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| Date | March 7, 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Arena | State Farm Arena | ||||||||||||||||||
| City | Atlanta | ||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Giannis Antetokounmpo (Team LeBron) | ||||||||||||||||||
| National anthem | Gladys Knight (American) Alessia Cara (Canadian) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Halftime show | 2021AT&T Slam Dunk Contest | ||||||||||||||||||
| Network | TNT andTBS | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Marv Albert,Reggie Miller,Chris Webber, andAllie LaForce Ernie Johnson,Kenny Smith,Shaquille O'Neal, andDwyane Wade (Skills Competition, 3 Point Contest, and Slam Dunk Contest) | ||||||||||||||||||
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| NBA All-Star Game | |||||||||||||||||||
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The2021 NBA All-Star Game was anexhibitionbasketball game played on March 7, 2021, during theNational Basketball Association's (NBA)2020–21 season. It was the 70th edition of theNBA All-Star Game, and was hosted atState Farm Arena inAtlanta, home of theAtlanta Hawks. With teams captained byLeBron James andKevin Durant, Team LeBron won the game 170–150.Giannis Antetokounmpo of Team LeBron was named theAll-Star Game Most Valuable Player. The game was originally scheduled to be held inIndianapolis, but it was relocated to Atlanta due to theCOVID-19 pandemic and resulting scheduling conflicts with the2021 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. The game was televised nationally onTNT for the 19th consecutive year, and simulcast onTBS for the 7th consecutive year.
This was the third time that Atlanta hosted the All-Star Game; the previous times were1978 and2003. This was the last All-Star gameMarv Albert would call in his career.
On December 13, 2017, at a press conference held by theIndiana Pacers, it was announced that the 2021 NBA All-Star Game would be hosted atBankers Life Fieldhouse inIndianapolis, Indiana. In attendance at the announcement wasNBA CommissionerAdam Silver, Pacers ownerHerb Simon,GovernorEric Holcomb, andMayorJoe Hogsett. The team had submitted its bid for the game in grand fashion with then-team president and NBA legendLarry Bird delivering the bid in anDallara IR-05.[1]
On November 25, 2020, the NBA announced that the All-Star Game would be postponed due to NBA schedule changes as a result of theCOVID-19 pandemic and potential schedule conflicts with the2021 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament (which, for logistical considerations, was relocated in and around the Indianapolis area).[2][3] Silver confirmed that Indianapolis will instead host the2024 NBA All-Star Game.[2][4] On February 4, 2021, the NBA and theNBA Players Association announced the 2021 All-Star Game had been relocated toState Farm Arena inAtlanta, home of theAtlanta Hawks.[5]
The NBA placed a focus on supporting African-American communities through the All-Star Game; on February 15, it was announced that the NBA and the NBA Players Association would donate $2.5 million to support equitable COVID-19 care and relief, andhistorically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).[6] The two teams played in support of theThurgood Marshall College Fund andUnited Negro College Fund respectively, recorded performances ofbands fromFlorida A&M University andGrambling State University were used for player introductions, and the court was decorated with artwork from students of HBCUs.[7][8]
All participants in the game were required to test negative on aCOVID-19 PCRtest before they were transported to Atlanta, and they could only bring limited family and friends. They were required to use private transport provided by the league. All NBA players were subject to daily testing during the All-Star break, even if they were not participating in the game, and they were prohibited from travelling internationally or using public accommodations if they did travel out of their home market. For the first week after the break, all players were subject to gameday testing protocols (one rapid test and two PCR tests) daily, even if they were not scheduled to play that day.[9]
The NBA faced criticism for going on with the All-Star Game, raising the possibility of asuperspreading event due to participation by players from multiple teams.[10][11] The possibility that exposure could also occur at events tied to the game was also raised.[12] Multiple players expressed resentment to the decision, includingCarmelo Anthony,LeBron James (who described it as a "slap in the face"), andKawhi Leonard among others.[11][13][10] Critics acknowledged that the All-Star Game has been a major source of revenue for the NBA and its media partners which likely factored into the decision to still go on with the event.[13][11] On March 8, the NBA reported that there were no positive tests among players and staff present on gameday.[14]
The All-Star Game was closed to the public, and there were no other official festivities tied to the game.[15] Spectators were limited to 1,200–1,500 invited guests and were expected to includevaccinated health care workers and the students and faculty of HBCUs.[16] Mayor of AtlantaKeisha Lance Bottoms publicly stated that "we are in agreement that this is a made-for-TV event only"; she asked fans to refrain from travelling to Atlanta for the game and strongly discouraged the hospitality industry from hosting events relating to the game.[12][11] This request was enforced by the NBA which sent cease-and-desist notices to various local businesses for using its trademarks to promote events tied to the All-Star Game.[17]Artificial crowd noise and virtual fans on screens along the court, similarly to theNBA Bubble, were also utilized.[18]
Quin Snyder, coach of theUtah Jazz, qualified as the head coach of Team LeBron on February 15.[19]Doc Rivers, coach of thePhiladelphia 76ers, also qualified as the head coach of Team Durant on February 19, after their win over the Chicago Bulls.[20]
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 as well as through theirGoogle account. 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.[21] 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.[22]
The All-Star Game starters were announced on February 18, 2021.Bradley Beal of theWashington Wizards andKyrie Irving of theBrooklyn Nets were named the backcourt starters in the East, earning their third and seventh all-star appearances, respectively.Kevin Durant of theBrooklyn Nets andGiannis Antetokounmpo of theMilwaukee Bucks were named the frontcourt starters in the East, earning their 11th and fifth all-star appearances, respectively. Joining in the East frontcourt wasJoel Embiid of thePhiladelphia 76ers, his fourth selection.[23]
Luka Dončić of theDallas Mavericks andStephen Curry of theGolden State Warriors were named to the starting backcourt in the West, earning their second and seventh all-star appearances, respectively. In the frontcourt,Kawhi Leonard of theLos Angeles Clippers andLeBron James of theLos Angeles Lakers was named to their fifth and 17th all-star selections, respectively. Joining them wasNikola Jokić of theDenver Nuggets, in his third all-star selection.[23]
The All-Star Game reserves were announced on February 23, 2021. The West reserves includedAnthony Davis of theLos Angeles Lakers, his eighth selection;Paul George of theLos Angeles Clippers, his seventh selection;Rudy Gobert of theUtah Jazz, his second selection;Damian Lillard of thePortland Trail Blazers, his sixth selection;Donovan Mitchell of theUtah Jazz, his second selection;Chris Paul of thePhoenix Suns, his 11th selection; andZion Williamson of theNew Orleans Pelicans, his first selection.[24]
The East reserves includedJaylen Brown of theBoston Celtics, his first selection;James Harden of theBrooklyn Nets, his ninth selection;Zach LaVine of theChicago Bulls, his first selection;Julius Randle of theNew York Knicks, his first selection;Ben Simmons of thePhiladelphia 76ers, his third selection;Jayson Tatum of theBoston Celtics, his second selection; andNikola Vučević of theOrlando Magic, his second selection.[24]
^INJ1 Anthony Davis was unable to play due to a calf injury.[25]
^REP1 Devin Booker was selected as Anthony Davis's replacement.[25]
^INJ2 Kevin Durant was unable to play due to a hamstring injury.[26]
^REP2 Domantas Sabonis was selected as Kevin Durant's replacement.[26]
^ST1 Jayson Tatum was selected to start in place of Durant.[26]
^INJ3 Devin Booker was unable to play due to knee injury.[27]
^REP3 Mike Conley was selected as Devin Booker's replacement.[27]
^ST2 Zion Williamson started in place of Joel Embiid on Team Durant, who was out for the game due to contact tracing in addition to his teammate Ben Simmons.[28][29]
The NBA All-Star Draft took place on March 4, 2021.LeBron James andKevin Durant were named captains, as they both received the most votes from the West and East, respectively.[23] This was the fourth straight year that James was named an All-Star team captain, while this was Durant's first selection as team captain. The first eight players that were drafted were starters. The next fourteen players (seven from each conference) were chosen by NBA head coaches. NBA CommissionerAdam 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 was a starter, the head coach of that team would choose a new starter from their cast of players instead.
James pickedGiannis Antetokounmpo with his first pick, and Durant pickedKyrie Irving second. Team Durant was the home team due to the Eastern Conference having home team status for the game.[30]
| Pick | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | LeBron |
| 2 | Kyrie Irving | Durant |
| 3 | Stephen Curry | LeBron |
| 4 | Joel Embiid | Durant |
| 5 | Luka Dončić | LeBron |
| 6 | Kawhi Leonard | Durant |
| 7 | Nikola Jokić | LeBron |
| 8 | Bradley Beal | Durant |
| 9 | Jayson Tatum | Durant |
| 10 | James Harden | Durant |
| 11 | Damian Lillard | LeBron |
| 12 | Devin Booker | Durant |
| 13 | Ben Simmons | LeBron |
| 14 | Zion Williamson | Durant |
| 15 | Chris Paul | LeBron |
| 16 | Zach LaVine | Durant |
| 17 | Jaylen Brown | LeBron |
| 18 | Julius Randle | Durant |
| 19 | Paul George | LeBron |
| 20 | Nikola Vučević | Durant |
| 21 | Domantas Sabonis | LeBron |
| 22 | Donovan Mitchell | Durant |
| 23 | Rudy Gobert | LeBron |
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Hours before theopening tip, the 76ers' Embiid and Simmons were scratched from the game due to NBA COVID-19 protocols as they had visited a local barber in Philadelphia who later tested positive before they traveled to Atlanta. No replacements were named, and each squad went with 11 players. Coach Rivers chose Williamson to start for Team Durant in place of Embiid.[31]
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 35 points on a perfect 16-of-16 shooting from the field to lead Team LeBron to a 170–150 win and captureAll-Star MVP honors. He set an All-Star record for most attempts without a miss, surpassingHal Greer's 8-for-8 in1968.[31][7]Damian Lillard andStephen Curry added 32 and 28 points, respectively, and both made eightthree-point field goals for Team LeBron, including several from more than 30 feet from the basket. Team Durant was led byBradley Beal's 26 points.[32]
The game used the same format as the2020 edition: the team that scored the most points during each of the first three 12-minute quarters would receive a cash prize to be donated to a designated charity. The fourth quarter was untimed, with the first team to meet or exceed a "target score"—the score of the leading team in total scoring after three quarters plus 24—declared the winner.[33] Team LeBron controlled the contest after winning the second quarter by 19 points, while also taking the first and third quarters by one point each.[7] Lillard made a walk-off 40-foot (12 m) three-pointer to win it.[32][31]LeBron James finished with just four points in 13 minutes, played the first half and rested thereafter.[31] His prior low in his 16 previous All-Star games was 13 points. Team LeBron donated over $1 million to theThurgood Marshall College Fund, while Team Durant gave $500,000 to theUnited Negro College Fund.[7]
March 7, 2021 8:00 pmET |
| Team LeBron170, Team Durant 150 | ||
| Scoring by quarter:40–39,60–41,46–45, 24–25 | ||
| Pts:Giannis Antetokounmpo 35 Rebs:Chris Paul 8 Asts: Chris Paul 16 | Pts:Bradley Beal 26 Rebs:Kawhi Leonard 9 Asts:Kyrie Irving 12 | |
MostNBA All-Star Weekend festivities were canceled, while some of the traditional Saturday-night competitions were moved to Sunday with the All-Star Game itself. TheSkills Challenge andThree-Point Contest were held before the game, and the Slam Dunk Contest at halftime.[31][34]
Due to the downsizing of the All-Star Game due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, the NBA All-Star Weekend was not held, and the Rising Stars Challenge was not played. The NBA still named the Rising Stars rosters of first- and second-year players.[31]
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A Rising Stars roster was named to honor the league's top first- and second-year players, but the game was not played.[31][36]
| Pos. | Player | Team | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F | Robert Covington | Portland Trail Blazers | 6–7 | 209 |
| G/F | Luka Dončić | Dallas Mavericks | 6–7 | 230 |
| G | Chris Paul | Phoenix Suns | 6–0 | 175 |
| F/C | Julius Randle | New York Knicks | 6–8 | 250 |
| F/C | Domantas Sabonis | Indiana Pacers | 6–11 | 240 |
| C | Nikola Vučević | Orlando Magic | 6–11 | 260 |
| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals | |||||||||
| Domantas Sabonis(Indiana) | O | ||||||||||
| Domantas Sabonis(Indiana) | O | Luka Dončić(Dallas) | X | ||||||||
| Julius Randle(New York) | X | Domantas Sabonis(Indiana) | O | ||||||||
| Nikola Vučević(Orlando) | X | ||||||||||
| Nikola Vučević(Orlando) | O | ||||||||||
| Nikola Vučević(Orlando) | O | Chris Paul(Phoenix) | X | ||||||||
| Robert Covington(Portland) | X | ||||||||||
Curry won his second Three-Point Contest after making his last shot in the final round to edgeMike Conley Jr. 28–27.[38]
| Pos. | Player | Team | Height | Weight | First round | Final round |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors | 6–3 | 185 | 31 | 28 |
| G | Mike Conley Jr.REP1 | Utah Jazz | 6–1 | 175 | 28 | 27 |
| F | Jayson Tatum | Boston Celtics | 6–8 | 210 | 25 | 17 |
| G/F | Zach LaVine | Chicago Bulls | 6–5 | 200 | 22 | DNQ |
| G | Donovan Mitchell | Utah Jazz | 6–3 | 215 | 22 | |
| G/F | Jaylen Brown | Boston Celtics | 6–6 | 223 | 17 | |
| G | Devin BookerINJ1 | Phoenix Suns | 6–5 | 206 | DNP | DNP |
^INJ1 Devin Booker was unable to play due to knee injury.[27]
^REP1 Mike Conley was selected as Devin Booker's replacement.[27]
| Pos. | Player | Team | Height | Weight | First round | Final round |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | Anfernee Simons | Portland Trail Blazers | 6–3 | 181 | 95(46+49) | 3 |
| F | Obi Toppin | New York Knicks | 6–9 | 220 | 94(48+46) | 2 |
| G | Cassius Stanley | Indiana Pacers | 6–5 | 190 | 81(44+37) | DNQ |
The All-Star Game was broadcast byTNT for the 19th consecutive year. The game was seen by 5.94 million viewers, an 18% decrease over 2020 and the least-watched All-Star Game overall, but it beatCBS'sOprah with Meghan and Harry special inkey demographic audience share.[41][42]
Additionally, this was the final NBA All-Star Game to ever be called byMarv Albert, as he announced his retirement from broadcasting following the2021 Playoffs.
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