NBA All-Star Weekend 2013 Format: Complete Schedule and Breakdown of Events

The 82-game NBA schedule can be quite arduous for players and coaches. All-Star weekend is a chance for them to relax, regroup and have a little fun.

All-Star weekend is a big event in the sports world. It’s an escape from the ultra-competitive atmosphere of the regular-season race for the playoffs, and a time for fans to enjoy all the best action the NBA has to offer.

Let’s take a look at the schedule of events for All-Star weekend, and break down some of the things to watch for as the brightest stars of the sport take to the court this weekend.

*Schedule of all events can also be found at NBA.com.

BBVA Rising Stars Challenge: Friday, Feb. 15, at 9 p.m. ET

The All-Star weekend events tip off with the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday night. A contest featuring some of the game’s brightest young stars, the event is the perfect way to get the action rolling.

TNT analysts Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal will square off on opposite sides of the court, coaching the two teams. Barkley will coach Team Chuck, led by the likes of Anthony Davis, Kenneth Faried and Ricky Rubio, while O’Neal will lead Team Shaq into battle, highlighted by Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson and Damian Lillard.

The Rising Stars Challenge is a terrific way to usher in some of the NBA’s finest young talent. Each player in the contest has a chance to represent their respective conference in the All-Star Game for years to come.

Sears Shooting Stars: Saturday, Feb. 16, at 8:30 p.m. ET

The Shooting Stars competition features current NBA stars, past NBA legends and some of the best players from the WNBA, competing in a team shooting contest with bragging rights on the line.

Each team consists of one NBA player, one WNBA player and one NBA legend, with the goal of making various shots in a timed challenge. Two teams represent the West while two additional teams represent the East, and the winning team from each conference goes on to square off in the final round.

Here is the list of players participating in the competition:

West	East
James Harden	Chris Bosh
Russell Westbrook	Brook Lopez
Maya Moore	Swin Cash
Tina Thompson	Tamika Catchings
Sam Cassell	Muggsy Bogues
Robert Horry	Dominique Wilkins

Taco Bell Skills Challenge: Saturday, Feb. 16, Following First Event

The Skills challenge is all about fundamentals, and no one is as skilled with the basketball as Tony Parker.

Parker highlights a field of six players that will compete for dominance in a skills obstacle course, which includes dribbling, passing and shooting challenges. He’s vying for his second title in the event, but it won’t be easy.

The contest pits the East against the West (three players per Conference). Here’s the rundown of players participating in the event: Jrue Holiday, Jeff Teague and Brandon Knight from the East, and Parker, Jeremy Lin and Damien Lillard.

Foot Locker Three-Point Contest: Saturday, Feb. 16, Following Second Event

The field is once again split between Western Conference stars and those representing the Eastern Conference for the three-point competition. Some of the league’s best sharpshooters will attempt to prove their dominance from behind the arc.

Paul George, Kyrie Irving and Steve Novak represent the East, while Ryan Anderson, Matt Bonner and Stephen Curry take the floor for the West. Each player will have a minute to knock down as many deep balls as they can from five shooting stations positioned in various spots around the three-point line.

Each player in the contest has a chance to take home the title, but all eyes will be on Irving and Curry. Two of the premier guards in the league, the pair will certainly put on a show for the ages.

Sprite Slam Dunk Contest: Saturday, Feb. 16, Following Third Event

The slam dunk contest is the main event before the main event.

Some of the best rim-rattling dunkers will take the floor in a contest for high-flying dominance, highlighted by two former champions in Jeremy Evans and Gerald Green.

Representatives from both conferences have the potential to throw down some massive dunks, but the East has a slight edge. Its squad features Green, Terrence Ross and dunk-specialist James White, who has dominated slam-dunk contests for several years.

The Western Conference is represented by Evans, rim-rattling forward Kenneth Faried and guard Eric Bledsoe. Evans will garner a lot of attention as a former champion, but don’t count out the raw power of Faried in this contest.

NBA All-Star Game: Sunday, Feb. 17, at 8:00 p.m. ET

The NBA All-Star Game is the most exciting showcase in all of sports. There won’t be a whole lot of defense, but you can count on plenty of action.

The Western Conference has dominated the action in the last two years, but LeBron James and the East will look to turn the tables this year. He’s been playing some of the best basketball the sport has ever seen, and the All-Star Game represents a chance for King James to let loose and put on a show.

Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant lead the West in its quest for a three-peat in the contest. The Black Mamba has had to carry the Lakers on his shoulders this season, but he won’t have to worry about doing the same for his Western Conference teammates on Sunday.

Durant will look to repeat his All-Star MVP performance of a year ago, though several players will likely garner MVP attention this year. Durant, James, Bryant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Blake Griffin will all lead the charge for the game’s big honor.

*Note: Complete rosters can be found at NBA.com.