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Viewing guide: All-Star Weekend is here!

Published February 17, 2023, 9:30 AMJC Ansis
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This weekend, the league takes a break to give way to the 2023 NBA All-Star festivities in Utah. Here's a viewing guide for all of you.

It's that time again - 'tis the season for the NBA All-Star Weekend! This year, the league's midseason spectacle will be hosted in Salt Lake City.

The last time Utah hosted the event was 30 years ago. At the time, Jazz legends Karl Malone and John Stockton became the first teammates to share the All-Star Game MVP award.

Of course, there's a lot of anticipation for the 72nd annual All-Star Game which will feature Team Giannis and Team LeBron.

Here's a little All-Star guide for all you Filipino NBA fans.

Rising Stars

This game is where fans can get a glimpse of the league's youngest talents and future stars. A total of 21 NBA rookies and seven G League standouts will participate in the Rising Stars challenge and will be divided into four teams.

Those squads will be coached by Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah, Jason Terry, and Deron Williams.

All-Star Saturday

For the Skills Challenge, the three Antetokounmpo brothers will compose one of the teams for the second straight year. They'll go up against Team Jazz (Jordan Clarkson, Walker Kessler, and Collin Sexton) and a team of rookies (Paolo Banchero, Jabari Smith Jr., and Jaden Ivey).


In the 3-point contest, Buddy Hield will try to reclaim the title he won in 2020. He will compete against the likes of teammate Tyrese Haliburton, Tyler Herro, Kevin Huerter, Damian Lillard, Lauri Markkanen, Julius Randle, and Jayson Tatum.


Meanwhile, for the Slam Dunk contest, KJ Martin (Houston Rockets), Mac McClung (Philadelphia 76ers), Trey Murphy III (New Orleans Pelicans), and Jericho Sims (New York Knicks) will make their event debut.


All-Star Game

For the first time, the NBA All-Star Draft will take place right before the actual All-Star Game, with team captains LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks going back and forth to build their squads.

LeBron has been an All-Star captain since the league used this format and holds a 5-0 record. Giannis, on the other hand, has been a captain three times and has lost all three games to Team LeBron. 


Where to watch the NBA All-Star Weekend

NBA fans in the Philippines can catch all the All-Star festivities across different platforms, such as TV5, One Sports, and NBA TV Philippines (available on Cignal and Smart LiveStream). Here's the airing schedule:

  • Jordan Rising Stars — Saturday, Feb. 18 at 10:00 AM on NBA TV Philippines
  • State Farm All-Star Saturday Night — Sunday, Feb. 19 at 9:00 AM on TV5 and NBA TV Philippines
  • 72nd NBA All-Star Game — Monday, Feb. 20 at 8:30 AM on One Sports and NBA TV Philippines

Where to purchase NBA All-Star gear

Filipinos can buy select NBA All-Star merchandise at the NBA Store located at SM Megamall and via NBAStore.com.ph.