The biggest event in the annual calendar of the NBA is here! The All-Star weekend is back, and looks as promising and grand as ever.
The three-day event features basketball players, celebrities and fans from all over the world celebrating the sport, with the highlight being the All-Star Game on the final day. The Quint will be covering the entire event live from ground zero.
This time around, the All-Star is being hosted by Charlotte, the home of Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry and the NBA team Charlotte Hornets. Here’s everything you need to know about the NBA All-Star Weekend 2019, and where you can catch it!
Day 1: Friday, 15 February
NBA All-Star Celebrity Game
Every year, celebrities from various fields including actors, singers, comedians, sportspersons compete in an All-Star Celebrity Game. The Home teams featuring the big names from the host state of North Carolina will go up against an Away team, which this year features actor and comedian Hasan Minhaj and the reigning MVP and rapper Quavo among others!
Catch the broadcast live in India on Sony Six at 5:30 am on16 February.
NBA Rising Stars
The second event of the All-Star weekend is the Rising Stars game, featuring first and second year NBA players, that is a showcase of the young and promising talent in the sport. One of the most exciting and competitive games in the roster, it features 10 players from the United States playing against 10 players from around the world.
Some of the players to watch out for in the game this year include reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers, 2017-18 Rookie of the Year runner-up Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz and two-time reigning NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks.
Catch the broadcast live in India on Sony Six at 7:30 am on 16 February.
Day 2: Saturday, 16 February
All-Star Saturday Night
The All-Star Saturday night includes players participating in three fun competitions, including the Skills Challenge, Three-Point Contest and Slam Dunk.
Skills Challenge: Eight players compete head-to-head in a three-round obstacle course competition that tests dribbling, passing, agility and shooting skills. The winner takes home $55,000!
Three-Point Contest: In this two-round competition, 10 players will have a minute each to shoot as many of the 25 balls as he can. The three players with the highest scores advance to the final Championship Round. And guess who’s competing this year? Brothers Steph and Seth Curry!
Slam Dunk: In the final event of the night, five judges will score the dunks of four players. For each dunk, a score from six to ten will be given by each judge, resulting in a maximum score of 50 and a minimum score of 30. And the winner’s prize? $1,05,000!!
Watch out for Hamidou Diallo of the Oklahoma City Thunder, who recorded a 44.5-inch maximum vertical leap at the 2017 NBA Draft Combine, the second-highest mark in event history.
The All-Star Saturday Night broadcast goes live in India at 6:30 am on 17 February.
Day 3: Sunday, 17 February
NBA All-Star Games: Team LeBron vs Team Giannis
The final night of the packed weekend is the most awaited one. The night of the All-Star Game, where the top players of the National Basketball Association are drafted into two teams by their captains.
This year, the man who needs no introduction, LeBron James will captain a team against Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo’s (pronounced: YAHN-iss ah-deh-toh-KOON-boh) squad.
The All-Star Games will be broadcast live in India at 6:30 am on 18 February.
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