The All-Star weekend kicks off Friday with a variety of matches, contests, sideshow and gimmicks, that would make any Las Vegas circus night look tame.
The festivities will end with the real deal 73rd annual NBA All-Star game taking place on Sunday.
The main event should see more points than ever before with the Western Conference favored to be five-point winners in a score that could equal 335 total points.
A look at some of the players will indicate a free-flowing goal fest.
Take a look at the teams and you will see the likes of Damiam Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo, Tyrese Haliburton and Jayson Tatum of the Eastern Conference up against Kevin Durant, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Nicola Jokic.
Eastern Conference All-Stars
Starters: Damian Lillard, Tyrese Haliburton, Jayson Tatum, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo
Bench: Trae Young, Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Maxey, Donovan Mitchell, Jaylen Brown, Scottie Barnes, Paolo Banchero
Western Conference All-Stars
Starters: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokic
Bench: Stephen Curry, Devin Booker, Anthony Edwards, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Davis
The weekend action kicks off on Friday night with the Ruffles NBA celebrity game, featuring Shannon Sharpe’s team taking on the best of Stephen A Smith’s outfit.
Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game: Team Shannon vs. Team Stephen A.
We cannot wait to see Cowboys Micah Parsons take on Texans quarterback C.J Stroud.
Team Shannon: Anuel AA, Kai Cenat, Conor Daly, Walker Hayes, Quincy Isiaha, Jewell Loyd, Micah Parsons, Lilly Singh, SiR, Dylan Wang
Team Stephen A: Metta World Peace, Jack Ryan, CJ Stroud, Gianmarco Tamberi, Adam Blackstone, Natasha Cloud, Jennifer Hudson, Tristan Jass, AJ McLean, Kwame Onwuachi
The next set of games will pit four squads in the Panino Rising Stars tourney.
Players like Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Miller, Brandin Podziemski, Jaime Jaquez. Jr., Jabari Smith Jr., Cason Wallace and Bilal Coulibaly make up team Pau.
Team Pau: Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Miller, Brandin Podziemski, Jaime Jaquez. Jr., Jabari Smith Jr., Cason Wallace, Bilal Coulibaly
Team Tamika: Paolo Banchero, Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren, Keegan Murray, Scoot Henderson, Keyonte George, Vince Williams Jr. (Replacing the injured Dyson Daniels)
Team Jalen: Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Bennedict Mathurin, Dereck Lively II, Jordan Hawkins, Walker Kessler, Jeremy Sochan (Replacing injured Shaedon Sharpe)
Team Detlef: Izan Almansa, Matas Buzelis, Ron Holland, Mac McClung, Tyler Smith, Oscar Tshiebwe, Alondes Williams.
In a different set-up, instead of games ending in the traditional time-based format, Panini Games conclude on a made basket or free throw, known as the Final Target.
The format is simple:
Game 1: Team A vs. Team B
Game 2: Team C vs. Team D
Game 3: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2.
On Saturday the entertainment is ratcheted up starting with the Kia Skills Challenge.
Team Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin, Myles Turner
Team Top Picks: Paolo Banchero, Anthony Edwards, Victor Wembanyama
Team All-Stars: Scottie Barnes, Tyrese Maxey, Trae Young
This challenge is basically a three man team showcasing dribbling, passing and shooting and is made up of a mix of NBA players.
Participants: Malik Beasley, Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Lillard, Lauri Markkanen, Donovan Mitchell, Karl-Anthony Towns, Trae Young
The next challenge is the Starry 3-Point Contest which does what it says on the box, testing sharpshooting prowess. Participants are made up of players including Malik Beasley, Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Lillard, Lauri Markkanen, Donovan Mitchell, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Trae Young.
Then a three-point dream matchup between Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, the NBA’s all-time leader in 3-pointers, up against New York Liberty guard Sabrina Lonescu, holder of the WNBA single-season 3-point record.
This will be the first “Stephen vs. Sabrina” NBA vs. WNBA 3-Point Challenge.
Moving to the serious business comes next with the AT&T Slam Dunk contest, which will reward creativity with jaw dropping athletic ability.
Participants: Jaylen Brown, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Mac McClung, Jacob Toppin.
Returning champion Mac McClung, will look to defend his title with another breathtaking performance.
The likes of Jaylen Brown may have other ideas.
All in all, an incredible All-Star weekend is on the cards, and we cannot wait for the action to start.
