Every February, the NBA hosts the NBA All Star Weekend, a series of exciting events featuring the best players in the world and culminating in the All-Star Game. This year, the weekend will take place between February 16-18, with the All-Star Game happening on Sunday. The event will be taking place in Indianapolis for the first time since 1985, using the Gainbridge Fieldhouse and Lucas Oil Stadium.
The All-Star event is an exciting time for fans, providing a break in the regular season action and giving stars a chance to show off their skills and play with other top players in the league. It features a few different events including the NBA Rising Stars Game, Skill Challenge, 3-Point Contest, Slam Dunk and the legendary All-Star Game itself. You can bet on all the action including choosing NBA player props, just be sure to sign up to a legal sportsbook before the games get underway.
The History of the NBA All-Star Game
The very first NBA All-Star Game was held in 1951 at the Boston Garden, with the idea conceived by executives in the wake of a point-shaving scandal involving college basketball teams. The league hoped that an exhibition match, featuring the best players in the league, would help bring positive attention to the sport. The very first event was a major success, and it’s been held across successive seasons.
In 2010, the All-Star Game at the Cowboys Stadium broke the basketball attendance record with an incredible 108,000 fans watching. It’s always been popular with fans, and the fact that the event raises money for charity is an added bonus. The team that scores the most points in a quarter wins a cash prize which will be donated to their chosen charity.
NBA All-Star Roster
Every year, the rosters for the All-Star teams are chosen by a combination of fans, current players and the media. Fans have 50% of the weighting towards the vote, while the media and current players have 25% each. Two guards and three frontcourt players are selected from each conference while reserves are chosen by votes from NBA coaches.
For a brief time, the vote wasn’t split by conference, but this year sees the return of a team made from players from each conference. The full NBA All-Star roster for 2024 is as follows:
Eastern Conference
This team is captained by Giannis Antetokounmpo and also features Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton and Damian Lillard.
Western Conference
LeBron James captains the Western Conference team, which includes Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Of course, the event will also feature plenty of other stars, and some players may need to drop out due to injury. Joel Embiid has recently confirmed that he will be undergoing a procedure on his left knee, which could mean he misses out. Participants in other competitions such as the Dunk Contest will be announced closer to the event.
A Fan Focused Event
The point of the All-Star Weekend has always been about giving the fans what they want the most. Exciting action and a chance to see some of the best players showing their talents. However, All-Star Weekend 2024 is going to be fully fan-focused, with a lot of efforts made to put the fans front and centre of the event.
The NBA Crossover event showcases the interests and perspectives of athletes and gives fans the chance to interact with them and share ideas. It will also feature musical performances, helping to bring a party atmosphere to Indianapolis for this exciting, action-packed weekend. Playing in the home of the Pacers, fans will be looking forward to seeing Pacers’ star Tyrese Haliburton back from injury.
