# 2022 NBA All-Star Game

The 2022 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition game played on February 20, 2022, during the National Basketball Association's 2021–22 season. It was the 71st edition of the NBA All-Star Game. The game was hosted by the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. This was the third time that the Cleveland area hosted the All-Star Game, the first being in 1981 at the Coliseum in nearby Richfield, Ohio, and most recently in 1997—three years after the Cavaliers moved back to downtown Cleveland to play in the newly built Gund Arena, which is now known as Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Coincidentally, on the occasion Cleveland hosted an All-Star Game, the NBA celebrated its 35th season (1981), 50th anniversary (1997), and 75th anniversary (2022). The announcement of the site selection was made on November 1, 2018, at a press conference held by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
With teams captained by LeBron James and Kevin Durant, Team LeBron won the game 163–160. Team LeBron's Stephen Curry, who scored 50 points, set the record for most three-pointers made in an All-Star quarter (6), half (8), and game (16), and was also named the All-Star Game Kobe Bryant Most Valuable Player. This was Team LeBron's fifth consecutive All-Star win.

## All-Star Game
### Coaches

Monty Williams, coach of the Phoenix Suns, qualified as the head coach of Team LeBron on January 30. Erik Spoelstra, coach of the Miami Heat, qualified as the head coach of Team Durant on February 6.

### Rosters

As had been the case in previous years, the rosters for the All-Star Game were selected through a voting process. The fans could vote through the NBA website and the NBA App. The starters were chosen by the fans, media, and current NBA players. Fans made up 50% of the vote, and NBA players and media each comprised 25% of the vote. The two guards and three frontcourt players who received the highest cumulative vote totals in each conferences were named the All-Star starters and two players in each conferences with the highest votes were named team captains. NBA head coaches voted for the reserves for their respective conferences, none of which could be players from their own team. Each coach selected 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 was to be selected, coaches were 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 27, 2022. Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks and DeMar DeRozan of the Chicago Bulls were named the backcourt starters in the East, earning their second and fifth all-star appearances, respectively. Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks were named the frontcourt starters in the East, earning their 12th and sixth all-star appearances, respectively. Joining in the East frontcourt was Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, his fifth selection.
Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors were named to the starting backcourt in the West, earning their first and eighth all-star appearances, respectively. In the frontcourt, Andrew Wiggins of the Golden State Warriors and LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers were named to their first and 18th all-star selections, respectively. Joining them was reigning MVP Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets, in his fourth all-star selection. Wiggins was the third first-time All-Star to be voted a starter in his eighth season or later. He also became the first No. 1 overall draft pick in the modern draft era (since 1966) to earn their first All-Star selection in their eighth season or later.
The All-Star Game reserves were announced on February 3, 2022. The West reserves included Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns, his third selection (and first as a non-replacement player); Luka Dončić of the Dallas Mavericks, his third selection; Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz, his third selection; Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors, his fourth selection; Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz, his third selection; Chris Paul of the Phoenix Suns, his 12th selection; and Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves, his third selection.
The East reserves included Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat, his sixth selection; Darius Garland of the Cleveland Cavaliers, his first selection; James Harden of the Philadelphia 76ers, his tenth selection; Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls, his second selection; Khris Middleton of the Milwaukee Bucks, his third selection; Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics, his third selection; Fred VanVleet of the Toronto Raptors, his first selection; and Jarrett Allen of the Cleveland Cavaliers, his first selection, as an injury replacement for James Harden.
Eastern Conference All-Stars :
| Pos | Player | Team | No. of selections |
| Starters ||||
| G | Trae Young | Atlanta Hawks | 2 |
| G | DeMar DeRozan | Chicago Bulls | 5 |
| C | Joel Embiid | Philadelphia 76ers | 5 |
| F | Kevin Durant | Brooklyn Nets | 12 |
| F | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks | 6 |
| Reserves ||||
| G | LaMelo Ball | Charlotte Hornets | 1 |
| G | Darius Garland | Cleveland Cavaliers | 1 |
| G | James Harden | Philadelphia 76ers | 10 |
| G | Zach LaVine | Chicago Bulls | 2 |
| G | Fred VanVleet | Toronto Raptors | 1 |
| F | Jimmy Butler | Miami Heat | 6 |
| F | Khris Middleton | Milwaukee Bucks | 3 |
| F | Jayson Tatum | Boston Celtics | 3 |
| C | Jarrett Allen | Cleveland Cavaliers | 1 |
Western Conference All-Stars :
| Pos | Player | Team | No. of selections |
| Starters ||||
| G | Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors | 8 |
| G | Ja Morant | Memphis Grizzlies | 1 |
| C | Nikola Jokić | Denver Nuggets | 4 |
| F | LeBron James | Los Angeles Lakers | 18 |
| F | Andrew Wiggins | Golden State Warriors | 1 |
| Reserves ||||
| G | Devin Booker | Phoenix Suns | 3 |
| G | Luka Dončić | Dallas Mavericks | 3 |
| G | Donovan Mitchell | Utah Jazz | 3 |
| G | Dejounte Murray | San Antonio Spurs | 1 |
| G | Chris Paul | Phoenix Suns | 12 |
| F | Draymond Green | Golden State Warriors | 4 |
| C | Rudy Gobert | Utah Jazz | 3 |
| C | Karl-Anthony Towns | Minnesota Timberwolves | 3 |

#### Notes

Italics indicates leading vote-getters per conference.
^INJ1 Kevin Durant was unable to play due to a knee injury. ^REP1 LaMelo Ball was selected as Kevin Durant's replacement. ^INJ2 Draymond Green was unable to play due to a lower disc injury. ^REP2 Dejounte Murray was selected as Draymond Green's replacement. ^ST Jayson Tatum was selected to start in place of Durant. ^INJ3 James Harden was unable to play due to a hamstring injury, but was present for the halftime ceremony. ^REP3 Jarrett Allen was selected as James Harden's replacement. ^NOTE1 After being announced as an All-Star, James Harden was traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Philadelphia 76ers.

### Draft

The NBA-All Star draft took place on February 10, 2022. LeBron James and Kevin Durant were named captains for the second straight year, as they both received the most votes from the West and East, respectively. The first eight players to be drafted were starters. The next 14 players, chosen by NBA head coaches (seven from each conference), were then drafted. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver selected replacements for any player unable to participate in the All-Star Game, choosing a player from the same conference as the player who was being replaced. Silver's selection joined the team that drafted the replaced player. If a replaced player is a starter, the head coach of that team would choose a new starter from their cast of players. James picked Giannis Antetokounmpo with his first pick, and Durant picked Joel Embiid second. Team Durant was the home team due to the Eastern Conference having home team status for the game.
2022 All-Star Draft :
| Pick | Player | Team |
| 1 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | LeBron |
| 2 | Joel Embiid | Durant |
| 3 | Stephen Curry | LeBron |
| 4 | Ja Morant | Durant |
| 5 | DeMar DeRozan | LeBron |
| 6 | Jayson Tatum | Durant |
| 7 | Nikola Jokić | LeBron |
| 8 | Andrew Wiggins | Durant |
| 9 | Trae Young | Durant |
| 10 | Devin Booker | Durant |
| 11 | Luka Dončić | LeBron |
| 12 | Karl-Anthony Towns | Durant |
| 13 | Darius Garland | LeBron |
| 14 | Zach LaVine | Durant |
| 15 | Chris Paul | LeBron |
| 16 | Dejounte Murray | Durant |
| 17 | Jimmy Butler | LeBron |
| 18 | Khris Middleton | Durant |
| 19 | Donovan Mitchell | LeBron |
| 20 | LaMelo Ball | Durant |
| 21 | Fred VanVleet | LeBron |
| 22 | Rudy Gobert | Durant |
| 23 | James Harden | LeBron |

### Lineups

Team LeBron :
| Pos | Player | Team |
| Starters |||
| F | LeBron James | Los Angeles Lakers |
| F | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks |
| C | Nikola Jokić | Denver Nuggets |
| G | DeMar DeRozan | Chicago Bulls |
| G | Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors |
| Reserves |||
| F | Luka Dončić | Dallas Mavericks |
| G | Darius Garland | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| G | Chris Paul | Phoenix Suns |
| F | Jimmy Butler | Miami Heat |
| G | Donovan Mitchell | Utah Jazz |
| G | Fred VanVleet | Toronto Raptors |
| C | Jarrett Allen | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Head coach: Monty Williams (Phoenix Suns) |||
Team Durant :
| Pos | Player | Team |
| Starters |||
| F | Andrew Wiggins | Golden State Warriors |
| F | Jayson Tatum | Boston Celtics |
| C | Joel Embiid | Philadelphia 76ers |
| G | Ja Morant | Memphis Grizzlies |
| G | Trae Young | Atlanta Hawks |
| Reserves |||
| G | Devin Booker | Phoenix Suns |
| F/C | Karl-Anthony Towns | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| G | Zach LaVine | Chicago Bulls |
| G | Dejounte Murray | San Antonio Spurs |
| F | Khris Middleton | Milwaukee Bucks |
| G | LaMelo Ball | Charlotte Hornets |
| C | Rudy Gobert | Utah Jazz |
| Head coach: Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat) |||

### Game

The 2022 All-Star Game used the same format as the 2020 edition; the team that scores the most points during each of the first three 12-minute quarters received a cash prize, which was donated to a designated charity; the pot would roll over if the teams are tied. The fourth quarter was untimed under the rules of the Elam Ending, in which the first team to meet or exceed a "target score"—the score of the leading team in total scoring after three quarters plus 24—was declared the winner.
After one quarter win each and a tie in the third quarter, LeBron James made a walk-off basket on a turnaround fadeaway jumper to win the game 163–160. Team LeBron's Stephen Curry won the NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant Most Valuable Player Award after scoring 50 points, two shy of Anthony Davis's record and 48 of which were made from three-pointers, and setting three-pointers record.
* TNT, TBS
* February 20, 2022 8:00 pm ET
* Box score
Team Durant 160, Team LeBron 163 :
| Scoring by quarter: 45–47, 49–46, 45–45, 21–25 |||
| Pts: Joel Embiid 36 Rebs: Joel Embiid 10 Asts: Trae Young 10 | Pts: Stephen Curry 50 Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 12 Asts: James, Jokić 8 each |
* Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, Ohio Referees:
* #5 Kane Fitzgerald
* #60 James Williams
* #45 Brian Forte

## All-Star Weekend
### Celebrity Game

The 2022 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game was played on Friday, February 18, 2022, at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The coaches for the 2022 game were NBA legends Bill Walton and Dominique Wilkins. Team Walton defeated Team Nique 65–51 and Alex Toussaint took home the MVP award with 18 points.
* ESPN
* February 18, 2022 7:00 pm ET
* Wolstein Center, Cleveland, Ohio
Team Walton :
| Player | Background |
| Jimmie Allen | Singer, songwriter |
| Brittney Elena | Host, actress, athlete and model |
| Machine Gun Kelly | Rapper, songwriter |
| Dearica Hamby | WNBA player |
| Noah Carlock | Fanatics All-In Challenge winner |
| Kareem Hunt | NFL player |
| Matt James | ABC's The Bachelor |
| Quavo (4) | Rapper, recording artist |
| Ranveer Singh | Actor |
| Alex Toussaint | Peloton instructor |
| Anderson Varejão | Former NBA player |
| Head coach: Bill Walton (NBA legends) ||
Team Nique :
| Player | Background |
| Anuel AA | Singer |
| Justin Bibb | Mayor of Cleveland |
| Kane Brown (2) | 4x AMA award-winning artist |
| Myles Garrett | NFL player |
| Daniel Gibson | Former NBA player |
| Tiffany Haddish | Comedian, actress and author |
| Jack Harlow | Rapper, recording artist |
| Crissa Jackson | Harlem Globetrotters player |
| Anjali Ranadivé | Singer, songwriter |
| Gianmarco Tamberi | Olympic high jump champion |
| Head coach: Dominique Wilkins (NBA legends) ||

### NBA HBCU Classic

A neutral site Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) college basketball game between the Howard Bison and Morgan State Bears was held on February 19, 2022, at the Wolstein Center as the inaugural NBA HBCU Classic. The NBA and AT&T donated $100,000 to each team's athletic department, and the game was simulcasted by NBA TV, TNT and ESPN2. Howard defeated Morgan State 68–66.

### Rising Stars Challenge

Team Barry :
| Pos. | Player | Team | R/S/P |
| G | Cade Cunningham | Detroit Pistons | Rookie |
| F | Dyson Daniels | NBA G League Ignite | Prospect |
| F | Evan Mobley | Cleveland Cavaliers | Rookie |
| G/F | Isaac Okoro | Cleveland Cavaliers | Sophomore |
| C | Alperen Şengün | Houston Rockets | Rookie |
| F | Jae'Sean Tate | Houston Rockets | Sophomore |
| F | Franz Wagner | Orlando Magic | Rookie |
| Honorary coach: Rick Barry ||||
| Head coach: Bryan Gates (Phoenix Suns) ||||
Team Isiah :
| Pos. | Player | Team | R/S/P |
| F/C | Precious Achiuwa | Toronto Raptors | Sophomore |
| G/F | Desmond Bane | Memphis Grizzlies | Sophomore |
| F | Saddiq Bey | Detroit Pistons | Sophomore |
| G | Anthony Edwards | Minnesota Timberwolves | Sophomore |
| G | Tyrese Haliburton | Indiana Pacers | Sophomore |
| G | Jaden Hardy | NBA G League Ignite | Prospect |
| C | Isaiah Stewart | Detroit Pistons | Sophomore |
| Honorary coach: Isiah Thomas ||||
| Head coach: Kevin Young (Phoenix Suns) ||||
Team Payton :
| Pos. | Player | Team | R/S/P |
| G | LaMelo Ball | Charlotte Hornets | Sophomore |
| F | Scottie Barnes | Toronto Raptors | Rookie |
| G | Ayo Dosunmu | Chicago Bulls | Rookie |
| G | Chris Duarte | Indiana Pacers | Rookie |
| G | Scoot Henderson | NBA G League Ignite | Prospect |
| F | Jaden McDaniels | Minnesota Timberwolves | Sophomore |
| G | Davion Mitchell | Sacramento Kings | Rookie |
| F | Jonathan Kuminga | Golden State Warriors | Rookie |
| G | Bones Hyland | Denver Nuggets | Rookie |
| Honorary coach: Gary Payton ||||
| Head coach: Chris Quinn (Miami Heat) ||||
Team Worthy :
| Pos. | Player | Team | R/S/P |
| G | Cole Anthony | Orlando Magic | Sophomore |
| G/F | MarJon Beauchamp | NBA G League Ignite | Prospect |
| G | Josh Giddey | Oklahoma City Thunder | Rookie |
| G | Jalen Green | Houston Rockets | Rookie |
| C | Herbert Jones | New Orleans Pelicans | Rookie |
| G | Tyrese Maxey | Philadelphia 76ers | Sophomore |
| G | Jalen Suggs | Orlando Magic | Rookie |
| Honorary coach: James Worthy ||||
| Head coach: Malik Allen (Miami Heat) ||||
^INJ1 Chris Duarte was unable to participate due to a toe injury. ^REP1 Jonathan Kuminga was selected as Chris Duarte's replacement. ^INJ2 Davion Mitchell was unable to participate due to a hand injury. ^REP2 Bones Hyland was selected as Davion Mitchell's replacement.
| Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
| Team Isiah | 50 |
| Team Worthy | 49 | | |
| Team Worthy | 49 | Team Isiah | 20 |
| | | Team Barry | 25 |
| Team Barry | 50 | Team Barry | 25 |
| Team Payton | 48 | | |

### Skills Challenge

The Skills Challenge took place on February 19. Team Rooks advanced to the finals after winning the third round and receiving 200 points in the round. Team Cavs defeated Team Rooks in the finals after Evan Mobley drilled a half-court shot.
Team Rooks :
| Pos. | Player | Team |
| F | Scottie Barnes | Toronto Raptors |
| G | Cade Cunningham | Detroit Pistons |
| G | Josh Giddey | Oklahoma City Thunder |
Team Cavs :
| Pos. | Player | Team |
| C | Jarrett Allen | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| G | Darius Garland | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| C/F | Evan Mobley | Cleveland Cavaliers |
Team Antetokounmpos :
| Pos. | Player | Team |
| F | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks |
| F | Alex Antetokounmpo | Raptors 905 |
| F | Thanasis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks |

### Three-Point Contest

The Three-Point Contest took place on February 19. Towns won his first Three-Point Contest by defeating Trae Young and Luke Kennard. Towns set the record for most points in the final round with 29 surpassing Devin Booker who had 28 in 2018, becoming the first center to win the event and the first Timberwolves player since Kevin Love in 2012.
Contestants :
| Pos. | Player | Team | Height | Weight | First round | Final round |
| C/F | Karl-Anthony Towns | Minnesota Timberwolves | 6–11 | 248 | 22 | 29 |
| G | Trae Young | Atlanta Hawks | 6–1 | 164 | 22 | 26 |
| G | Luke Kennard | Los Angeles Clippers | 6–5 | 206 | 28 | 26 |
| G | Patty Mills | Brooklyn Nets | 6–0 | 180 | 21 | DNQ |
| G | CJ McCollum | New Orleans Pelicans | 6–5 | 190 | 19 | DNQ |
| G | Desmond Bane | Memphis Grizzlies | 6–5 | 215 | 18 | DNQ |
| G | Fred VanVleet | Toronto Raptors | 6–1 | 195 | 16 | DNQ |
| G | Zach LaVine | Chicago Bulls | 6–5 | 200 | 14 | DNQ |

### Slam Dunk Contest

The Slam Dunk Contest took place on February 19. Toppin won his first NBA Slam Dunk Contest by defeating Juan Toscano-Anderson in the finals. The contest was heavily criticized by analysts, players, and fans, with Dwyane Wade, who was calling the contest, describing it as "a solid six", which in the contest is the lowest score a dunk can receive.
Contestants :
| Pos. | Player | Team | Height | Weight | First round | Final round |
| F | Obi Toppin | New York Knicks | 6–9 | 220 | 90 (44+46) | 92 (45+47) |
| F | Juan Toscano-Anderson | Golden State Warriors | 6–6 | 209 | 87 (44+43) | 69 (39+30) |
| G | Jalen Green | Houston Rockets | 6–4 | 186 | 83 (38+45) | DNQ |
| G | Cole Anthony | Orlando Magic | 6–3 | 185 | 70 (40+30) | DNQ |

### Clorox Clutch Challenge

Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers and Desmond Bane of the Memphis Grizzlies were the winners of the 2022 Clorox Clutch Challenge, an event for the 75th season at the 2022 NBA All-Star Weekend. The runner-up teams consisted of Chris Duarte and Scottie Barnes, Evan Mobley and Josh Giddey, as well as G-League players Michael Foster Jr. and Fanbo Zeng. Tyrese Maxey would end up replacing Duarte due to injury.

## Broadcasting

The game was televised nationally in the United States by TNT. This is the first All-Star Game since 2000 (then aired on NBC) to not be called by Marv Albert, as he retired at the end of the 2020–21 NBA season. (Albert, however, did call the 2000 All-Star Weekend as the event was aired on TNT and not NBC.) Sister network TBS carried an alternate feed, Inside the All-Star Game, which featured a conversational presentation of the game featuring the Inside the NBA panel of Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kenny Smith, with guests such as Draymond Green. Coaches, referees, and selected players also wore microphones. It was also the only time Kevin Harlan called the All-Star Game, with Brian Anderson taking over starting 2023.
In Canada, the game was televised nationally by Sportsnet.