Since the format change during the 2014-15 NBA season, Team World had defeated Team USA in three out of the four games — including the last two.

After 20 points and seven rebounds in his first MTN DEW ICE Rising Stars Game appearance last year at Staples Center, Kyle Kuzma set the tone early a second time around. He scored 14 points in the first quarter and led Team USA to a 161-144 win in Charlotte.

Widely considered the steal of the 2017 NBA Draft, Kuzma finished with 35 points (15-of-27 shooting), six rebounds and two assists in just 22 minutes.

Along with breaking Kobe Bryant’s scoring record in the Rising Stars Game, the 23-year-old was named MVP of the MTN DEW ICE Rising Stars Challenge.

As Kuzma was focused on winning for the first time at All-Star Weekend, he received plenty of help from his rookie and sophomore teammates. Highlighted by Trae Young’s 25 points (9-of-19 shooting) and 10 assists off the bench, eight out of the 10 players for Team USA scored in double-figures.

While De’Aaron Fox only had two points, he finished with a game-high 16 assists.

Despite Ben Simmons’ 28 points (14-of-17 shooting), five rebounds and six assists, Team World got within one point numerous times but never took the lead in the second half.

Reminder: Vivid Seats is the Official Ticket Reseller of LakersNation.com. New Customers use “LAKERSNATION” (all CAPS) in the Vivid Seats App on your phone and get 10% off any Lakers home game ticket order for the remainder of the season.</s>The 68th NBA All-Star Game has arrived in Charlotte

The 68th edition of the NBA's annual midseason showcase exhibition game gets played in Charlotte, with LeBron James set to start for the 15th consecutive year, Kemba Walker ready to excite his home crowd and legends Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade ready to bid the game farewell as their careers wind down.

After that, the true All-Star "break" begins. There are no games on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, which gives every player and coach a couple of needed days off before the real playoff push begins.

Play resumes Thursday night with six games, as the sprint to the end of the regular season begins.</s>CHARLOTTE, N.C. - San Antonio Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge arrived in Charlotte on Friday night to join his fellow NBA All-Stars. His inclusion marks the 21st consecutive season the Spurs have had a player selected as an All-Star.

"It's an honor," Aldridge said. "We've tried to do things the right way. We try to play basketball the right way, and it's paid off. I think it's been 21 or 22 years straight, so that's a big honor for us ,for sure."

Aldridge, who is enjoying his seventh NBA All-Star nod, has learned through his previous selections how to handle the weekend, which can get crazy for the players due to appearances and media requirements.

"You learn how to handle the weekend," he said. "You learn never be on time for anything, because everything is going to be late. So, when you learn not to stress, not to be on time, you kind of ease into it, then it's easier for you."

After a slow start to the season, Aldridge got hot in December and hasn't cooled off much at all. He's a key reason why the Spurs hit the All-Star break seventh in the Western Conference and in the hunt for the playoffs. Former Spur and current Toronto Raptor Danny Green knows how important Aldridge is to the Silver and Black.

"With the fact that so many pieces have moved and left San Antonio, and they are still winning some games and still pretty good seeding in the playoffs, it goes to show how important that guy is and how well he can carry the team," Green said. "I think the league and everybody around the association, players specifically, are respecting that so much more now that he's still doing it and still helping carry a team."

Aldridge isn't flashy at all, and his game speaks for itself. He is one of only five players to make seven of the last eight NBA All-Star Games, joining LeBron James, Kevin Durant, James Harden and Russell Westbrook.</s>CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The University of Texas has been well represented in Charlotte, with three former Longhorns participating in NBA All-Star Weekend.

Texas-exes LaMarcus Aldridge and Kevin Durant will play in the NBA All-Star Game tonight for Team LeBron. UT was also represented in Charlotte by Brooklyn Nets second-year center Jarrett Allen, who played in the Rising Stars Game.

"He's a very-skilled, sneaky-athletic big, and he's having a great season," Aldridge said of Allen. "We just played against him two weeks ago and he played great that game, hitting a corner three, blocking a lot of shots."

Allen scored 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting to go along with four assists, three rebounds, two blocks and a steal in the Nets' 117-114 loss to the Spurs on Jan. 31 at the AT&T Center.

"He's so solid that he doesn't do anything out of character, which makes him even better," Aldridge said.

Aldridge is proud of the NBA sporting so many big men from Texas.

"The big men from Texas have been doing great – (Cleveland's) Tristan Thompson, myself, (Indiana's) Myles Turner," he said. "It just shows how much you can learn by going to school and how Texas definitely has good big men."

Aldridge said he's always happy to mentor former Longhorns.

"Those guys need guidance just like I needed guidance, so if they ever want to talk about something, I'm always here," he said.</s>NBA All Star Game start time: What time will the game start?

The NBA All Star Game takes place this weekend with captains LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo going head-to-head.

The 2019 edition of the much-anticipated clash will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina at the Spectrum Center.

The Charlotte Hornets [formerly the Charlotte Bobcats] call the arena home during the regular NBA season - but what time will the match start?

The NBA All Star Game will tip off on Sunday, February 18 at 1AM for UK viewers.</s>CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The University of Texas has been well represented in Charlotte, with three former Longhorns participating in NBA All-Star Weekend.

Texas-exes LaMarcus Aldridge and Kevin Durant will play in the NBA All-Star Game tonight for Team LeBron. UT was also represented in Charlotte by Brooklyn Nets second-year center Jarrett Allen, who played in the Rising Stars Game.

"He's a very-skilled, sneaky-athletic big, and he's having a great season," Aldridge said of Allen. "We just played against him two weeks ago and he played great that game, hitting a corner three, blocking a lot of shots."

readFull Allen scored 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting to go along with four assists, three rebounds, two blocks and a steal in the Nets' 117-114 loss to the Spurs on Jan. 31 at the AT&T Center. hearst/ads/medium_rectangle_ad_first.tpl e medium_rectangle_ad_first.tpl hearst/ads/medium_rectangle_ad_third.tpl e medium_rectangle_ad_third.tpl "He's so solid that he doesn't do anything out of character, which makes him even better," Aldridge said. Aldridge is proud of the NBA sporting so many big men from Texas. "The big men from Texas have been doing great – (Cleveland's) Tristan Thompson, myself, (Indiana's) Myles Turner," he said. "It just shows how much you can learn by going to school and how Texas definitely has good big men." Aldridge said he's always happy to mentor former Longhorns. "Those guys need guidance just like I needed guidance, so if they every want to talk about something, I'm always here," he said.</s>The NBA All-Star Game always brings out some unexpected sneaker styles — and this year, Kawhi Leonard is using the game as his chance to debut a new pair of kicks.

The Toronto Raptors star will show off a fresh pair of New Balance basketball sneakers when he takes to the court in Charlotte, N.C., tonight.

New Balance revealed the news on Instagram Thursday, sharing a blurred video of the star holding a basketball while clad in a tracksuit and a pair of OMN1S sneakers.

The Boston-based athletic wear giant revealed on Instagram that it had initially planned to have fans vote on a colorway for Leonard to wear, but the baller decided he would wear whichever pair he likes the most.

“Collaborated with Kawhi on 6 PEs of the OMN1S. We wanted people to vote for the debut at #NBAAllStar,” the brand wrote. “But Kawhi wears whatever color he wants.”

Meanwhile, Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid will step out in a pair of customized Under Armour Anatomix Spawn Lows showing his support for the Boys and Girls Club of Philadelphia.

Fans hoping to tune in to the all-star game action — and to see which colorway Leonard ultimately went with — can check out the game at 8 p.m. ET on TNT tonight.

Dwyane Wade Has a Lot of Endorsements — and You Won’t Believe How Much Money They’re Worth

Exclusive: NBA Star CJ McCollum Talks Li-Ning Sneakers and His Love for Oregon</s>CHARLOTTE, N.C. — No matter what Steph Curry does in the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday night, it’ll be hard to top what his mother did here Friday.

In a packed gymnasium at Carole Hoefener Center, in front of Charlotte’s mayor and North Carolina’s governor, Sonya Curry hit a halfcourt shot to win a family shootout.

When the basketball she flung with her right hand – almost like a bowling ball – fell through the hoop, Sonya Curry raced around the court and broke into a frenzied dance before accepting a championship belt.

What did Steph Curry have to say about his mom’s feat during a contest that included four teams that also featured Steph Curry’s brother, Seth, a sixth-year NBA player; and their father, Dell, the former NBA standout who retired in 2002 as the highest-scoring player in Charlotte Hornets’ history?

“I don’t know know because I was too busy running around,’’ Sonya Curry told USA TODAY Sports with a smile. “I haven’t even talked to him about the shot yet.’’

The Curry family gathered Friday to celebrate their refurbishing of the community center in honor of their Charlotte roots at the same time the All-Star Game is being played here. With support from partners such as Under Armour, Chase and the NBA Players Association Foundation, the project includes a computer lab, a new STEM education space and new locker rooms, along with the refurbished indoor gym and the “Curry Court,” as the basketball court has been named.

Steph Curry’s ties to Charlotte were documented in a short clip from a Facebook Watch series entitled Stephen vs. The Game, with six episodes set to air this spring. Steph Curry played at Charlotte Christian High School and played college basketball at nearby Davidson College before the Golden State Warriors picked him seventh overall in the 2009 draft.

“This is where he established his game,’’ said Gotham Chopra, the series’ director and head of film company “Religion of Sports.” “I think community is a big piece of Steph’s story. I think what we do with Religion of Sports, community is a big part. Bigger than sports, what does someone like him mean to this community?’’

The affection between Curry and the community — represented at the community center by an energized crowd of about 500 people — was clear. After the family shooting contest, he officiated a basketball game involving eighth-graders and at one point grabbed an errant ball and, to the delight of everyone, jacked up a 3-pointer.

But his opening remarks were on target.

“This community has helped me because the man I am today, on and off the court,’’ said Curry, whose wife, Ayesha, and their three young children were in attendance. “…Charlotte will always be home.’’

Read the rest of the story at USA TODAY.</s>So, if you are planning to meet movie stars, singers, entertainers, athletes from other sports and of course the NBA players while at a future NBA All-Star Weekend, you better not procrastinate about booking a hotel room or flight for that weekend.

The 68th NBA All-Star Weekend in Charlotte is coming to a close this year and there is no time like the present to start planning for a future NBA All-Star Weekend.

Here are the cities, the arenas and dates of future NBA All-Star Weekends

Chicago, United Center, which is the home of the Chicago Bulls. 69th NBA All-Star Game, Sunday, Feb. 16

Indianapolis, Bankers Life Fieldhouse, which is the home of the Indiana Pacers, 70th NBA All-Star Game, Sunday, Feb. 14

Cleveland, Quicken Loans Arena, which is the home of the Cleveland Cavaliers, 71st NBA All-Star Game, Sunday, Feb. 20</s>Check out all the highlights from the 2019 NBA All-Star Dunk contest.
NBA All-Star Weekend takes place at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.