan voting, player and media votes, and coaches:

Devin Booker has since been selected to replace the injured Anthony Davis and Domantas Sabonis will replace the banged-up Durant.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had been captain representative from the East the last few seasons but Durant takes the throne this year. The draft always makes for interesting TV - you can tune in Thursday, March 4th at 7:00 pm Central on TNT.

UPDATE: Check the below tweets to see who LeBron and Durant selected for their teams. Devin Booker has since sustained an injury and will be replaced by Mike Conley of the Utah Jazz.

Slam Dunk, Three-Point, and Skill Competition participants should be announced soon. The whole league still gets a four-day break, though they are restricted on travel and such per league and NBPA agreed-upon protocols.

UPDATE: Check the below tweets to see the participants in the Dunk, Three-Point, and Skills Competition. Mike Conley will be replacing Booker in the Three-Point Contest as well:

The Basketball Movement will be updating you on Twitter as the fields fill out. We will also be recapping the big night, so keep an eye out right here down the road. This is lined up to be a great evening of hoops - we hope you tune in with us!

NBA All-Star Weekend 2021: Game on?

After announcing the cancellation of the 2021 NBA All-Star Weekend back in November, will the NBA stick to its guns?

Though nothing is officially confirmed, it is looking more and more like the NBA is going to go ahead with its annual All-Star game. The event was announced as canceled back in November, as the league was in the midst of its shortest offseason in history. The bubble experiment worked, but it made for some difficult scheduling for the following (current) season.

Now, we have several postponed games per week as some teams struggle to consistently meet the requirements for an 8-man roster as the pandemic rages on. Though there is hope on the horizon with the rollout of vaccines and smarter precautions, there is still plenty of cause for concern.

Voting for NBA All-Star 2021 players is underway in a relatively small window - January 28th through February 16th (Vote here). The original assumption was that the All-Star titles would be an honor only, with no actual game. The thinking was that bringing players from all different teams together unnecessarily could make COVID containment difficult.

Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the NBA and NBPA are finalizing an agreement on an All-Star game in Atlanta and the protocols that will be enacted. March 7th is the proposed date for the event, which would see all skill competitions as well. The full break would be March 5th-10th.

Apparently, the health and safety protocols are the only holdup, as both sides are trying to determine the best way to minimize the risk to what will be many of the league’s top players. Additionally, other players on the break will not be allowed to travel overseas in addition to other protocols and suggestions.

Players and executives alike have been a bit resistant to the idea. LeBron James noted that he would attend, but may not be enthused about it. De’Aaron Fox of the Sacramento Kings bluntly called having the game “stupid.” Luckily for Fox, he will probably not be invited despite his All-Star level salary.

Whether or not having a game is a good idea, it appears to be in the pipeline. Fans will likely not attend, making it one more strange-looking event for pandemic sports. The Basketball Movement will continue to monitor news about the All-Star events, NBA, and hoops in general, so keep checking back!

NBA All-Star Weekend 2020 recap

The 2020 NBA All-Star Weekend was one of the most competitive in recent memory.

A perennial knock on the NBA All-Star game is that the players do not try hard enough. Big men jack threes, no one plays defense, and those jerks all have too much fun. This year there was plenty of fun, but also underlying competitiveness that we have not seen in almost all of the major events. Maybe it was the Mamba Mentality coming out.

Things kicked off on Friday night with the Rising Stars Challenge. Rookie and sophomore players were pitted against each other in the USA vs. The World format again, with both rosters looking pretty stacked. This is about the only event that did not come down to the wire, with Team USA comfortably ahead to end the fourth quarter.

A comeback was necessary though, with the energy of team USA led by Miles Bridges powering a third-quarter push to seize control. Bridges, a second-year player from the Charlotte Hornets would be named MVP for his efforts.

All-Star Saturday night is when things really began to heat up. The Skills Challenge, a mini obstacle course designed to show ball-handling, speed, passing, and shooting prowess was up first. Some favorites to win, including former winners Spencer Dinwiddie and Jayson Tatum, were knocked out immediately, with big men standing out from start to finish.

The final round featured two first-time All-Stars in Pacers forward Domantis Sabonis and Miami Heat forward Bam Adebayo. It came down to who could make the final three-point shot. After a few attempts apiece, Bam drained his shot to take home the trophy.

In the second event of All-Star Saturday night, the Three-Point Contest would also come down to a photo finish. From top-to-bottom, all eight competitors shot the ball well, which does not always happen. Despite strong shooting all around, three players stood out and moved on: Devin Booker, Buddy Hield, and Davis Bertans.

The Wizards sweet-shooting big man, Bertans continued his impressive display, but it was not enough to hang with Booker or Hield. Booker surpassed Bertans score by going on multiple streaks and hitting money balls when he needed them most. Even with the intimidating score though, the Sacramento Kings’ Buddy Hield would not be denied. Down to the wire, Hield needed his very last shot to pass Booker and… splash. Buddy is the first King to win since Peja Stojakovic in 2002.

Always fun if also a bit hit-or-miss, the Slam Dunk Competition was perhaps the most memorable we have had since the 2016 showdown between Zach Lavine and Aaron Gordon. Despite his arguably superior creativity in 2016, the Orlando Magic’s Aaron Gordon was runner up. This year, he had an unfortunate bit of déjà vu.

After a decade away, Dwight Howard made his fourth appearance in the dunk contest. His hops may be a bit diminished, but he put on a nice display with a nice nod to Kobe Bryant and his own superman dunk all in one. Pat Connaughton of the Bucks had a nice showing also, going full White Men can’t Jump with his outfit and dunking over teammate, Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The stars of the show were Derrick Jones Jr. of the Miami Heat and Aaron Gordon. Gordon’s creativity was on display again this year with varied dunks that pushed Jones Jr. into a dunk-off to finish. Gordon amassed a staggering five 50 point jams, including a crazy one-handed alley-oop 360 windmill off the side of the glass.

Jones Jr. impressed throughout as well, mostly relying on variations of between-the-legs jams. The judges could not give out 50s forever, so they eventually knocked a couple of points off what would be Jones Jr’s final dunk. That allowed them to make a final decision based on Gordon’s following dunk. Air Gordon brought out the 7’5” center of the Boston Celtics, Tacko Fall, dunked over him and was awarded one less point than Jones Jr., falling shy of the trophy once again in an epic battle.

A Saturday night filled with close, competitive action set the stage nicely for the big game on Sunday.

The format of the game was loaded with unique twists. Essentially, whichever team scored the most in a quarter got $100K towards the captain’s chosen Chicago charity. Both charities were for the education and betterment of kids, so one baseline area was loaded with the kids that would benefit, adding a fun element. There was no game clock in the fourth quarter. The high score was taken and had 24 points added to it (to honor Kobe Bryant) to create a goal score. The team that reached the goal score first won the game.

Team LeBron won the first quarter, Team Giannis the second, and the third was a tie, pushing that $100K prize into the winning pool.

The new format was entertaining and certainly seemed to add to the competitiveness of the game. There were still plenty of alley-oops and long bombs flying around, especially early. Chris Paul even dropped in a two-handed alley-oop slam for Team LeBron.

By the end, James Harden was jawing at the referees, Kyle Lowry was taking charges, and the preferred lineups were not exiting the game. What does this mean? The game was competitive and everyone was loving it.

Giannis was dunking essentially the entire game and Trae Young casually closed the half with a halfcourt bucket. Chris Paul led a second-half charge for Team LeBron, who eventually won the game 157-155 with Chicago native, Anthony Davis dropping in a clutch free throw to reach the goal.

Kawhi Leonard had 30 points including eight three-pointers to take the newly named Kobe Bryant All-Star MVP trophy home.

It was a weekend of fun, competitive hoops, and remembrance of David Stern and Kobe Bryant. For more coverage of the NBA as well as the basketball world as a whole, remember to keep it locked to The Basketball Movement!

NBA All-Star Weekend 2020 preview

One of the most entertaining weekends in basketball is upon us once again as NBA All-Star Weekend comes to Chicago.

In the NBA this year, there have been plenty of ups and downs. The stars have shown brightly, we have now had some interesting mid-season trades, and the weekly lineups of games have been fire. Unfortunately, the basketball world was also dealt a severe loss in the form of Kobe Bryant’s tragic death as well as his daughter Gianna and all others involved.

NBA All-Star Weekend is an annual celebration of not only the current league but those who have come before. We see legends of the sport compete or coach in the celebrity game, judge the dunk contest (or be used as a prop), participate in the Legends Brunch, and be a part of the Hall of Fame Class announcements. The NBA truly does a fantastic job of remembering those that have come before.

For this reason, it is an important weekend for all players that felt the effects of the loss of Bryant. He will be remembered, honored, and poured over in various ways all weekend long. The gathering of basketball’s most elite, coming together for various competitions is just what everyone needs to help get through this tough time.

Friday, Feb. 14th kicks things off. NBA TV has the start of the Valentine’s event lineup, with the Rising Stars Practice at 11:00 am Central followed by the Hall of Fame Class of 2020 announcement. The NBA All-Star Celebrity Game takes place at 6:00 pm on ESPN.

The highlight of the evening is the NBA Rising Stars game on TNT starting at 8:00 pm Central and will once again feature a U.S.A. vs. The World format. Below are the rosters, highlighted by All-Star starters, Trae Young and Luka Doncic as well as Zion Williamson, though he has only played a handful of games. (Also, Collin Sexton will replace the injured Tyler Herro)

Saturday, Feb. 15th brings some fan-favorite competitions. NBA TV has coverage of the beginning of the day again, with the All-Star practice and media availability at 9:30 am Central. 6:00 pm will be Commissioner Adam Silver’s media availability, and then 7:00 pm Central officially tips off All-Star Saturday Night on TNT.

The Skills Challenge is up first, where players demonstrate combinations of ball-handling, passing, shooting, and speed. Below are the participants, including defending champ, Jayson Tatum:

Note: Derrick Rose has since dropped out and has been replaced by OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Next up is the 3-Point Contest, which seems to always boast a legitimate sampling of the league’s best shooters (while the dunk contest, unfortunately, does not). The reigning champ, Joe Harris is back to defend his title after beating Steph Curry last year. Unfortunately, Curry is still out of commission this season. Below are the participants:

Last but not least is the Slam Dunk Contest. While the contest does not usually showcase the dunkers that fans would most enjoy, this year’s lineup should prove interesting. Dwight Howard is participating for the first time in 11 years, which has to be a record. Derrick Jones Jr. is an electrifying dunker that has been a runner-up in the contest before.

Pat Connaughton of the Bucks will be relatively unknown, but his vertical will definitely turn some heads. Another runner-up, Aaron Gordon lost to Zach Lavine in 2016 despite a barrage of perfect scoring slams. The ‘16 contest has been lauded as one of the best ever. Zach Lavine will be a Saturday night participant, though fans would undoubtedly prefer a rematch with Gordon instead of his three-point display.

Sunday, Feb. 16th wraps up the weekend with the main event. The NBA Legends Brunch will be on NBA TV at 12:30 pm Central. At 7:00 pm, the 69th Annual NBA All-Star game will tip-off, featuring a new format (coverage begins at 5:00 pm).

Once again top vote-getters, LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo selected their teams one by one, first from the starters and then reserves. The results are below, interestingly featuring only a few conference variations:

The new format will promote competition throughout the game. Whichever team scores the most points in each quarter will get a monetary bonus that is awarded to the captain’s chosen Chicago charity. So no matter the total, if Team LeBron scores more in the second, they win that one. If Team Giannis scores more in Q3, they win that one.

By the fourth quarter, the game clock is off. Whichever team has the highest score, 24 points will be added in honor of Kobe Bryant, and that becomes the goal score for each team. So, if it is 140 to 130, the first to 164 wins the game.

It may seem a bit complicated, but it is still simple at its core and should promote competitive play in an interesting way while honoring a lost legend.

That wraps up the preview! The Association brings plenty to the table year-round, but their All-Star festivities may be the best in professional sports. Tune in and follow along with The Basketball Movement through the weekend to stay up to date!

Around the NBA: Zion set to debut, All-Star selections

It is a big week for the NBA with Zion Williamson making his first appearance and the announcement of the All-Star starters.

Monday marked Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which is always a notable holiday around the NBA. In addition to a full slate of televised games, the league did a great job as always of putting things in perspective with tributes, interviews that highlight Dr. King’s impact, and addressing that the NBA could not be what it is today without the civil rights movement.

Skip ahead to tonight, and the big week continues as rookie Zion Williamson makes his much-anticipated debut at 8:30 pm (CST) on ESPN. Tonight is a double-header with the Sixers visiting the Raptors at 6:00 pm (CST) in another good game.

Williamson’s debut comes after speculation that the New Orleans Pelicans may shut him down for the season to preserve their prized rookie in a season that is not going well in the win column. We have also seen Zion throwing down some impressive dunks in shootarounds before taking the bench for games, so whether or not he was healthy enough to give it a go was not an issue.

Below is a reminder of what the 19-year-old is capable of from the preseason:

Brandon Ingram has valiantly filled the void of the go-to guy for the Pelicans this year. He appears to have made enough of a leap that he is unlikely to take a backseat to Zion upon his return. The two will form a one-two punch that will be difficult for opposing teams to handle. Mix in the savvy of Jrue Holiday, JJ Redick, and Derrick Favors with the emerging talent of Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, and Jaxson Hayes, and there is a solid team here.

We likely won’t fully see things come together until next season for these young Pelicans. Until then, we can still count on one hell of a show, and that starts tonight.

All-Star starters to be announced

Another exciting event around the NBA is the announcement of the 2020 All-Star starters. Fans have been voting for over a month and the top five vote-getters from both the Eastern and Western Conference will be announced during the usual Thursday double-header on TNT tomorrow night.

The “third fan returns” came out on January 16th and voting ended on January 20th. So, the below image (taken from the official NBA.com website) should provide a decent idea of who is in. Keep in mind also that fan voting is 50 percent of the equation, media is 25 percent, and players make up the other 25 percent.

Screenshot 2020-01-22 at 12.45.53 PM.png

In both Conferences, three frontcourt players and two backcourt players will be selected as starters. So, four days of voting likely did not impact most of these players on the fan side. The ones that appear to be borderline are the East guards, with Kemba Walker close behind Kyrie Irving. The media and player voting is likely to sway things as well.

The validity of fan voting is always questioned, but the above does not appear to be terribly skewed as it relates to season performance. Some fan favorites are sitting a bit high relative to games played - Kyrie Irving, Steph Curry, and Carmelo Anthony have all missed substantial time this year. Tacko Fall and Alex “Bald Mamba” Caruso are on this list as a collective joke between fans.

The remainder of the All-Star rosters will be announced at a later date. In the meantime, the rest of the week includes some really nice matchups. The national TV schedule is decently loaded, but there is a free preview of NBA League Pass running from now through the 26th for good measure. Also, for those that will be available to watch, there is an afternoon game Friday with the Bucks and Hornets facing off in Paris.

For more on what is going on around the NBA, stay tuned to The Basketball Movement here and on our Twitter.

Around the NBA: All-Star Weekend 2019 recap

Another NBA All-Star Weekend is in the books. The Association packs a lot into the three day span - we have you covered if you missed any of the action.

NBA All-Star Weekend is one of the most exciting and unique events in basketball. The events are varied and entertaining, making for arguably the best All-Star event of any of the major American sports. It’s a lot to take in, so we break down the high points in case you missed anything.

We can skip over the Celebrity All-Star game. That’s not our jam. However, Friday night did end on a high note in the form of the Rising Star Challenge. First and second year players formed Team USA vs. Team World for the third consecutive season. Team USA finally pulled off a win, led by big performances from Trae Young, Jayson Tatum, and Kyle Kuzma.

Kyle Kuzma of the LA Lakers took home MVP honors, scoring a game-high 35 points. Team World was led by NBA All-Star, Ben Simmons who had a 28/5/6 line.

All-Star Saturday Night

Often the most entertaining part of NBA All-Star Weekend is Saturday night, which is filled with speed, shooting, and high-flying. The Skill Competition is often underrated and was entertaining once again this year.

Before Spencer Dinwiddie won last year, the event had been surprisingly dominated by big men the last few times for an event that includes many of the finer skills of the game. This year fell somewhere in-between with the 6 foot 8 forward Jayson Tatum beating Trae Young with a halfcourt heave.

The Three Point Contest was up next with a stacked field. Unlike the Dunk Contest, this one was actually filled with most of the season’s top guys. Seth Curry went down quickly, losing the battle of the brothers. Steph Curry however didn’t quite have the juice to overcome the Brooklyn Nets red hot sniper, Joe Harris. Beating Curry (and Buddy Hield) in the final round should make for an incredible memory for Harris.

Since it used to be the most exciting, the Dunk Contest was the final event of the night. There were a lot of misses and some gimmicks that did not go over well. We still came away with some nice jams, though one by winner, Hamidou Diallo took the cake.

Diallo was the furthest contestant from being a household name, but leapfrogging Shaquille O’Neil for an elbow-in-the-rim slam was easily the most memorable dunk of the night.

The 2019 NBA All-Star Game

Team Giannis vs. Team LeBron made for an incredibly fun exhibition. Coming in, Team LeBron looked to have more talent, but Team Giannis may have had the hungrier players. The first half was all Team Giannis, led by the captain himself. They out-hustled Team LeBron and we even saw glimpses of defense throughout the night despite the high score.

Eventually, Team LeBron pulled away by simply making more shots. A three point barrage in the third led by Damian Lillard, Bradley Beal, and Klay Thompson mixed with consistant greatness by Kevin Durant proved too much for the largely less-accomplished Team Giannis squad.

Durant was named MVP on a night that had many highlights. It was also great to see Dirk splashing threes and Dwyane Wade / LeBron James alley-oops flying around one last time. (Make sure to watch the above video to catch the insane Curry-to-Antetokounmpo ally-oop)

Thanks for checking in so we could catch you up! Keep an eye out here for more NBA updates as the season continues in addition to NCAA, high school, and local coverage. ‘Til next time!

Around the NBA: All-Star Weekend 2019 schedule

Friday kickstarts NBA All-Star Weekend - We let you know when the action takes place to make sure you don’t miss a thing.

For NBA fans (or basketball fans in general), NBA All-Star Weekend is one of the most interesting stretches that the sport has to offer. No-matter the participants, the dunk contest is always a good time, even if it isn’t what it once was. The skills challenge and three point contest are consistently fun while the Rising Stars game is a great time as well. The All-Star game itself is perhaps the greatest exhibition game we get all year. The whole thing is certainly worth your time.

If you are lucky enough to have a completely free weekend, you can tune in to NBA TV almost any time to catch All-Star media appearances, practices, or even an NBA legends brunch. Most of us have important things going on, such as the second installment of The League at The Basketball Movement all day Saturday. For such reasons, let’s just hit on the most important events of NBA All-Star Weekend 2019, starting with Friday (all times shown in CST).

Friday, Feb. 15th

4:00pm will have the Hall of Fame announcement on TNT. This is one that may be just as good to catch afterwards on Twitter, but is still an interesting wrinkle in the weekend. At 6:00pm on ESPN, the Celebrity All-Star Game will be shown. If watching Ray Allen and Quavo take on A’ja Wilson and Dr. Oz sounds interesting to you, then this is the place to be.

The meat and potatoes of Friday is certainly the Rising Stars game that starts at 8:00pm on TNT. Made up of first and second year players, there will be a USA vs. The World format again. Always underrated, the game offers a fun look into the future of the league. Team USA is still looking for its first win since this format was established.

Saturday, Feb 16th

Media availability by the All-Stars and Commisioner Adam Silver will be running much of the day as well as practices. All-Star Saturday Night though is where the most memorable moments will truly begin, starting at 7:00pm on TNT.

The Taco Bell Skills Challenge kicks things off with players of every position competing to see who can combine speed, ball-handling, passing, and shooting accuracy to the fullest effect. Big men have had a surprising hold on this event over the years.

Contestants this year are: Mike Conley, Luka Doncic, De'Aaron Fox, Nikola Jokic, Kyle Kuzma, Jayson Tatum, Nikola Vucevic, and Trae Young.

Following the skills competition is the Three Point Contest, which is one of the most pure contests in basketball year after year. Whether Seth should be in or not, it is still interesting that the contest will feature brothers - Steph and Seth Curry. The rest of the field is a pretty solid representation of many of the season’s top snipers:

The final event of All-Star Saturday Night is the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest. Despite a resurgence in 2016 that saw an epic showdown between Aaron Gordon and Zach Lavine, this contest has been largely on a downhill slide over the years.

The game’s big stars are mysteriously reluctant to participate, so we get athletic up-and-comers that may have some decent dunks, but no star power. Maybe this year will yield some surprises.

Sunday, Feb 17th

The main event! Team LeBron vs. Team Giannis marks the 68th annual NBA All-Star game. The game tips of at 7:00pm with coverage starting at 6:00pm on TNT (also available on TBS).

NBA haters love to harp on the lack of defense in this one, but perhaps they don’t understand the purpose of an exhibition game. Also, Joel Embiid went you-know-what to the walls last year, forcing everyone else to step it up. He is on team Giannis and we have seen Antetokounmpo take the game very seriously before too. Anticipate plenty of effort and competitiveness sprinkled in between alley oops.

That does it for the 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend schedule! We will be dropping some opinions and analysis over the weekend in addition to our coverage of The League. Be sure you are following us across all platforms so you don’t miss a thing.