# 2018 NBA All-Star Game

The 2018 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game that was played on February 18, 2018, during the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2017–18 season. It was the 67th edition of the NBA All-Star Game, and was played at Staples Center in Los Angeles, home of the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers. Team LeBron defeated Team Stephen, 148–145. LeBron James, namesake of Team LeBron, was named the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player for recording 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists; it was his third time winning the award since the 2008 All-Star Game. This was the sixth time that Los Angeles had hosted the NBA All-Star Game and the first time since 2011. The game was televised nationally by TNT for the 16th consecutive year, and simulcast on TBS for the 4th straight year.

## Format change

On October 3, 2017, the NBA announced that the All-Star Game format would change from the traditional Eastern Conference versus Western Conference format, and would instead switch to a draft-style format, similar to the format used by the NHL All-Star Game from 2011 through 2015 and the NFL Pro Bowl from 2014 through 2016. The team captains were determined by the most votes received in their respective conference. Each team will pick a charity to play for, and the winning team will have money donated to their charity. The winning team will receive $100,000 for each player and the losing team $25,000 each.

## All-Star Game
### Coaches

The two teams were coached from their respective conference. Mike D'Antoni, coach of the Houston Rockets, was named as the head coach for Team Stephen. Dwane Casey, coach of the Toronto Raptors, was named as the head coach for Team LeBron.

### Rosters

The rosters for the All-Star Game were selected through a voting process. The starters were chosen by the fans, media, and current NBA players. Fans make up 50% of the vote, and NBA players and media each comprise 25% of the vote. The two guards and three frontcourt players who receive the highest cumulative vote totals are named the All-Star starters. NBA head coaches vote for the reserves for their respective conferences, none of which can be players on their own team. Each coach selects two guards, three frontcourt players and two wild cards, with each selected player ranked in order of preference within each category. If a multi-position player is to be selected, coaches are encouraged to vote for the player at the position that was "most advantageous for the All-Star team", regardless of where the player was listed on the All-Star ballot or the position he was listed in box scores.
The All-Star Game starters were announced on January 18, 2018. Kyrie Irving of the Boston Celtics and DeMar DeRozan of the Toronto Raptors were named the backcourt starters in the East, earning their fifth and fourth all-star appearances, respectively. LeBron James was named a starter to his 14th career all-star game, breaking Dirk Nowitzki's record for most selections among active players. Joining James in the East frontcourt was Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, his first selection, and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, his second selection.
Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors and James Harden of the Houston Rockets were named to the starting backcourt in the West, earning their fifth and sixth all-star appearances, respectively. In the frontcourt, Kevin Durant of the Golden State Warriors was named to his ninth career all-star game, along with DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans, their fourth and fifth all-star selections, respectively. During the All-Star Game, Davis would wear his teammate Cousins' jersey as a means of honoring him after his season-ending injury occurred before the All-Star Game began.
The All-Star Game reserves were announced on January 23, 2018. The West reserves include Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder, his seventh selection, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors, their fourth and third all-star selections, respectively, LaMarcus Aldridge of the San Antonio Spurs, his sixth selection, Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers, his third selection, and Karl-Anthony Towns and Jimmy Butler of the Minnesota Timberwolves, their first and fourth all-star selections, respectively. Westbrook would later be named the replacement starter for DeMarcus Cousins' open starting spot on the team.
The East reserves include Kyle Lowry of the Toronto Raptors, his fourth selection, Al Horford of the Boston Celtics, his fifth selection, John Wall and Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards, their fifth and first all-star selections, respectively, Victor Oladipo of the Indiana Pacers, his first selection, Kevin Love of the Cleveland Cavaliers, his fifth selection, and Kristaps Porzingis of the New York Knicks, his first selection.
Eastern Conference All-Stars :
| Pos | Player | Team | No. of selections |
| Starters ||||
| G | Kyrie Irving | Boston Celtics | 5 |
| G | DeMar DeRozan | Toronto Raptors | 4 |
| F | LeBron James | Cleveland Cavaliers | 14 |
| F | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks | 2 |
| C | Joel Embiid | Philadelphia 76ers | 1 |
| Reserves ||||
| G | Bradley Beal | Washington Wizards | 1 |
| G | Goran Dragić | Miami Heat | 1 |
| C/F | Al Horford | Boston Celtics | 5 |
| F/C | Kevin Love | Cleveland Cavaliers | 5 |
| G | Kyle Lowry | Toronto Raptors | 4 |
| G | Victor Oladipo | Indiana Pacers | 1 |
| F/C | Kristaps Porziņģis | New York Knicks | 1 |
| G | John Wall | Washington Wizards | 5 |
| C | Andre Drummond | Detroit Pistons | 2 |
| G | Kemba Walker | Charlotte Hornets | 2 |
Western Conference All-Stars :
| Pos | Player | Team | No. of selections |
| Starters ||||
| G | Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors | 5 |
| G | James Harden | Houston Rockets | 6 |
| F | Kevin Durant | Golden State Warriors | 9 |
| F/C | Anthony Davis | New Orleans Pelicans | 5 |
| C | DeMarcus Cousins | New Orleans Pelicans | 4 |
| Reserves ||||
| G | Russell Westbrook | Oklahoma City Thunder | 7 |
| G | Damian Lillard | Portland Trail Blazers | 3 |
| F | Draymond Green | Golden State Warriors | 3 |
| C | Karl-Anthony Towns | Minnesota Timberwolves | 1 |
| F/C | LaMarcus Aldridge | San Antonio Spurs | 6 |
| G | Klay Thompson | Golden State Warriors | 4 |
| G/F | Jimmy Butler | Minnesota Timberwolves | 4 |
| F | Paul George | Oklahoma City Thunder | 5 |

### Draft

LeBron James and Stephen Curry were named as captains due to being the leading vote getter from the East and West, respectively. James had the first pick in the draft as the leading vote getter overall, while Curry has first choice of jersey color, due to the Western Conference having home team status for the game. The draft pool consisted of the eight other starters, with no regard to conference designation, and 14 reserves (seven from each conference), chosen by NBA head coaches. On January 25, 2018, LeBron James and Stephen Curry created their rosters via a draft, which would not be televised for various reasons. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will select the replacement for any player unable to participate in the All-Star Game, choosing a player from the same conference as the player who is being replaced. Silver's selection would join the team that drafted the replaced player. If a replaced player is a starter, the head coach of that team will choose a new starter from his cast of players instead.
Team LeBron :
| Pos | Player | Team |
| Starters |||
| F | Kevin Durant | Golden State Warriors |
| F/C | Anthony Davis | New Orleans Pelicans |
| F | LeBron James | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| C | DeMarcus Cousins | New Orleans Pelicans |
| G | Kyrie Irving | Boston Celtics |
| Reserves |||
| F/C | LaMarcus Aldridge | San Antonio Spurs |
| G | Bradley Beal | Washington Wizards |
| F/C | Kevin Love | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| G | Russell Westbrook | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| G | Victor Oladipo | Indiana Pacers |
| F/C | Kristaps Porziņģis | New York Knicks |
| G | John Wall | Washington Wizards |
| F | Paul George | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| C | Andre Drummond | Detroit Pistons |
| G | Goran Dragić | Miami Heat |
| G | Kemba Walker | Charlotte Hornets |
| Head coach: Dwane Casey (Toronto Raptors) |||
Team Stephen :
| Pos | Player | Team |
| Starters |||
| G | James Harden | Houston Rockets |
| G | DeMar DeRozan | Toronto Raptors |
| G | Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors |
| G/F | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks |
| C | Joel Embiid | Philadelphia 76ers |
| Reserves |||
| G | Damian Lillard | Portland Trail Blazers |
| G/F | Jimmy Butler | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| F | Draymond Green | Golden State Warriors |
| G | Kyle Lowry | Toronto Raptors |
| G | Klay Thompson | Golden State Warriors |
| C | Karl-Anthony Towns | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| F/C | Al Horford | Boston Celtics |
| Head coach: Mike D'Antoni (Houston Rockets) |||
^INJ1 DeMarcus Cousins was unable to play due to a season-ending Achilles injury. ^REP1 Paul George was selected as DeMarcus Cousins' replacement. ^INJ2 John Wall was unable to participate due to a knee injury. ^REP2 Andre Drummond was selected as John Wall's replacement. ^INJ3 Kevin Love was unable to participate due to a hand injury. ^REP3 Goran Dragić was selected as Kevin Love's replacement. ^INJ4 Kristaps Porziņģis was unable to participate due to a season-ending torn ACL. ^REP4 Kemba Walker was named as Kristaps Porziņģis' replacement. ^ST Russell Westbrook was selected to start in place of Cousins.

### Game

* TNT, TBS
* February 18, 2018 8:30 pm ET
* Recap
Team LeBron 148, Team Stephen 145 :
| Scoring by quarter: 31–42, 45–36, 33–34, 39–33 |||
| Pts: LeBron James 29 Rebs: LeBron James 10 Asts: Kyrie Irving 9 | Pts: DeRozan, Lillard 21 each Rebs: Karl-Anthony Towns 10 Asts: Kyle Lowry 11 |
* Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 17,801 Referees:
* #19 James Capers
* #6 Tony Brown
* #59 Gary Zielinski

### National anthem

Fergie's performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" prior to the game received heavy negative criticism and mockery online. The rendition—described as "unusual" and "bizarre"—was met with laughter from the arena crowd, and All-Star Draymond Green was shown chuckling on the television broadcast. The following day, Fergie said she "wanted to try something special for the NBA," but it "didn't strike the intended tone."

## All-Star Weekend
### Celebrity Game

The 2018 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game was played on Friday, February 16, 2018 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. In honor of Los Angeles as host city, the two teams were named after its two NBA teams, with Rachel Nichols coaching Team Lakers and Katie Nolan coaching Team Clippers (Team Clippers).
* ESPN
* February 16, 2018 7:00 pm ET
Team Lakers 66, Team Clippers 75 :
* Scoring by quarter: 13–19, 17–18, 19–17, 17–21 ||
* Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, California
Team Lakers :
| Player | Background |
| Justin Bieber (2) | Singer |
| Steelo Brim | TV personality, host, actor |
| Nick Cannon (10) | TV personality, actor, rapper |
| Terence Crawford | Boxer |
| Rachel DeMita (2) | NBA 2KTV personality |
| Jerry Ferrara | Actor |
| Flea | Musician |
| Michael B. Jordan (2) | Actor |
| Marc Lasry (3) | Milwaukee Bucks owner |
| Tracy McGrady (2) | Former NBA player |
| Caleb McLaughlin (2) | Actor |
| Candace Parker (2) | WNBA player |
| Nate Robinson | Former NBA player |
| Drew Scott (3) | Actor |
| Kris Wu (3) | Actor, singer |
| Head coach: Rachel Nichols (ESPN host) ||
| Assistant coach: Tracy McGrady (former NBA player, ESPN analyst) ||
| Assistant coach: Michael B. Jordan (actor) ||
Team Clippers :
| Player | Background |
| Anthony Anderson (4) | Actor |
| Brandon Armstrong (2) | Social media star, former NBA D-League player |
| Miles Brown | Actor |
| Win Butler (4) | Musician |
| Common (7) | Rapper, actor |
| Andre De Grasse | Olympic sprinter |
| Stefanie Dolson | WNBA player |
| Jamie Foxx (3) | Actor, comedian, singer |
| Paul Pierce | Former NBA player |
| Dascha Polanco | Actress |
| Quavo | Rapper, recording artist |
| Offset | Rapper |
| Bubba Watson | Golfer |
| Jason Williams (2) | Former NBA player |
| Head coach: Katie Nolan (ESPN host) ||
| Assistant coach: Paul Pierce (former NBA player) ||
| Assistant coach: Common (rapper, actor) ||

### Mountain Dew KickStart Rising Stars Challenge

Team World :
| Pos. | Player | Team | R/S |
| G | Bogdan Bogdanović | Sacramento Kings | Rookie |
| G/F | Dillon Brooks | Memphis Grizzlies | Rookie |
| C | Joel Embiid | Philadelphia 76ers | Sophomore |
| G | Buddy Hield | Sacramento Kings | Sophomore |
| F | Lauri Markkanen | Chicago Bulls | Rookie |
| G | Jamal Murray | Denver Nuggets | Sophomore |
| G | Frank Ntilikina | New York Knicks | Rookie |
| F/C | Domantas Sabonis | Indiana Pacers | Sophomore |
| F | Dario Šarić | Philadelphia 76ers | Sophomore |
| G/F | Ben Simmons | Philadelphia 76ers | Rookie |
| Head coach: Rex Kalamian (Toronto Raptors) |||||
Team USA :
| Pos. | Player | Team | R/S |
| G | Lonzo Ball | Los Angeles Lakers | Rookie |
| G | Malcolm Brogdon | Milwaukee Bucks | Sophomore |
| G/F | Jaylen Brown | Boston Celtics | Sophomore |
| F/C | John Collins | Atlanta Hawks | Rookie |
| G | Kris Dunn | Chicago Bulls | Sophomore |
| G/F | Brandon Ingram | Los Angeles Lakers | Sophomore |
| F | Kyle Kuzma | Los Angeles Lakers | Rookie |
| G | Donovan Mitchell | Utah Jazz | Rookie |
| G | Dennis Smith Jr. | Dallas Mavericks | Rookie |
| F | Jayson Tatum | Boston Celtics | Rookie |
| F | Taurean Prince | Atlanta Hawks | Sophomore |
| G | De'Aaron Fox | Sacramento Kings | Rookie |
| Head coach: Roy Rogers (Houston Rockets) ||||
^INJ1 Malcolm Brogdon was unable to participate due to a leg injury. ^REP1 Taurean Prince was selected as Malcolm Brogdon's replacement. ^INJ2 Lonzo Ball was unable to participate due to a knee injury. ^REP2 De'Aaron Fox was selected as Lonzo Ball's replacement.
* TNT
* February 16 9:00 pm ET
* Boxscore
Team World 155, Team USA 124 :
| Scoring by half: 78–59, 77–65 |||
| Pts: Buddy Hield 29 Rebs: Domantas Sabonis 11 Asts: Ben Simmons 13 | Pts: Jaylen Brown 35 Rebs: Jaylen Brown 10 Asts: Donovan Mitchell 7 |
* Staples Center, Los Angeles Attendance: 19,060 Referees:
* #21 Dedric Taylor
* #7 Lauren Holtkamp
* #39 Tyler Ford

### Skills Challenge

Contestants :
| Pos. | Player | Team | Height | Weight |
| G | Spencer Dinwiddie | Brooklyn Nets | 6–6 | 200 |
| C | Joel Embiid | Philadelphia 76ers | 7–0 | 250 |
| F/C | Al Horford | Boston Celtics | 6–10 | 245 |
| F | Lauri Markkanen | Chicago Bulls | 7–0 | 230 |
| G | Donovan Mitchell | Utah Jazz | 6–3 | 215 |
| G | Jamal Murray | Denver Nuggets | 6–4 | 207 |
| F/C | Kristaps Porziņģis | New York Knicks | 7–3 | 240 |
| G | Lou Williams | Los Angeles Clippers | 6–1 | 175 |
| G | Buddy Hield | Sacramento Kings | 6–4 | 214 |
| C | Andre Drummond | Detroit Pistons | 6–11 | 279 |
^OUT Donovan Mitchell was removed due to replacing Aaron Gordon in the Slam Dunk Contest. ^ALT Buddy Hield was named as Donovan Mitchell's replacement. ^INJ Kristaps Porziņģis unable to participate due to a torn ACL. ^REP Andre Drummond was named as Kristaps Porziņģis' replacement.
| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| Spencer Dinwiddie (Brooklyn) | Spencer Dinwiddie (Brooklyn) | O | | | | | | |
| Buddy Hield (Sacramento) | Buddy Hield (Sacramento) | X | | | | | | |
| Buddy Hield (Sacramento) | Buddy Hield (Sacramento) | X | Spencer Dinwiddie (Brooklyn) | Spencer Dinwiddie (Brooklyn) | O | | | |
| | | | Jamal Murray (Denver) | Jamal Murray (Denver) | X | | | |
| Jamal Murray (Denver) | Jamal Murray (Denver) | O | Jamal Murray (Denver) | Jamal Murray (Denver) | X | | | |
| Lou Williams (LA Clippers) | Lou Williams (LA Clippers) | X | | | | | | |
| Lou Williams (LA Clippers) | Lou Williams (LA Clippers) | X | | | | Spencer Dinwiddie (Brooklyn) | Spencer Dinwiddie (Brooklyn) | O |
| | | | | | | Lauri Markkanen (Chicago) | Lauri Markkanen (Chicago) | X |
| Al Horford (Boston) | Al Horford (Boston) | X | | | | | | | Lauri Markkanen (Chicago) | Lauri Markkanen (Chicago) | X |
| Joel Embiid (Philadelphia) | Joel Embiid (Philadelphia) | O | | | | | | |
| Joel Embiid (Philadelphia) | Joel Embiid (Philadelphia) | O | Joel Embiid (Philadelphia) | Joel Embiid (Philadelphia) | X | | | |
| | | | Lauri Markkanen (Chicago) | Lauri Markkanen (Chicago) | O | | | |
| Lauri Markkanen (Chicago) | Lauri Markkanen (Chicago) | O | Lauri Markkanen (Chicago) | Lauri Markkanen (Chicago) | O | | | |
| Andre Drummond (Detroit) | Andre Drummond (Detroit) | X | | | | | | |

### Three-Point Contest

Contestants :
| Pos. | Player | Team | Height | Weight | First round | Final round |
| G | Devin Booker | Phoenix Suns | 6–6 | 210 | 19 | 28 |
| G | Klay Thompson | Golden State Warriors | 6–7 | 215 | 19 | 25 |
| F | Tobias Harris | Los Angeles Clippers | 6–9 | 235 | 18 | 17 |
| G | Wayne Ellington | Miami Heat | 6–5 | 200 | 17 | — |
| G | Bradley Beal | Washington Wizards | 6–5 | 207 | 15 | — |
| G | Eric Gordon | Houston Rockets | 6–4 | 215 | 12 | — |
| G | Kyle Lowry | Toronto Raptors | 6–0 | 205 | 11 | — |
| F | Paul George | Oklahoma City Thunder | 6–9 | 220 | 9 | — |

### Slam Dunk Contest

Contestants :
| Pos. | Player | Team | Height | Weight | First round | Final round |
| G | Donovan Mitchell | Utah Jazz | 6–3 | 215 | 98 (48+50) | 98 (50+48) |
| F | Larry Nance Jr. | Cleveland Cavaliers | 6–9 | 230 | 93 (44+49) | 96 (46+50) |
| G | Dennis Smith Jr. | Dallas Mavericks | 6–3 | 195 | 89 (39+50) | — |
| G | Victor Oladipo | Indiana Pacers | 6–4 | 210 | 71 (31+40) | — |
| G | Aaron Gordon | Orlando Magic | 6–9 | 220 | — | — |
^INJ Aaron Gordon was unable to participate due to a hip injury. ^REP Donovan Mitchell was named as Aaron Gordon's replacement.