The NBA All-Star Weekend is a festival of basketball exhibitions and events held each February in the middle of the NBA season, the highlight of which is the NBA All-Star Game. Inspired by Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game, the NBA equivalent was first held in 1951 when a selection of the best players in the Eastern Conference took on their counterparts in the Western Conference.
Today, the All-Star Game features 24 of the NBA’s star players representing their conferences. The starting line-ups (5 players for each team) are voted for by a combination of fans, current players, and select members of the media, while the reserves (7 for each team) are voted for by the NBA’s head coaches.
As an exhibition, the All-Star Game is as much about entertainment as it is sporting competition, so expect high scores and some impressive showmanship on display. As well as the All-Star Game, the All-Star Weekend also features events such as the Celebrity All-Star Game, Rising Stars Challenge, Slam Dunk and 3-Point Contests, and a Skills Challenge.
