By Shane Kelly and James Smith
As we enter February, the anticipation for the NBA all-star weekend rises. This event will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina – home to the one and only Michael Jordan and the Charlotte Hornets. This jam-packed weekend will begin on February 15 and end on February 17.
The Celebrity All-star game starts off as a weekend full of fun and competitiveness. Although the teams are undecided, fans are in for a treat, as they get to see their favorite comedians, former NBA players, and even rappers. In fact, Quavo was featured as the MVP in last year’s game. This was another achievement to add to his list, along with a Grammy nomination and a platinum album. In the contest, he posted 19 points, a game-high in points for that game. So, who among the biggest celebrities will win the 2019 Celebrity Game? Could Quavo return to defend his title?
Following the Celebrity All-Star game, there is the Rising Stars Game. The game features a world team and a USA team. The World team takes some of the best young NBA talents from across the world, while the USA team takes some of the best young NBA talents from across the country. This year’s world team includes rookie sensations Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Team USA includes rookie stars Trae Young and Jaren Jackson Jr. along with second year players, Lonzo Ball and De’Aaron Fox.
The next day brings many different and exhilarating challenges where NBA stars can show off their skills. Starting with the skills challenge where some of the most well-rounded players in the NBA will try to be the first ones to finish the many basketball obstacles handed to them. After the skills challenge, there is a contest to see who can make the most 3 point shots in a minute with 25 shots. This year you can see brothers Seth and Steph Curry go head-to-head to see who can outshoot the other. But by far the most exciting event of the day is the Slam Dunk Contest. Dennis Smith Jr. –a previous dunk contest contender– and rookie Miles Bridges are just some of the names to watch out for in the Slam Dunk Contest.
The weekend will end with the main event – the All-star game. The two teams will be lead by “The Greek Freek” (Giannis Antetokounmpo) and “The King” (LeBron James). The two captains will be choosing some of the other best NBA’s players to help them win the game. The Eastern Conference all-stars that the captains can choose from are Kyrie Irving, Kahwi Leonard, Kemba Walker, Joel Embiid, Bradley Beal, Kyle Lowry, Ben Simmons, Khris Middleton, Blake Griffin, Victor Oladipo (injured), D’Angelo Rusell (Victor Oladipo Replacement) and Nikola Vucevic. The Western Conference all-stars will consist of Paul George, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Damian Lillard, Anthony Davis, Karl Anthony Towns, LaMarcus Aldridge, Klay Thompson, and Nikola Jokic. Which captain will choose the winning team? Watch the All-star game to find out!
Sources:
http://www.nba.com/allstar/2018/schedule
Image:
https://www.charlottesgotalot.com/2019nbaallstar