Los Angeles, a city with a reputation for producing highly successful sequels, and STAPLES Center, considered one of the world’s best arenas for sports and entertainment, have been selected to host NBA All-Star 2011, marking the fifth time The City of Angels and the second time STAPLES Center will be the site of the annual celebration, NBA Commissioner David Stern announced at a press conference today in Los Angeles. AEG President and CEO Timothy J. Leiweke and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa joined Stern at the announcement.
The 60th NBA All-Star Game will be played on Sunday, February 20 at STAPLES Center which will also host the Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam and NBA All-Star Saturday Night. NBA All-Star Jam Session, the hugely successful interactive basketball celebration, will return to the Los Angeles Convention Center. Additionally, the NBA has the ability to activate the great hospitality and event spaces across the street from STAPLES Center within L.A. LIVE including the new Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott hotels. Los Angeles becomes the first city to host five NBA All-Star Games.
“Its state-of-the-art facilities, passionate fans, and first-class hospitality and entertainment options make Los Angeles an ideal host for NBA All-Star,” said Commissioner Stern. “We thank the city and STAPLES Center for welcoming us once again.”
The 2010-11 season will mark the 27th year that Turner Sports will provide NBA All-Star coverage, and the ninth consecutive year the All-Star Game will be televised in primetime on TNT. The All-Star Game will be seen by a worldwide television audience in more than 200 countries and will be broadcast in more than 40 languages.
“L.A. LIVE was truly designed to be a home for great events like the NBA All-Star game,” said Leiweke, President & CEO AEG, owners of STAPLES Center and L.A. LIVE. “We are fortunate that this will be the second All-Star weekend STAPLES Center will host in the last ten years and our ability to incorporate one of the best weekends in all of sports into our 100-acre campus is exactly what L.A. LIVE was created for. We are privileged to be partners with the NBA and welcome them back to Los Angeles and L.A. LIVE.”
“There is no better place to host the action and drama of the NBA All-Star Game than the stage of so many award winning performances,” said Mayor Villaraigosa. “On behalf of the City of Los Angeles, we look forward to welcoming NBA fans and players from across the country and around the globe to the entertainment capital of the world.”
STAPLES Center last played host to NBA All-Star in 2004, when the Los Angeles Lakers’ Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant combined for 44 points as the West edged the East 136-132. O’Neal earned MVP honors with 24 points and 11 rebounds. L.A. also hosted the All-Star Game in 1963, 1972 and 1983. The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena hosted All-Star in 1963, while the Forum hosted the other ’72 and ’83 games. The 1972 classic saw the Lakers’ Jerry West thrill the hometown fans with a last-second jumper that gave the West a 112-110 victory and netted him MVP honors.
NBA All-Star competitions will get underway on Friday, Feb. 18, as the league’s top rookies and second-year players square off in the Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam. The following day’s festivities will feature an
all-inclusive skills showcase known as NBA All-Star Saturday Night, which is comprised of Haier Shooting Stars, a competition featuring NBA and WNBA players and NBA Legends; PlayStation® Skills Challenge, a contest of
top guards working against the clock to complete a series of passes, free throws, lay-ups and agility drills; the Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout, a long-standing staple of the evening; and the ever-entertaining Sprite Slam Dunk Contest.
During NBA All-Star 2011, the NBA will continue to celebrate its tradition and commitment to social responsibility with a schedule of NBA Cares events. NBA Cares will partner with schools, government, and local non-profit organizations in Los Angeles and surrounding areas to highlight the league’s grassroots and community initiatives that reach millions of young people and their parents while providing critical resources to community-based programs.
One of the event’s most popular attractions is NBA All-Star Jam Session, which will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center. At Jam Session, fans can have the once-in-a-lifetime experience of participating in the NBA All-Star excitement, with the chance to meet and collect free autographs from NBA Players and Legends. Jam Session is nonstop basketball action, as fans can shoot, slam, dribble, and drive all day; compete against their friends in skills challenges; or get basketball tips from NBA Players and Legends. Young fans can hang out at Kids Zone – with hoops and interactive activities that are the perfect size for kids’ slam dunks, three-pointers, and jump shots. For fans who want NBA entertainment, Jam Session features the NBA’s favorite players, celebrities, mascots, and dance teams as they hit Center Court in a variety of basketball competitions, including the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and the NBA All-Star Practice.
