The NBA showcased new technology with an LED court for All-Star Weekend in Indiana and it was hard to not notice this innovation.
While it was unclear beforehand how fans would react to the new look for the festivities, it didn’t take long for fans to immediately fall in love with what they saw at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Even though we won’t get to see the All-Star Game played on these fancy courts this year, fans seemed impressed with what the LED courts could do to entertain them during the festivities.
Wilkins, a nine-time All-Star and former NBA scoring champion who was honored as one of the 75 greatest players in league history, will return to the city where he first won the NBA’s Slam Dunk Contest in 1985. This time, he returns as a judge.
While star players like Wilkins rarely compete in the NBA’s AT&T Slam Dunk Contest these days, the “Human Highlight Film” told For The Win that he was pleased to see a top-tier player like Jaylen Brown participate this year.
We touched on lots more during our recent conversation with Wilkins.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
The Elam Ending, explained here, was initially considered a huge hit when it was first introduced to the NBA All-Star Game in 2020. But for a variety of reasons, some that had little to do with the format and more to do with a fear of players getting hurt, the games have not seen much competition of late.
“No one was happy about the experience last year, no one at all … It’s not me necessarily saying we expect you to be playing like it’s the Finals but we need a game.”
It was obviously time for a change and so Silver decided to shake things up.
But another reason why the league has moved back to the format, according to Silver, is a tribute to the city that is hosting the 2024 NBA All-Star Game (via Indy Star):
“It’s fitting with the entire theme of our season which essentially, ‘Back to basketball,'” Silver said. “… Since we’re coming back to such a traditional market, we’re going back to the classic format.”
Rick Carlisle, head coach of the Pacers, supported the idea. He said that Indiana is among the “purer basketball” places.
Whether you missed it or not, the traditional NBA All-Star Game is back.
A record seven former Kentucky Wildcats made the NBA All-Star team this year
The NBA All-Star weekend has an argument to be the best in all of major sports and it culminates with the All-Star game on Sunday, February 18th. It’s preceded by the skills competition, slam dunk contest, and three-point contest on Saturday night.
The NBA announced their All-Star teams this week and a record seven former Wildcats were selected to the team. For seven of the twenty-four selected players to be from one school is quite the feat. Here are the seven former Wildcats to be selected to the 2024 NBA All-Star Game.
The NBA has unveiled an LED court that they will use during All-Star Weekend at events hosted by Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Although the NBA All-Star Game will be held at Gainbridge Fieldhouse (the home of the Pacers and the Fever) and will not feature the LED court, the rest of the weekend festivities will be at the NFL stadium where the Colts play.
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That means the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, the Skills Challenge, the 3-Point Contest, and the Slam Dunk Contest will all take place on an amazing LED court. (The one-on-one shooting contest, Stephen vs. Sabrina, will also happen on the special court.)
We saw FIBA install similar glass courts during the U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup last year and it was an exciting glimpse into the future.
The court that the NBA will use, which was developed by the German company ASB GlassFloor, will add an enhanced experience for fans in-arena and those watching the TNT broadcast.
It will allow for design and color changes, live replays, game stats, location-based player tracking animations, and other animations.
Doc Rivers has been the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks for all of three games, but he’s already the recipient of one of the rewards that comes with coaching a team led by Giannis Antetokounmpo — if you want to call it a reward.
With their win over the Dallas Mavericks Saturday — Rivers’ first since taking over for Adrian Griffin — the Bucks clinched the Eastern Conference’s second-best record through Feb. 4. That means their coaching staff will be headed to the All-Star Game on Feb. 18. The honor usually goes to the first-place team, but the Boston Celtics were ineligible after coaching the East all-stars last year.
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That left the job to the Bucks and Rivers, who was just as miffed as everyone else. He said he’ll give the bonus money and All-Star ring to Griffin.
“That is ridiculously bad… Well, Adrian [Griffin] is going to get some money and a ring… Maybe I’ll send my staff and I’ll go on vacation.”
Doc Rivers on being the head coach for the Eastern Conference at the 2024 All-Star Game 🗣️
“That is ridiculously bad. It really is,” Rivers said. “Well, Adrian’s gonna get some money. That’s for sure. And a ring. You know, it’s one of these quirky things. I think there should be a rule somehow that someone else does it other than me. Maybe I’ll send my staff, and I’ll go on vacation.”
That put him ahead of Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns in weighted rank, but reserves are chosen by the 30 coaches in the NBA. Towns made the team (perhaps surprisingly) while Sabonis was not selected.
But his omission was the most costly among the potential candidates. As noted by ESPN’s Bobby Marks, not making the All-Star Game will cost him a $1.3 million bonus from the Kings.
Sabonis currently ranks fifth-best among all NBA players in win shares, which is an advanced catch-all metric that measures overall value to a team. He trails only MVP frontrunners Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid.
Perhaps the big man could get a nod for the All-Star Game, and a bonus, as a potential injury replacement if Anthony Davis (who has now missed multiple games in a row due to injury) or another player from the West cannot play in Indiana.
Two players (Joel Embiid and Julius Randle) in the Eastern Conference, however, are currently injured and are likely not expected back in time for the festivities in Indianapolis on Feb. 18.
While it is unclear how long Embiid will remain sidelined, in all likelihood, both players will require replacements in Indiana. Considering that Embiid and Randle are big men, at least one replacement will likely come from the frontcourt.
Here are some of the top candidates that NBA commissioner Adam Silver could consider when he makes his decision:
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Some of these players will get the nod from the commissioner as injury replacements.
The list of 2024 NBA All-Stars was now announced by the NBA on TNT’s crew and several noteworthy players did not make the list.
We already knew the 10 starters for the game in Indianapolis on Feb. 18. Those players were chosen based on weighted voting by fans (50 percent), the media (25 percent), and other players (25 percent).
Seven more players from each conference got the call that they as well. Those candidates were selected based on voting by the 30 coaches in the league. But that left some big names on the outside looking in.
Here is a look at the players who perhaps could have made the 2023 NBA All-Star Game but did not:
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The Golden State point guard has been named a starter in his last nine All-Star game appearances.
On Thursday, the NBA revealed the starters for the 2024 All-Star game in Indiana. No members of the Golden State Warriors were voted starters, including Steph Curry.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeos-Alexander and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic were elected starters in the backcourt for the Western Conference. Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic will round out the rest of the Western Conference squad.
Curry has been named a starter in his previous nine appearances in the All-Star game, including the last three consecutive seasons. The only time Curry wasn’t listed as a starter for the game was in the 2019-20 campaign when he was dealing with a hand injury.
The nine-time All-Star has served as a captain in the game in the past along with winning All-Star Game Most Valuable Player in 2022.
Curry will still have the chance to suit up for the All-Star Game in Indiana as a reserve. Reserves for the game will be revealed on Feb. 1. The star-powered game is set for Sunday, Feb. 18, in Indianapolis.
