All-Star Weekend is here! This year, all eyes shift to Chicago as the biggest names of the basketball world and beyond will take centre stage at the United Center for a star-studded three-day experience.
With a number of storylines to follow and changes abound, we've put together an all-encompassing guide for everything to know ahead of the big weekend.
Click below to jump down for more info on each topic.
When and where is NBA All-Star 2020?
To start with the basics, NBA All-Star 2020 will be from Saturday, Feb. 15 to Monday, Feb. 17 at the United Center in Chicago, IL, home of the Chicago Bulls.
The weekend begins with the Rising Stars Challenge at 7:30 am IST on Feb. 15 and continues with the Skills Challenge, 3-Point Contest and Slam Dunk Contest on Feb. 16.
The weekend concludes with the 69th NBA All-Star Game at 6:30 am IST on Monday, Feb. 17.
This is the third time that Chicago will host NBA All-Star Weekend and the first since 1988.
Who is starting in the 2020 NBA All-Star Game?
Starters were selected from a vote among fans, media and players around the league. As the leading vote-getters in their respective conferences, LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo were each selected as All-Star captains for the second straight year.
All-Star Voting: First Returns | Second Returns | Final Returns
It's the third year that the All-Star Game has followed the format of having captains select the rosters from a pool of 22 available players, beginning with the eight other starters. Here's how the starting lineups shaped out:
In alphabetical order.
| Team LeBron | Team Giannis |
| LeBron James (captain), Lakers | Giannis Antetokounmpo (captain), Bucks |
| Anthony Davis, Lakers | Joel Embiid, 76ers |
| Luka Doncic, Mavericks | Pascal Siakam, Raptors |
| James Harden, Rockets | Kemba Walker, Celtics |
| Kawhi Leonard, Clippers | Trae Young, Hawks |
It's worth noting that Team LeBron's lineup is made up of all players from the Western Conference while Team Giannis' lineup is made up entirely of Eastern Conference players.
Who are the All-Star reserves?
After the announcement of All-Star starters, all 30 head coaches vote to select seven All-Star reserves from their respective conferences but could not vote for players on their own teams.
Each coach was to select two guards, three frontcourt players and two other players of either designation, also known as wild cards.
Once LeBron and Giannis selected from the pool of eight starters, they selected from the pool of 14 reserves to round out their rosters. Here's who landed where:
In alphabetical order
| Team LeBron | Team Giannis |
| Nikola Jokic, Nuggets | Bam Adebayo, Heat |
| Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers* | Jimmy Butler, Heat |
| Chris Paul, Thunder | Rudy Gobert, Jazz |
| Domantas Sabonis, Pacers | Brandon Ingram, Pelicans |
| Ben Simmons, 76ers | Kyle Lowry, Raptors |
| Jayson Tatum, Celtics | Khris Middleton, Bucks |
| Russell Westbrook, Rockets | Donovan Mitchell, Jazz |
| Devin Booker, Suns |
Find full rosters and draft results here.
First-time All-Stars
This 2020 NBA All-Star Game features 10 first time All-Stars – five more than last year.
- Bam Adebayo
- Luka Doncic
- Rudy Gobert
- Brandon Ingram
- Donovan Mitchell
- Domantas Sabonis
- Pascal Siakam
- Jayson Tatum
- Trae Young
- Devin Booker
All-Star coaches
Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel will coach Team LeBron while Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse will coach Team Giannis.
Vogel was appointed as an All-Star head coach because the Lakers have the Western Conference's best record while Nurse's Raptors have the East's second-best record. Because Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer was an All-Star coach in 2019, he was ineligible to coach in consecutive years.
Should an All-Star be unable to play due to injury, NBA commissioner Adam Silver will choose a replacement from the same conference. If the injured player is a starter, the head coach of the team will decide who is to start in their place.
Changes to the All-Star game format in 2020
The 2020 All-Star Game features a new format that will make every quarter count, adding a fourth quarter dynamic that will honour the late Kobe Bryant, who earned 18 All-Star selections over the course of his legendary career.
- Both Team LeBron and Team Giannis will play for Chicago-based community organizations, selected by their respective captains.
- The teams will compete to win each of the first three quarters, all of which will start with a score of 0-0 and will be 12 minutes long.
- At the start of the fourth quarter, the game clock will be turned off and a Final Target Score will be set. The Final Target Score will be determined by taking the leading team's total cumulative score through three quarters and adding 24 points – the 24 representing the late Kobe Bryant's uniform number.
- Once the Final Target Score is set, the teams will play an untimed fourth quarter and the first team to reach the Final Target Score will win the NBA All-Star Game.
- For example: If the cumulative score of the first three quarters is 100-95, the Final Target Score would be set at 124 points. To win the NBA All-Star Game, the team with 100 points would need to score 24 points in the fourth quarter before the team with 95 points scores 29 points, and vice versa.
- The community organization selected by the winner of each of the first three quarters will receive $100,000 – a total of $300,000 donated to charity for those three quarters. The winner of each of the first three quarters will be the team with the higher score at the end of the 12-minute quarter.
- The winning team in the NBA All-Star Game (i.e., the team that reaches the Final Target Score first) will earn $200,000 for its designated community organization.
Rising Stars Challenge
- Date: Saturday, Feb. 15
- Time: 7:30 am IST
- TV: Sony Six
The weekend officially kicks off with the Rising Stars Challenge, a game featuring the league's best first and second-year players. For the sixth consecutive year, it will be a Team USA vs. Team World format.
MORE: History of Rising Stars MVPs
This year features a lineup full of stars on both sides:
| Team World | Team USA | |
| Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Pelicans | 🇨🇦 | Miles Bridges, Hornets |
| Deandre Ayton, Suns* | 🇧🇸 | Wendell Carter Jr., Bulls* |
| RJ Barrett, Knicks | 🇨🇦 | Devonte' Graham, Hornets |
| Brandon Clarke, Grizzlies | 🇨🇦 | Tyler Herro, Heat* |
| Luka Doncic, Mavericks | 🇸🇮 | Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder | 🇨🇦 | Ja Morant, Grizzlies |
| Rui Hachimura, Wizards | 🇯🇵 | Kendrick Nunn, Heat |
| Svi Mykhailiuk, Pistons | 🇺🇦 | Eric Paschall, Warriors |
| Josh Okogie, Timberwolves | 🇳🇬 | P.J. Washington, Hornets |
| Moritz Wagner, Wizards | 🇩🇪 | Zion Williamson, Pelicans |
| Nicolo Melli, Pelicans | 🇮🇹 | Trae Young, Hawks |
| Collin Sexton, Cavaliers |
All-Star Contests
- Date: Sunday, Feb. 16
- Time: 6:30 am IST
- TV: NBA League Pass
All-Star weekend continues on Sunday, Feb. 16 with the All-Star contests.
The festivities begin with the Taco Bell Skills Challenge.
Boston Celtics All-Star Jayson Tatum will defend his title while former champion Spencer Dinwiddie rejoins the field.
| Bam Adebayo | Heat |
| Patrick Beverley | Clippers |
| Spencer Dinwiddie | Nets |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Thunder |
| Khris Middleton | Bucks |
| Domantas Sabonis | Pacers |
| Pascal Siakam | Raptors |
| Jayson Tatum | Celtics |
Defending contest champion Joe Harris leads this year's field of eight participants that also features Zach LaVine of the host Bulls.
MORE: History of 3-Point Contest winners
This year's contest features the "MTN DEW Zone" – two locations positioned equidistant between the traditional racks at the top of the 3-point arc and the adjacent "wing" rack. Each of the two ball pedestals in the MTN DEW Zone is located six feet behind the 3-point line and holds one special green ball, the "3-ball", worth three points.
A diagram for the new zone can be found here.
| Davis Bertans | Wizards |
| Devonte' Graham | Hornets |
| Joe Harris | Nets |
| Buddy Hield | Kings |
| Zach LaVine | Bulls |
| Damian Lillard* | Trail Blazers |
| Duncan Robinson | Heat |
| Trae Young | Hawks |
| Devin Booker | Suns |
Pat Connaughton is the lone newcomer in the field of four that features 2008 Slam Dunk Champion Dwight Howard.
MORE: History of Slam Dunk Contest Winners
| Pat Connaughton | Bucks |
| Aaron Gordon | Magic |
| Dwight Howard | Lakers |
| Derrick Jones Jr. | Heat |
Entertainment and performers
While the main events take centre stage, there are a few other things to keep an eye on throughout the weekend.
All-Star Celebrity Game presented by Ruffles
- Date: Saturday, Feb. 15
- Time: 5:30 a.m. IST
- TV: NBA League Pass
The stars will be out as there is a Chicago feel for this year's celebrity game that includes the likes of Common, Chance The Rapper, Darius Miles, Quentin Richardson and 2018 MVP Quavo.
Find the full roster here.
Rising Stars Challenge
Chicago native Taylor Bennett is set to perform during the Rising Stars Game on Feb. 14. Bennett is also the younger brother of Chance The Rapper.
All-Star Saturday Night
Even though he will no longer participate in the 3-Point Contest and All-Star Game because of an injury, Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard still intends on performing as Dame D.O.L.L.A. during All-Star Saturday Night, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
Yahoo Sources: Dame D.O.L.L.A. (groin) still intends to perform on Saturday night at United Center during All-Star Weekend.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) February 13, 2020
All-Star Game
After serving as captains in the celebrity game on Saturday, Chicago natives Common and Chance The Rapper will take the stage on Monday for the All-Star Game.
Common will open with a narrative about what basketball means to the people of Chicago prior to the game while Chance The Rapper will be the halftime performer during the game.
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