All-star weekend arrives in Indianapolis, a 1st-time event for some, a 21st-time event for Lebron James
INDIANAPOLIS — Welcome back, Lebron James. Welcome for the first time, Paolo Banchero, Scottie Barnes, Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Maxey.
All-star weekend in Indianapolis is here, with some familiar names, some new faces, a nod to nostalgia and a bit of unwinding for everyone before the stretch run of the season. Most of the 54 players who will be part of the weekend’s on-court festivities — and quite a few more are coming as well — began arriving on Thursday.
For James, it’s his 21st All-star weekend in his 21 NBA seasons. He didn’t make the All-star Game as a rookie; he made the weekend as part of the rookie game. He’s made every All-star Game since, now the first player to be picked for the showcase in 20 different seasons. Kareem Abdul-jabbar was a 19-time selection.
There is something for everyone. There are all the traditional NBA oncourt events — the Rising Stars and celebrity games on Friday; the dunk contest, 3-point shootout and skills competition on Saturday; then the All-star Game itself on Sunday. Added to the slate for Saturday: a 3point contest between NBA shooting king Stephen Curry and WNBA 3-point contest record-holder Sabrina Ionescu.
There’s a game between a pair of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as the NBA continues to give HBCU institutions part of the All-star spotlight. This year, the game is Virginia Union against Winston-salem State on Saturday afternoon. This weekend, a glass LED court is set to be part of the show on Friday and Saturday. There’s even a fan event called NBA Crossover, set up in a 350,000-square-foot space where ticketholders can try virtual reality headsets, test out the latest offerings from Jordan Brand, play with an airless basketball, even get a haircut while playing video games. And there’s a brunch honoring icons of the game on Sunday, an event that’s almost as tough a ticket to get as the game itself.
Banchero is one of four first-time All-stars, joining New York’s Brunson, Philadelphia’s Maxey and Toronto’s Barnes. Plenty of other players are part of the weekend for the first time; that’s what events like the Rising Stars games are about, to give the league’s top promising players a chance to get a feel for the big stage.
“I’m excited to get there, excited to let it all sink in,” said San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 pick in last year’s draft who has the Rising Stars games and the skills competition on his on-court calendar this weekend.
Above all else, it’s a weekend for the fans. The All-stars who’ll play Sunday combined to get more than 60 million votes from fans around the world. The game will be shown in more than 210 countries and territories, broadcast in 60 languages, and fans from at least 34 different nations have bought tickets to come to Indianapolis this weekend.
They probably don’t care who wins. They just want to see a show.
“I try to do it for them,” James said.