NBA All-Star Weekend: Schedule, TV info and everything to know
The NBA's All-Star Weekend hits New York City this week, and the events are full of all of the pomp you'd expect.
Here's a quick look at every big event at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan and Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
All-Star Celebrity Game
Friday at Madison Square Garden, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
Who's in it? Stars, including comedians Kevin Hart and Nick Cannon, rapper Common, Little League phenom Mo'ne Davis, Memphis Grizzlies owner Robert Pera.
Why you should watch: Hart, the 5-4 firecracker, is always entertaining on the court. Hall of Famer Chris Mullin, retired ex-New York Knicks star Allan Houston and WNBA stars Shoni Schimmel, Skylar Diggins and Tina Charles will keep the game at a high level, but these celebrities are actually good.
Prediction: Davis' team wins, and she blocks Hart's shot.
Rising Stars Challenge
Friday at Barclays Center, 9 p.m. ET, TNT
Who's in it? First- and second-year players split into World and USA teams, with 2014 No. 1 overall draft pick Andrew Wiggins of Canada leading the World roster and 2013-14 rookie of the year Michael Carter-Williams heading the USA roster.
Why you should watch: The rookie-sophomore game is always a high-scoring affair loaded with great dunks and other highlight-reel plays. The new World vs. USA format should make things more interesting, though on paper the World team is better and deeper, especially up front.
Prediction: World wins a game with 300 points.
Shooting Stars
Saturday at Barclays Center, 8:30 p.m. ET, TNT
Who's in it? Four All-Stars (Chris Bosh, Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook and a replacement for Anthony Davis) captain teams featuring one legend (including Hall of Famers Dominique Wilkins and Scottie Pippen) and WNBA star.
Why you should watch: All-Star Saturday's opening contest usually features at least one horrendous miss and one great make from the half-court portion, and it's always fun to see what the old-timers can do now.
Prediction: Team Bosh, with Wilkins and Swin Cash, wins for the third consecutive year.
Skills Challenge
Saturday at Barclays Center, 9 p.m. ET, TNT
Who's in it? All-Stars John Wall, Kyle Lowry, Jimmy Butler and Jeff Teague highlight the eight-guard lineup that will compete in a bracket-style challenge.
Why you should watch: The skills challenge changed its format to head-to-head for the first time. The lineup is full of fast players, and the non-All-Stars likely will have big chips on their shoulders.
Prediction: Phoenix Suns sixth man Isaiah Thomas shows up the bigger names.
Three-Point Contest
Saturday at Barclays Center, 9:30 p.m. ET, TNT
Who's in it? Kyle Korver and four All-Stars (Curry, Klay Thompson, James Harden and Kyrie Irving) lead a field also including defending champion Marco Belinelli, Wesley Matthews and J.J. Redick.
Why you should watch: This contest is unpredictable, but the field is more stacked than usual. Curry and Korver generally are considered the best shooters in the NBA, so expect everyone to try to knock them out in the two-round competition that features extra points for money balls.
Prediction: Matthews, the biggest underdog of the night, pulls off the stunner.
Slam Dunk Contest
Saturday at Barclays Center, 10:15 p.m. ET, TNT
Who's in it? High-flying youngsters. Zach LaVine is the rookie, while Giannis Antetokounmpo, Mason Plumlee and Victor Oladipo are in their second seasons.
Why you should watch: The big names skipped out again. But these four players offer very different dunking styles and a lot of motivation to become bigger names while their careers are taking off. And the format is back to normal, with judges deciding the winner of the two-round contest.
Prediction: LaVine puts up the best dunk of the night, but Oladipo wins on consistency.
NBA All-Star Game
Sunday at Madison Square Garden, 8 p.m. ET, TNT
Who's in it? Twenty-four NBA superstars, including leading vote-getters Curry and LeBron James.
Why you should watch: There's always an interesting story line or a great play or something funny going on. The game doesn't often live up to the hype, but there is no other chance to get so many great players on the court at the same time.
Prediction: Kevin Durant wins MVP in a close Western Conference victory.
