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).
👀 the #KiaSkills field in action!
— NBA (@NBA) February 16, 2023
More from #StateFarmSaturday participants on the All-Star Hub: https://t.co/6SKA28bY53 pic.twitter.com/t79qWMb42p
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.
👀 the #Starry3PT field in action!
— NBA (@NBA) February 16, 2023
More from the #StateFarmSaturday participants on the All-Star Hub: https://t.co/6SKA28bqfv pic.twitter.com/L9EVBTwMxy
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.
👀 the #ATTSlamDunk field in action!
— NBA (@NBA) February 16, 2023
More from the #StateFarmSaturday participants on the All-Star Hub: https://t.co/6SKA28bY53 pic.twitter.com/rnnIGSDG6h
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.
Draft your #NBAAllStarDreamRoster!
— #NBAAllStar (@NBAAllStar) February 15, 2023
Choose your captain, starters and reserves against the computer on the NBA App! Sign up for a free NBA ID to unlock a custom graphic with your picks ?
??: https://t.co/31Se0FmSHt pic.twitter.com/rKMh9PzYwl
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
🌟 All-Star Celebrity Game
— Cignal TV (@CignalTV) February 15, 2023
🌟 Rising Stars
🌟 Skills Challenge/3-Point Contest/Slam Dunk
🌟 All-Star Draft & Game
Watch the NBA All-Star Weekend from February 18-20 via TV5, One Sports, and NBA TV Philippines!#LiveAwesome#AlwaysOn#AlwaysAFan#NBAonCignal pic.twitter.com/cpSB1NQhy3
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.
