| National Basketball Association All-Star Game | |
| Frequency: | Annual |
| First: | 1951 (Boston) |
| Prev: | 2024 (Indianapolis) |
| Next: | 2025 (San Francisco) |
| Participants: | Eastern Conference and Western Conference All-Stars |
| Organized: | National Basketball Association |
| Current: | 2024 NBA All-Star Game |
The National Basketball Association All-Star Game is a basketball exhibition game hosted every February by the National Basketball Association (NBA) and showcases 24 of the league's star players. Since 2022, it was held on the third Sunday of February, the same day that the Daytona 500 was held, and one week after the Super Bowl. It is the featured event of NBA All-Star Weekend, a three-day event which goes from Friday to Sunday. The All-Star Game was first played at the Boston Garden on March 2, 1951.
The starting lineup for each squad is selected by a combination of fan, player, and media voting,[1] while head coaches choose the reserves,[2] seven players from their respective conferences, so each side has a 12-man roster. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own players. If a selected player cannot participate because of injury, the NBA commissioner selects a replacement.
Traditionally, the NBA All-Star Game pitted the top players from both the Eastern Division/Eastern Conference and the Western Division/Western Conference. From 2018 to 2023, the teams were represented by the leading vote-getter from each conference and each player regardless of conference was chosen to either team via a draft.[3] [4] The teams also play for a charity of their choice to help the games remain competitive.[5]
The head coach of the team with the best record in each conference is chosen to lead their respective conference in the All-Star Game, with a prohibition against consecutive appearances. Known as the "Riley Rule", it was created after perennially successful Los Angeles Lakers head coach Pat Riley earned the right to coach the Western Conference team eight times in nine seasons between 1982 and 1990. The coach of the team with the next best record gets to coach instead.
The idea of holding an All-Star Game was conceived during a meeting between NBA President Maurice Podoloff, NBA publicity director Haskell Cohen and Boston Celtics owner Walter A. Brown. At that time, the basketball world had just been rocked by the college basketball point-shaving scandal.
To regain public attention to the league, Cohen suggested the league to host an exhibition game featuring the league's best players, similar to Major League Baseball's All-Star Game.[6] Although most people, including Podoloff, were pessimistic about the idea, Brown remained confident that it would be a success, and he offered to host the game and to cover all the expenses or potential losses incurred from the game.[7]
The first All-Star Game was hosted at the Boston Garden on March 2, 1951, where the Eastern All-Stars team defeated the Western All-Stars team, 111–94. Boston Celtics' Ed Macauley was named as the first NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player, and the All-Star Game became a success, drawing an attendance of 10,094, much higher than that season's average attendance of 3,500.[8]
In 2010, the NBA All-Star Game set the attendance record for a basketball game with 108,713 people attending at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. This shattered the existing attendance record previously held at Ford Field on December 13, 2003, when 78,129 attendees watched Michigan State play Kentucky.[9]
The 2017 All-Star Weekend was originally awarded to Charlotte, North Carolina. On March 23, 2016, North Carolina passed House Bill 2, also known as a "bathroom bill", which was seen as discriminatory against transgender persons. As a result, the NBA announced that it would move the game to another city if the bill was not repealed or revised. After North Carolina took no action, on July 21, 2016, the NBA announced that the 2017 game would be moved to New Orleans. In March 2017, after several provisions of the bill were partially repealed, the NBA awarded the 2019 All-Star Weekend to Charlotte.
On October 3, 2017, the NBA and NBPA announced changes to the game format, starting in 2018. Instead of being divided by conference, the top vote leaders for each conference would be team captains and hold a draft to choose among the rest of the starters and reserves, regardless of conference.[5]
On October 25, 2023, the NBA brought back the conference-based format for the 2024 All-Star Game. The untimed fourth quarter (known as Elam Ending), which had been in used since 2020 in honor of Kobe Bryant,[10] was also removed. However, the charity aspect was retained, with the team that scores the most points in each quarter winning a cash prize that went to their chosen charity.[11]
The starting five from each conference consists of three frontcourt players and two guards, selected by a combination of fan, player, and media voting. In 2017, the NBA moved from a pure fan vote to a weighted process wherein fan voting accounts for 50%, with player and media voting account for 25% each.[1] [12] Prior to 2013, fans selected two forwards and one center instead of generic frontcourt players.[13] The NBA in 2003 began offering All-Star ballots in three languages—English, Spanish and Chinese—for fan voting of the starters.[14]
NBA coaches vote for the reserves for their respective conferences, but they cannot choose players from their own team. Each coach selects two guards, three frontcourt players and two wild cards, with each selected player ranked in order of preference within each category. If a multi-position player is to be selected, coaches are encouraged to vote for the player at the position that is "most advantageous for the All-Star team", regardless of where the player is listed on the All-Star ballot or the position he is listed in box scores.[15] If a player is unavailable for the game due to injury, the NBA commissioner selects a replacement for the roster. If the replacement is for a fan-selected starter, the All-Star Game coach chooses the replacement in the starting lineup, and is not limited to the commissioner's addition to the roster.[16]
Multiple All-Star players can be chosen from one team, with the record being four. This has occurred nine times, the first such instance being in 1962, when four players each from the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers were chosen. The most recent game with four All-Star players from one team was the Golden State Warriors in the 2018 game.[17] [18]
The game is played under normal NBA rules with some differences. Since the starting All-Stars are selected by fans, players, and media, players sometimes start the game at atypical positions. For instance, in the 2007 game, Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady were chosen as the starting Western Conference guards. As both players normally play shooting guard, Bryant started the game as a point guard. Gameplay usually involves players attempting spectacular slam dunks and alley oops and defensive effort is limited. The final score is generally much higher than a competitive NBA game.
If the score is close, the fourth quarter becomes more competitive. The fourth quarter was changed in 2020 to use the Elam Ending. In normal Elam Ending rules, the game clock is turned off with four minutes remaining and a target score is set; whoever reaches the target wins the game. In 2020, the NBA took the score at the end of three quarters and added 24 points (in honor of Kobe Bryant, who had been killed in a helicopter crash a month prior). With Team Giannis leading Team LeBron 133–124 at the end of the third quarter, the target score was 157 points, and Team LeBron won the contest.
The player introductions are accompanied by significant fanfare, including lighting effects, dance music, DJ's, elaborate portable stages, and pyrotechnics. Special uniforms are designed for the game each year, usually red for the Western Conference and blue for the Eastern Conference. From 1997 to 2002, players could wear their normal team uniforms. The "host conference" also traditionally has light uniforms, except from 2010 to 2014. In the past, players who wore the same number were given the option to pick a different numeral. For example, Patrick Ewing, who normally wore #33, ended up wearing #3 early in his career as Larry Bird also had that number. Since 1997, players can keep their uniform numbers. A major recording artist typically sings "O Canada" and "The Star-Spangled Banner" prior to tipoff.
Halftime is longer than a typical NBA game partly due to musical performances by popular artists. The first such halftime show happened in the 2000 game, with Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Mary J. Blige, 98 Degrees, Montell Jordan, Martina McBride, and LL Cool J performing.
See main article: NBA All-Star Game records.
List of each All-Star Game, the venue at which it was played, and the Game MVP. Parenthesized numbers indicate multiple times that venue, city, or player has occurred as of that instance (e.g. "Michael Jordan (2)" in 1996 indicates that was his second All-Star MVP award)., the Eastern Conference leads with a record of 38 wins and 29 losses.
Note: Venue names are listed as of the date of the All-Star Game.
| Year | Result | Host arena | Host city | Game MVP | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East 111, West 94 | Ed Macauley, Boston Celtics | |||||
| East 108, West 91 | Boston Garden (2) | Boston, Massachusetts (2) | Paul Arizin, Philadelphia Warriors | |||
| West 79, East 75 | George Mikan, Minneapolis Lakers | |||||
| East 98, West 93 (OT) | Madison Square Garden III | Bob Cousy, Boston Celtics | ||||
| East 100, West 91 | Madison Square Garden III** (2) | New York City, New York (2) | Bill Sharman, Boston Celtics | |||
| West 108, East 94 | Bob Pettit, St. Louis Hawks | |||||
| East 109, West 97 | Boston Garden (3) | Boston, Massachusetts (3) | Bob Cousy (2), Boston Celtics | |||
| East 130, West 118 | Bob Pettit (2), St. Louis Hawks | |||||
| West 124, East 108 | Elgin Baylor, Minneapolis Lakers Bob Pettit (3), St. Louis Hawks | |||||
| East 125, West 115 | Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia Warriors | |||||
| West 153, East 131 | Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati Royals | |||||
| West 150, East 130 | St. Louis Arena (2) | St. Louis, Missouri (2) | Bob Pettit (4), St. Louis Hawks | |||
| East 115, West 108 | Bill Russell, Boston Celtics | |||||
| East 111, West 107 | Boston Garden (4) | Boston, Massachusetts (4) | Oscar Robertson (2), Cincinnati Royals | |||
| East 124, West 123 | St. Louis Arena (3) | St. Louis, Missouri (3) | Jerry Lucas, Cincinnati Royals | |||
| East 137, West 94 | Adrian Smith, Cincinnati Royals | |||||
| West 135, East 120 | Rick Barry, San Francisco Warriors | |||||
| East 144, West 124 | Madison Square Garden III** (3) | New York City, New York (3) | Hal Greer, Philadelphia 76ers | |||
| East 123, West 112 | Oscar Robertson (3), Cincinnati Royals | |||||
| East 142, West 135 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2) | Willis Reed, New York Knicks | ||||
| West 108, East 107 | Lenny Wilkens, Seattle SuperSonics | |||||
| West 112, East 110 | Jerry West, Los Angeles Lakers | |||||
| East 104, West 84 | Dave Cowens, Boston Celtics | |||||
| West 134, East 123 | Bob Lanier, Detroit Pistons | |||||
| East 108, West 102 | Walt Frazier, New York Knicks | |||||
| East 123, West 109 | The Spectrum (2) | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (3) | Dave Bing, Washington Bullets | |||
| West 125, East 124 | Julius Erving, Philadelphia 76ers | |||||
| East 133, West 125 | Randy Smith, Buffalo Braves | |||||
| West 134, East 129 | Pontiac, Michigan† | David Thompson, Denver Nuggets | ||||
| East 144, West 136 (OT) | George Gervin, San Antonio Spurs | |||||
| East 123, West 120 | Nate Archibald, Boston Celtics | |||||
| East 120, West 118 | Larry Bird, Boston Celtics | |||||
| East 132, West 123 | The Forum (2) | Inglewood, California (2) | Julius Erving (2), Philadelphia 76ers | |||
| East 154, West 145 (OT) | Isiah Thomas, Detroit Pistons | |||||
| West 140, East 129 | Hoosier Dome[19] | Indianapolis, Indiana† | Ralph Sampson, Houston Rockets | |||
| East 139, West 132 | Isiah Thomas (2), Detroit Pistons | |||||
| West 154, East 149 (OT) | Kingdome[20] | Seattle, Washington† (2) | Tom Chambers, Seattle SuperSonics | |||
| East 138, West 133 | Chicago Stadium (2) | Chicago, Illinois (2) | Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls | |||
| West 143, East 134 | Astrodome[21] | Houston, Texas† | Karl Malone, Utah Jazz | |||
| East 130, West 113 | Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers | |||||
| East 116, West 114 | Charles Barkley, Philadelphia 76ers | |||||
| West 153, East 113 | Magic Johnson (2), Los Angeles Lakers | |||||
| West 135, East 132 (OT) | Delta Center§ | Karl Malone (2), Utah Jazz John Stockton, Utah Jazz | ||||
| East 127, West 118 | Scottie Pippen, Chicago Bulls | |||||
| West 139, East 112 | America West Arena§ | Phoenix, Arizona (2) | Mitch Richmond, Sacramento Kings | |||
| East 129, West 118 | Michael Jordan (2), Chicago Bulls | |||||
| East 132, West 120 | Gund Arena§ | Glen Rice, Charlotte Hornets | ||||
| East 135, West 114 | Madison Square Garden | New York City, New York (4) | Michael Jordan (3), Chicago Bulls | |||
| 1999 | Canceled due to the league's lockout. The game was originally set to be played at the First Union Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[22] | |||||
| West 137, East 126 | Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers | |||||
| East 111, West 110 | Allen Iverson, Philadelphia 76ers | |||||
| West 135, East 120 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (4) | Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers | ||||
| West 155, East 145 (2OT) | Philips Arena§ | Atlanta, Georgia (2) | Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves | |||
| West 136, East 132 | Staples Center[23] | Los Angeles, California (2) | Shaquille O'Neal (2), Los Angeles Lakers | |||
| East 125, West 115 | Denver, Colorado (2) | Allen Iverson (2), Philadelphia 76ers | ||||
| East 122, West 120 | Houston, Texas (2) | LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers | ||||
| West 153, East 132 | Paradise, Nevada | Kobe Bryant (2), Los Angeles Lakers | ||||
| East 134, West 128 | New Orleans Arena§ | LeBron James (2), Cleveland Cavaliers | ||||
| West 146, East 119 | US Airways Center (2) | Phoenix, Arizona (3) | Kobe Bryant (3), Los Angeles Lakers Shaquille O'Neal (3), Phoenix Suns | |||
| East 141, West 139 | Cowboys Stadium[24] | Arlington, Texas
| Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat | |||
| West 148, East 143 | Staples Center (2)[25] | Los Angeles, California (3) | Kobe Bryant (4), Los Angeles Lakers | |||
| West 152, East 149 | Orlando, Florida (2) | Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder | ||||
| West 143, East 138 | Toyota Center (2) | Houston, Texas (3) | Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers | |||
| East 163, West 155 | Smoothie King Center (2) | New Orleans, Louisiana (2) | Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers | |||
| West 163, East 158 | Madison Square Garden (2)*** [26] | New York City, New York (5) | Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder | |||
| West 196, East 173 | Russell Westbrook (2), Oklahoma City Thunder | |||||
| West 192, East 182 | Smoothie King Center (3) | New Orleans, Louisiana (3) | Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans | |||
| Team LeBron 148, Team Stephen 145 | Staples Center (3)[27] | Los Angeles, California (4) | LeBron James (3), Cleveland Cavaliers | |||
| Team LeBron 178, Team Giannis 164 | Charlotte, North Carolina (2) | Kevin Durant (2), Golden State Warriors | ||||
| Team LeBron 157, Team Giannis 155‡ | Chicago, Illinois (3) | Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers | ||||
| Team LeBron 170, Team Durant 150 | State Farm Arena (2) | Atlanta, Georgia (3) | Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks | |||
| 2022[28] | Team LeBron 163, Team Durant 160 | Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse (2) | Cleveland, Ohio (2) | Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors | ||
| 2023[29] | Team Giannis 184, Team LeBron 175 | Vivint Arena (2) | Salt Lake City, Utah (2) | Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics | ||
| East 211, West 186 | Gainbridge Fieldhouse[30] [31] | Indianapolis, Indiana† (2) | Damian Lillard, Milwaukee Bucks | |||
| West vs. East | Chase Center[32] | |||||
| 2026 NBA All-Star Game | 2026 | West vs. East | Intuit Dome[33] | Inglewood, California (3) | ||
| 2027 NBA All-Star Game | 2027 | West vs. East | Footprint Center (3)[34] | Phoenix, Arizona (4) |
See main article: NBA All-Star Weekend. The All-Star Game is the featured event of All-Star Weekend, and it is held on a Sunday night. All-Star Weekend also features popular exhibition games and competitions featuring NBA players, celebrities, and alumni as well as players from the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and NBA G League (G League).