The best players in the NBA are set to gather in Salt Lake City for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game.
The three-day showcase is one of the most anticipated days on the calendar for basketball fans as the NBA’s biggest stars, including LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid, will compete in the marquee event.
Here is everything you need to know about this year’s NBA All-Star weekend:
When does the All-Star Game start?
The NBA All-Star Game begins on Sunday, Feb. 19, at 8:30 p.m. EST and will be broadcast on TNT.
When are the other All-Star events?
The actual All-Star Game is not the only event people will be watching, as the weekend is made up of several competitions and games each day. Here’s information for each event (all times eastern):
Friday, Feb. 17
- Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, 7 p.m., ESPN
- Jordan Rising Stars, 9 p.m., TNT
Saturday, Feb. 18
- NBA x HBCU Classic Presented by AT&T, 1 p.m., NBATV
- Kia Skills Challenge (first event), Starry 3-Point Contest (second event), and AT&T Slam Dunk Contest (third event), 8 p.m., TNT
Sunday, Feb. 19
- NBA G League Next Up Game, 3 p.m., NBATV
- All-Star Draft Presented by Jordan Brand, 7:30 p.m., TNT
- 72nd NBA All-Star Game, 8:30 p.m., TNT
Who is playing in the All-Star Game?
The 2023 NBA-All Stars feature the following players: Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Joel Embiid, Kyrie Irving, Lauri Markkanen, Ja Morant, Nikola Jokic, Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Bam Adebayo, Zion Williamson, Anthony Edwards, Jaylen Brown, DeMar DeRozan, De’Aaron Fox, Paul George, Tyrese Haliburton, Jrue Holiday, Julius Randle, Pascal Siakam, Shawi Gilgeous-Alexander, Jaren Jackson Jr., Damian Lillard and Domantas Sabonis.
Durant, Curry and Williamson will miss the game due to injuries, and Brown may miss the game as well due to a facial fracture, but his status remains uncertain.
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James and Antetokounmpo, the team captains for the game, will draft players to be on their respective teams right before tip-off in a new pickup-basketball style game. In the past, stars from the Eastern Conference would play against stars from the Western Conference.
That draft will take place an hour before the game, and will also be televised by TNT.
James is making his 19th All-Star appearance, tying the record by NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Who is participating in the slam dunk and 3-point contests?
For the 3-point contest, Buddy Hield, the 2020 winner, is back to try to become the eighth player with multiple 3-point crowns. He’ll face his Indiana teammate Tyrese Haliburton, the Portland duo of Lillard and Anfernee Simons, Miami’s Tyler Herro, Sacramento’s Kevin Huerter, Utah’s Lauri Markkanen and Boston’s Jayson Tatum.
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The dunk contest will feature 76ers player Mac McClung, who won a high school All-American dunk contest in 2018, Houston’s Kenyon Martin Jr., New Orleans’ Trey Murphy III and New York’s Jericho Sims.
How to watch the NBA All-Star Game
As previously stated, the game will be aired on TNT, which is part of most cable packages.
For people who don’t have cable, TNT is included in streaming subscriptions including FuboTV FUBO,
