NBA All-Star Weekend 2015: Dates, TV Schedule, Event Info and Preview
No matter what team you root for, it's hard not to enjoy the NBA All-Star Weekend.
Unlike some other major sports (looking at you, NFL), basketball has created an All-Star Game that players want to play in and fans want to watch. The participants are simply having fun, and the excitement carries throughout the weekend with events that are enjoyable and competitive at the same time.
From the young stars showing what they can do in the spotlight Friday to an incredibly deep three-point contest Saturday and, finally, the best players in the league competing Sunday, there is a full schedule to follow.
Here is a look at what you need to know about the entire weekend as well as a breakdown of the more popular events.
| Event | Time (ET) | TV |
| All-Star Celebrity Game | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| Rising Stars Challenge | 9 p.m. | TNT |
| Shooting Stars | 8:30 p.m. (1st Event) | TNT |
| Skills Challenge | 2nd Event | TNT |
| Three-Point Contest | 3rd Event | TNT |
| Slam Dunk Contest | 4th Event | TNT |
| All-Star Game | 8:30 p.m. | TNT |
Top Events
Three-Point Contest
| Marco Belinelli (San Antonio Spurs) | Kyle Korver (Atlanta Hawks) |
| Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors) | Wesley Matthews (Portland Trail Blazers) |
| James Harden (Houston Rockets) | J.J. Redick (Los Angeles Clippers) |
| Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers) | Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors) |
This field is pretty much all you could hope for in a three-point contest.
The event features the top five players in the NBA in made three-point baskets, including the always-exciting backcourt of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, who have fared well from behind the arc in their careers:
Kyle Korver, Wesley Matthews and MVP candidate James Harden are the others at the top of this category.
Adding to this group is the last two winners of this contest in Kyrie Irving and Marco Belinelli, and each of them would like to win a second time.
This leaves J.J. Redick, who came into the league known as a pure shooter but has expanded his game nicely in recent years. Of course, he is still shooting lights out from deep and is currently hitting a career high of 43.7 percent from three-point range.
As well as Harden has played this year, he is scared of his competition, via Jenny Dial Creech of the Houston Chronicle:
No matter who wins, the fans are in for a show.
Slam Dunk Contest
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks |
| Zach LaVine | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| Victor Oladipo | Orlando Magic |
| Mason Plumlee | Brooklyn Nets |
Although not all of these players are household names, that has become the point of the Slam Dunk Contest.
Giannis Antetokounmpo might be the most intriguing player in the contest, because while NBA fans might have heard stories about the Greek Freak, not many people watch Milwaukee Bucks basketball. The good news is the young star is promising a show, via Andrew Gruman of Fox Sports Wisconsin:
With his length and athleticism, anything is possible in the dunk contest.
Meanwhile, Zach LaVine is another intriguing candidate to take home the trophy after showcasing some serious hops this season:
The contest has reverted back to its old format, with four competitors looking for two spots in the final, where one winner will be decided. There will be no conference alignment or complicated rules—just create an original dunk and you will be fine.
Hopefully, the relative unknowns will be able to take advantage of the spotlight Saturday.
All-Star Game
After the various appetizers throughout the weekend, we finally get to the main course of the All-Star Game itself.
This year's version features a few first-time starters like Anthony Davis, who remains humble despite being the leading vote-getter among Western Conference forwards. He recently explained how starting won't be much different than his late fill-in work last year, via Jim Eichenhofer of NBA.com:
"All-Star is All-Star. It’s definitely a blessing. Just being an All-Star, whether you’re a starter or a reserve, just getting the opportunity to play on Sunday, with so many incredible guys, the best players on the planet… Being a starter or a reserve, it doesn’t change much. As long as you’re out there.
"
Of course, this time around, he is playing like an MVP candidate and is expected to be one of the stars of the show.
On the other hand, you don't have to be deserving of a bid to want to play in this game. Kevin Durant missed a lot of time due to injury, but he was selected as a reserve in the West. While some have questioned his participation, he is not backing down:
This toughness just shows the pride that all of these players have in being an All-Star and showing they are truly the best in the league.
There won't be a lot of defense or team basketball in the actual game, but there will points, dunks and plenty of fun.
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