The five events of NBA All-Star weekend are full of stars, swan songs and homecomings. These are the five events ranked in order of watchability. The NBA world is heading to Charlotte this weekend for the 2019 NBA All-Star festivities. With much of the conversation being about LeBron James and the team he’s drafted consisting of players he may or may not recruit this summer (or this weekend, since tampering rules don’t apply), the events’ intrigue and storylines shouldn’t be overlooked. The lineup for All-Star weekend hasn’t changed, with the same five events highlighting basketball’s ultimate display of skills. Friday night kicks off the weekend with the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game (won’t be ranked) followed by the MTN DEW ICE Rising Stars game featuring a matchup of Team World vs. Team USA. The Saturday night order of events remains the same as well, with the Taco Bell Skills Challenge kicking off the schedule. The MTN DEW 3-Point Contest, arguably the main event of All-Star Saturdays of late, is next, with the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest concluding the competitions for the night. Sunday night boasts the 68th NBA All-Star Game, which pits Team LeBron against Team Giannis in the second-year of a new format where All-Star rosters are drafted by the selected captains. All of these events will air on TNT and are a nice way for the NBA mass to (hopefully) have some fun before the stretch run of the season and postseason. Certain events have more intrigue around them, and here is the ranking of the events in terms of overall watchability and intrigue.<doc-sep>By Norm Elrod (CBS LA/CBS Local) — The NBA All-Star Weekend lands on the calendar in mid-February every year, about two-thirds of the way through the regular season. It brings together the League’s biggest stars for a weekend of events to celebrate the game of basketball. And much of the festivities, from the Slam Dunk Contest to the Three-Point Contest, is actually worth following. Its conclusion marks the moment when the season’s playoff race — and draft race — shift into high gear. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Here are the important events for NBA All-Star Weekend. NBA All-Star Celebrity Game Friday, February 15, 2019, 7:00 pm ET Let’s watch celebrities, who aren’t famous for playing basketball, play basketball. A few ringers round out the roster, to keep the game moving and looking like the sport it’s supposed to be. That’s essentially what the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game amounts to. It’s an entertaining romp, if not the best version of the game you’ll see. This year’s lineups include recording artists Chris Daughtry, Rapsody and Bad Bunny; actors Mike Colter (Luke Cage), AJ Buckley (Seal Team) and Hasan Minhaj (Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj) and athletes A’ja Wilson (2018 WNBA Rookie of the Year), Ray Allen (Basketball Hall of Famer) and Stefanie Dolson (WNBA’s Chicago Sky center). It’s a good reminder of just how much better the pros — even the bench-warmers– are than the rest of us. >>MORE: NBA Trade Deadline: Eastern Conference Contenders Reload Rising Stars Friday, February 15, 2019, 9:00 pm ET The 25th edition of Rising Stars pits U.S. and World teams of 10 first and second-year players against each other. The talent on display certainly highlights the bright future of the NBA and the global success of basketball in general. The lineups include last year’s rookie of the year and runner-up, along with this year’s leading candidate. Here is the full list of participants: Team U.S.: Jarrett Allen, Brooklyn Nets Marvin Bagley III, Sacramento Kings Lonzo Ball (injured), Los Angeles Lakers John Collins, Atlanta Hawks De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies Kevin Knox, New York Knicks Kyle Kuzma, Los Angeles Lakers Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics Team World: OG Anunoby, Toronto Raptors Deandre Ayton, Phoenix Suns Bogdan Bogdanović, Sacramento Kings Luka Dončić, Dallas Mavericks Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Los Angeles Clippers Rodions Kurucs, Brooklyn Nets Lauri Markkanen, Chicago Bulls Josh Okogie, Minnesota Timberwolves Cedi Osman, Cleveland Cavaliers Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers All-Star Saturday Night Saturday, February 16, 2019, 8:00 pm ET Skills Challenge The eight-player field pairs off against each other in three rounds on an obstacle course that includes dribbling, passing, agility and shooting. It doesn’t always include hustling, however, even if they players seem to enjoy themselves. This year’s Challenge includes a nice mix of veterans and rookies, of All-Stars and potential future All-Stars. And maybe we’ll finally see the Nikola Jokić-Trae Young tortoise-hare matchup the NBA world has been pining for. Participants in the Skills Challenge include: Mike Conley, Memphis Grizzlies Luka Dončić, Dallas Mavericks De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets Kyle Kuzma, Los Angeles Lakers Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics Nikola Vučević, Orlando Magic Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks Three-Point Contest In the 33rd edition of the Three-Point Contest, the field has been expanded to 10. Each participant looks to drain as many three-pointers as possible in one minute, moving from station to station around the three-point line. The top three finishers advance to the final round. Devin Booker returns to defend his title in the contest’s 2019 edition. Also appearing will be multiple Trail Blazers and multiple Currys, the older of whom will take all his shots from half-court, just to keep things fair. (Not really, but that would be fun wouldn’t it?) Participants in the Three-Point Contest include: Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns Seth Curry, Portland Trail Blazers Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors Danny Green, Toronto Raptors Joe Harris, Brooklyn Nets Buddy Hield, Sacramento Kings Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets Slam Dunk Contest Revisiting the historic Dominique Wilkins-Michael Jordan 1988 battle, it’s easy to see why the Slam Dunk Contest has long been a highlight of the NBA’s All-Star Weekend. Each of the four participants gets two dunks in the first round, scored from six to 10. The top two scorers advance to the final round. Donovan Mitchell is the defending champion, though he will be skipping this year’s contest to focus on his Jazz’s playoff run. However, Dennis Smith Jr., now a New York Knick and, therefore, unconcerned with playoff runs, will return for his second straight contest. Here are this year’s Slam Dunk Contest participants: Dennis Smith Jr., New York Knicks Miles Bridges, Charlotte Hornets Hamidou Diallo, Oklahoma City Thunder John Collins, Atlanta Hawks 68th NBA All-Star Game Sunday, February 17, 2019, 8:00 pm ET Last year, the NBA switched up the All-Star Game. Discarding the stale Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference format, the League took the game back to the playground. Team captains — the most voted-for player in each conference — pick their players. This year, the NBA aimed a camera at the proceedings, rather than do it behind closed doors. Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James and Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo drafted their rosters, and even implemented the first trade in All-Star Game history. Given their personalities, it’s no surprise that the proceedings were fun to watch. Here are the rosters: Team LeBron: Starters: LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors Kyrie Irving, Boston Celtics Kawhi Leonard, Toronto Raptors James Harden, Houston Rockets Reserves: Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers LeMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio Spurs Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat Team Giannis: Starters: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers Paul George, Oklahoma City Thunder Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets Reserves:<doc-sep>The NBA’s All-Star Weekend is a celebration of the league’s best and brightest. Unfortunately, there isn’t room for everyone who deserves it. That’s why The Step Back is planning their Alternative All-Star Weekend. The NBA’s Rising Stars game is all about celebrating the young up-and-coming players, the ones who will help define the next generation of the league. With a pair of 12-player rosters, there is room for both the rookies and sophomores who are commanding national attention and for those who are doing work for their teams below the radar and using this game as an opportunity to introduce themselves to a larger audience. However, there’s a whole other crop of young players, those who built up pre-draft fanfare but, because of circumstances, injuries, or needed development, haven’t had a chance to break into their team’s rotations yet. Some of these players may never take the leap, but some are just an opportunity away from being meaningful contributors on important teams. The Alternative All-Star Rising Stars Challenge is dedicated to these players, much farther from the spotlight than they deserve. We’ve eschewed the USA vs. The World format the league has adopted and gone back to rookies against sophomores, with both rosters built only from players have played less than 250 NBA minutes this season (as of Feb. 12). Rookies G — Brad Wanamaker G — Lonnie Walker F — Troy Brown F — Jarred Vanderbilt C — Robert Williams _____ G — Jerome Robinson G — Shake Milton G — Isaac Bonga F — Amile Jefferson F — Dzanan Musa F — Keita Bates-Diop C — Isaiah Hartenstein Sophomores G — Kadeem Allen G — Sindarius Thornwell F — Guerschon Yabusele F — Chris Boucher C — Ike Anigbogu _____ G — Edmond Sumner G — Jawun Evans G — Kalin Lucas F — Tyler Lydon F — Jonathan Motley F — Zhou Qi C — Tony Bradley Both rosters are loaded with players with captivating potential who would be incredible to watch in this setting. Jawun Evans on the court, running pick-and-rolls with the bouncy Chris Boucher. Ike Anigbogu and Robert Williams battling for rebounds. Lonnie Walker shaking people out of their shoes and Jerome Robinson pulling up for 28-footers. We might never see some of these players again but let’s acknowledge the fleeting nature of existence and let them have their moment in the sun.<doc-sep>
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 18: LeBron James #23 of Team LeBron and Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of Team Stephen after the NBA All-Star Game as a part of 2018 NBA All-Star Weekend at STAPLES Center on February 18, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) NBA All-Star Weekend is finally upon us, here’s a look at the complete schedule of festivities that will be taking place Every season between February 15-17, the NBA All-Star Weekend takes place. It’s a great time when fans all over the world can enjoy their favorite NBA players and celebrities competing in fun events. This seasons All-Star Weekend has no shortage of fun in store, so here’s a look at the complete schedule of events that will be taking place starting tonight: All-Star Celebrity Game (Friday, Feb.15, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN) The celebrity game is always fun to watch and provides fans with a bit of laughter watching a mixture of celebrities, former NBA players, and current and former WNBA players compete in a game against one another. This years celebrity game will feature last years MVP in Quavo, as well as future Hall of Famer Ray Allen and many other familiar faces. The full list of participants in this event can be found on NBA.com. Rising Stars Challenge (Friday, Feb. 15, 9 p.m. ET, TNT) The Rising Stars Challenge gives us a look at the players that could be the future stars of the NBA. First and second-year players compete head to head in what is usually a high-scoring affair. Both squads are broken up in the World team, and the U.S. team. This game will feature last years rookie of the year and first time NBA All-Star Ben Simmons, last years runner up in Donovan Mitchell, this year’s front-runner in Luka Doncic, and many more great young players. The full rosters for both teams can be found on NBA.com. All-Star Saturday Night (Saturday, Feb. 16, 8 p.m. ET, TNT) Saturday night will feature three events in the skills challenge, the three-point contest, and the dunk contest. The first event will begin at 8 p.m. ET, and the next two events will ensue after. Skills Challenge This event will feature many big names including some All-Stars in Nikola Jokic and Nikola Vucevic, and of course the rookie sensation Luka Doncic. The players will compete in a fast-paced obstacle course on the court that will test their passing and shooting abilities. The full list of participants in this event can be found on NBA.com. 3-point Contest The name of this event speaks for itself. It will feature some of this season’s best shooters from beyond the arc, and will of course feature some of the biggest stars in the NBA today. Last years champion Devin Booker will be defending his title, while Stephen Curry will return to compete in this event. The full list of participants in this event can be found on FanSided.com. Dunk Contest The event that concludes the jam-packed All-Star Saturday night is, of course, the dunk contest. This event will feature four high-flying players that will be looking to wow the crowd and the judges. The participants have each had some wild in-game dunks, so this should be a good one. The full list of participants in this event can be found on FanSided.com. All-Star Game (Sunday Feb. 17, 7 p.m. ET, TNT) All-Star weekend will be capped off by the highly anticipated All-Star game. The seasons best players will compete against one another in one of the most entertaining games you’ll see all season. Team captains LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo drafted their teams and will compete head to head to see who comes out victorious. The full rosters can be found on NBA.com.