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The 2023 NBA All-Star weekend is here, starting Friday night with the celebrity game and ending Sunday night with the All-Star game.
While the Mavericks participation in this weekend is limited to just Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic in the All-Star game, it should still be an exciting weekend for NBA fans.
Here’s a full schedule and breakdown of the events.
2023 NBA All-Star schedule
Friday
NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, 6 p.m. CST (ESPN)
For this year’s celebrity game, the rosters are captained by Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith and minority owner Dwyane Wade. A new feature will be an ability for each captain to activiate a “crunch time”, which starts a two-minute period in which all point values are doubled. The “Unlock a Legend” feature from 2022 also returns, where a team has the ability to add an NBA player to the roster midgame.
Celebrities participating include singers Janelle Monae and Kane Brown, actor Simu Lui, WWE wrestler The Miz, and retired pro athletes Calvin Johnson and Albert Pujols.
NBA Rising Stars Challenge, 8 p.m. CST (TNT)
The Rising Stars Challenge is undergoing a major overhaul, changing the format from one game to a mini-tournament featuring four teams and three games. A pool of 21 NBA players will be drafted onto three teams and seven G League players will make up the fourth team.
The honorary coaches for the teams are retired NBA players Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah, Jason Terry, and Deron Williams. Each game will be played to a final score: the two semifinal matchups to 40 and the championship game to 25.
TEAM PAU GASOL
Jose Alvarado, G, New Orleans Pelicans
Paolo Banchero, F, Orlando Magic
Jaden Ivey, G, Detroit Pistons
Bennedict Mathurin, G, Indiana Pacers
Keegan Murray, F, Sacramento Kings
Andrew Nembhard, G, Indiana Pacers
Scottie Barnes, F, Toronto Raptors
TEAM JOAKIM NOAH
Josh Giddey, G, Oklahoma City Thunder
Jalen Williams, F, Oklahoma City Thunder
Jalen Duren, F, Detroit Pistons
Quentin Grimes, G, New York Knicks
Evan Mobley, F, Cleveland Cavaliers
Jeremy Sochan, F, San Antonio Spurs
Jabari Smith Jr., F, Houston Rockets
TEAM DERON WILLIAMS
Walker Kessler, C, Utah Jazz
Alperen Sengun, C, Houston Rockets
Trey Murphy III, G, New Orleans Pelicans
AJ Griffin, F, Atlanta Hawks
Jalen Green, G, Houston Rockets
Bones Hyland, G, LA Clippers
Franz Wagner, F, Orlando Magic
TEAM JASON TERRY (G League)
Scoot Henderson, G, Ignite
Sidy Cissoko, G, Ignite
Mojave King, F, Ignite
Kenneth Lofton Jr., F, Memphis Hustle
Leonard Miller, F, Ignite
Mac McClung, G, Delaware Blue Coats
Scotty Pippen Jr., G, South Bay Lakers
Saturday
NBA HBCU Classic: Grambling State vs. Southern, 3 p.m. CST (ESPN2)
For the second straight year, the NBA will feature two HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) teams during All-Star weekend. Grambling State and Southern will go head-to-head in a Southwestern Athletic Conference matchup.
During the 2022 All-Star weekend, the NBA featured Howard University and Morgan State University. For this year, Bob Love and Willis Reed, alums of Southern and Grambling State, respectively, will serve as honorary captains.
NBA All-Star Saturday (skills challenge, 3-point contest, dunk contest), 7 p.m. CST (TNT)
The skills challenge sees the biggest change up, with three teams competing. One will be Team Antetokounmpos, featuring the Antetokounmpos brothers Giannis, Alex, and Thanasis. Another team will be current Jazz teammates Jordan Clarkson, Walker Kessler, and Colin Sexton. The final team is a rookie team comprised of Paolo Banchero, Jaden Ivey, and Jabari Smith Jr.
The dunk contest has been in a decline over the last decade when it comes to star talent participating and this year is no different. In fact, it might be the less notable group of participants in the contest’s history, but hopefully should still be fun.
Kenyon Martin Jr., Houston Rockets
Trey Murphy III, New Orleans Pelicans
Mac McClung, Philadelphia 76ers
Jericho Sims, New York Knicks
The three point contest definitely has more star power, with Damian Lillard and Jayson Tatum headlining a solid group.
Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers
Tyler Herro, Miami Heat
Buddy Hield, Indiana Pacers
Kevin Huerter, Sacramento Kings
Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz
Anfernee Simons, Portland Trail Blazers
Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
Sunday
NBA All-Star Game, 7 p.m. CST (TNT)
The league’s 72nd All-Star Game tips off Sunday night. LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo are the team captains and they will draft their teams immediately before the All-Star game tips off, in a tweak from previous seasons.
Here are the rosters.
STARTERS
Eastern Conference
Coach: Joe Mazzulla and staff, Boston Celtics
Giannis Antetokounmpo, C, Milwaukee Bucks
Kyrie Irving, G, Brooklyn Nets
Donovan Mitchell, G, Cleveland Cavaliers
Kevin Durant, F, Brooklyn Nets *Out due to injury
Jayson Tatum, F, Boston Celtics
Western Conference
Coach: Michael Malone and staff, Denver Nuggets
LeBron James, F, Los Angeles Lakers
Nikola Jokic, C, Denver Nuggets
Stephen Curry, G, Golden State Warriors *Out due to injury
Luka Doncic, G, Dallas Mavericks
Zion Williamson, F, New Orleans Pelicans *Out due to injury
RESERVES
Eastern Conference
Jaylen Brown, G, Boston Celtics
Joel Embiid, C, Philadelphia 76ers
Demar DeRozan, G, Chicago Bulls
Julius Randle, F, New York Knicks
Jrue Holiday, G, Milwaukee Bucks
Tyrese Haliburton, G, Indiana Pacers
Bam Adebayo, F, Miami Heat
Pascal Siakam, F, Toronto Raptors *Injury replacement
Western Conference
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, G, Oklahoma City Thunder
Damian Lillard, G, Portland Trail Blazers
Paul George, G, Los Angeles Clippers
Lauri Markkanen, F, Utah Jazz
Ja Morant, G, Memphis Grizzlies
Jaren Jackson Jr., F, Memphis Grizzlies
Domantas Sabonis, F, Sacramento Kings
Anthony Edwards, G, Minnesota Timberwolves *Injury replacement
De’Aaron Fox, G, Sacramento Kings *Injury replacement
Embiid, Markkanen and Morant will be starters due to the injuries to Durant, Curry and Williamson
Betting the All-Star game
If you’d like to try and make some money off the All-Star game, currently Team LeBron is a two-point favorite. Of course we won’t know what the rosters for each team will be until shortly before tip-off, so pay attention Sunday to make sure you can have as much information as possible before betting.
You can also bet on which player will be selected first in the draft. Right now the Mavericks own Luka Doncic has the best odds to be the first pick at +310.
Check out DraftKings Sportsbook, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation.
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