NBA All-Star 2023: By the numbers
SALT LAKE CITY — NBA All-Star 2023 will reach fans in 214 countries and territories in 60 languages on their televisions, computers, mobile phones and tablets, culminating with the 72nd NBA All-Star Game, when Team LeBron faces Team Giannis on Sunday, Feb. 19 at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City. TNT and ESPN Radio will air the NBA All-Star Game live in the United States at 8:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. MT as NBA All-Star returns to Salt Lake City for the first time in 30 years.
Vivint Arena, home of the Utah Jazz, will also host the Jordan Rising Stars on Friday, Feb. 17 and State Farm® All-Star Saturday Night – which will feature the AT&T Slam Dunk, Kia Skills Challenge and STARRY 3-Point Contest – on Saturday, Feb. 18. The Jon M. Huntsman Center will host the Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game on Friday, Feb. 17, the NBA All-Star Practice presented by AT&T and the NBA HBCU Classic presented by AT&T on Feb. 18, and the NBA G League Next Up Game on Feb. 19.
Below are numbers and tidbits about NBA All-Star 2023:
2023 NBA All-Star Game
- 1 – For the first time, the NBA All-Star Draft presented by Jordan Brand will take place right before the NBA All-Star Game, with team captains LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks selecting their rosters live on TNT from Vivint Arena at 7:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. MT.
- 19 – LeBron James has tied Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with his 19th NBA All-Star selection and – with his appearance in Salt Lake City – will pass Abdul-Jabbar for the most NBA All-Star Games played with 19.
- 22 – Twenty-two teams have at least one NBA All-Star selection, a single-season record.
- 28 – Two-time reigning Kia NBA MVP Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets turns 28 on Feb. 19 and will become the first player to start an NBA All-Star Game on his birthday.
- 29 – Giannis Antetokounmpo has the highest scoring average in NBA All-Star Game history at 0 points per game.
- 1,000,000 – Nearly $1,000,000 in total will be contributed to the two NBA All-Star Game beneficiaries – Big Brothers Big Sisters Utah (Team LeBron) and Raise the Future (Team Giannis) – through the All-Star Game and the NBA All-Star Practice presented by AT&T.
NBA All-Star 1993 in Salt Lake City
- 1 – When Salt Lake City last hosted NBA All-Star 30 years ago, Karl Malone and John Stockton of the hometown Jazz became the first teammates to share the NBA All-Star Game MVP Award.
- 9 – Nine members of the 1992 Dream Team were NBA All-Stars in the 1992-93 season: Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, Chris Mullin, Scottie Pippen, David Robinson and John Stockton.
- 40,000 – The fan-focused NBA Jam Session debuted at NBA All-Star 1993 and attracted more than 40,000 fans over four days.
NBA All-Star Around the World
- 6/9 – The 2023 NBA All-Star Game will feature a record six international starters and a record-tying nine international players overall.
- Starters: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks; Greece; ties to Nigeria), Luka Dončić (Dallas Mavericks; Slovenia), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers; Cameroon), Kyrie Irving (Dallas Mavericks; Australia), Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets; Serbia) and Lauri Markkanen (Utah Jazz; Finland).
- Reserves: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder; Canada), Domantas Sabonis (Sacramento Kings; Lithuania) and Pascal Siakam (Toronto Raptors; Cameroon).
- 24– “NBA Films for Fans,” a new program featuring 24 original short films created by filmmakers from around the world in celebration of the game of basketball, will tip off at NBA All-Star 2023, where filmmakers from Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, Senegal, the United Kingdom and the United States will debut their work.
Business Performance Heading into All-Star Break
- 44 – NBA games have driven TNT and ESPN to be the most-viewed cable networks in primetime among people under 50 on 44 of the 49 nights that NBA games have aired this season.
- 52/60 – NBA League Pass has seen a 52% growth in subscribers and 60% increase in viewership compared with the same point last season.
- 644,000,000 – The NBA has generated 644 million video views across the NBA App, NBA.com and connected devices, up +181% compared with the same point last season.
- 11,800,000,000 – The NBA has generated 8 billion video views across its social media channels this season, up 55% compared with the same point last season.
Jordan Rising Stars
- 28 – A total of 28 players – 21 NBA rookies and sophomores and seven NBA G League standouts – will compete in Jordan Rising Stars, a four-team mini-tournament where all three games will be played to a Final Target Score.
- 62 – Jordan Rising Stars honorary head coaches Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah, Jason Terry and Deron Williams combined to play 62 NBA seasons.
AT&T Slam Dunk
- 1 – A first-time champion will be crowned in AT&T Slam Dunk as KJ Martin (Houston Rockets), Mac McClung (Philadelphia 76ers), Trey Murphy III (New Orleans Pelicans) and Jericho Sims (New York Knicks) will all make their event debuts.
- 44.5 – Jericho Sims recorded a 44.5-inch maximum vertical jump at the 2021 NBA Draft Combine, tied for the third-highest mark in event history.
Kia Skills Challenge
- 3 – Three Antetokounmpo brothers – Giannis (Milwaukee Bucks), Thanasis (Bucks) and Alex (NBA G League’s Wisconsin Herd) – comprise one of the Kia Skills Challenge teams for the second year in a row.
- 5 – Three of the top five picks in the 2022 NBA Draft will make up the Rooks team: Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (No. 1 pick), Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (No. 3 pick) and Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey (No. 5 pick).
Starry 3-Point Contest
- 4 – Four 2023 NBA All-Stars – Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers), Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers), Lauri Markkanen (Utah Jazz) and Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics) – are in the field for the STARRY 3-Point Contest, which also includes 2020 event champion Buddy Hield of Indiana.
- 300,000: If any player scores 30 points in a single round of the 3-Point Contest, STARRY will make a $300,000 donation to the NBA Foundation.
Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game
- 21 – GRAMMY® Award-winning recording artist 21 Savage will play in the Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, which will also feature GRAMMY Award-nominated recording artist and actress Janelle Monáe, Pro Football Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson, 11-time MLB All-Star Albert Pujols and many more stars from the world of sports and entertainment.
NBA G League Next Up Game
- 24 – Twenty-four NBA G League players, including eight players from NBA G League Ignite, will compete in the first NBA G League Next Up Game.
NBA HBCU Classic presented by AT&T
- 3 – The NBA HBCU Classic presented by AT&T – a matchup between the Grambling State University and Southern University men’s basketball teams on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 4 p.m. ET/2 p.m. MT – will be simulcast on three networks: TNT, ESPN2 and NBA TV.
Social Impact
- 500 – More than 500 NBA volunteers, including current players, legends, guests and community partners, will participate in the 15th annual NBA Cares All-Star Day of Service on Friday, Feb. 17.
- 3,000,000 – Together, the NBA and National Basketball Players Association will contribute more than $3 million to the Utah and HBCU communities as part of NBA All-Star 2023.
Youth Basketball Development
- 13 – The Jr. NBA and Junior Jazz will host 13 youth basketball development events in Utah for local youth players, coaches and referees throughout NBA All-Star 2023.
- 1,500 – The Jr. NBA will host up to 1,500 local youth across six school districts for the sixth Jr. NBA Day at NBA All-Star, which will include on-court activities and exercises that celebrate the game.
NBA All-Star on TNT
- 1 – At NBA All-Star 1993 in Salt Lake City, TNT analyst and then-NBA rookie Shaquille O’Neal played in his first NBA All-Star Game, and TNT analyst Kenny Smith became the first player to compete in both the Slam Dunk and 3-Point contests in the same year.
- 7 – Seven-time WNBA All-Star Candace Parker of the Las Vegas Aces will call the NBA All-Star Game for the first time.
NBA All-Star on ESPN
- 20 – ESPN will present the Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game for the 20th time, airing on Friday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. ET.
