STING TO HEADLINE NBA
ALL-STAR 2016 HALFTIME SHOW
– Cirque du Soleil to Tip Off Pregame Festivities with
Basketball-Inspired Performance –
The National Basketball Association (NBA)
announced today that 16-time Grammy® Award-winning musician Sting will
headline the 65th NBA All-Star Game halftime show Sunday, Feb. 14 at
Air Canada Centre in Toronto. All-Star Game coverage begins at 8:00 p.m. ET on
TNT, the game and all performances will be seen by fans in more than 200
countries and territories and will be heard in 40 languages.
Sting,
the former frontman of The Police, will perform a compilation of his most
celebrated hits during halftime for fans around the world to enjoy. His iconic career includes classics like “Every
Breath You Take,” “Roxanne” and “Fields Of Gold.” This summer, Sting will join fellow British artist
Peter Gabriel for their recently announced “Rock Paper Scissors” tour across
North America (for further information, please visit: www.sting.com).
Prior
to the start of the game, Cirque du Soleil will tip off the evening with a
captivating performance blending together acrobatics, dance and technology
illustrating the story of a basketball dream. The performance will culminate
with the introduction of the 2016 NBA All-Stars.
With
HARMAN serving as the Official Sound of the NBA, its featured brand, JBL, will serve
as presenter of this year’s NBA All-Star “Entertainment Series presented by
JBL.”
WARRIORS’ GREEN AND THOMPSON HEADLINE RESERVES
FOR 2016 NBA ALL-STAR GAME
FOR 2016 NBA ALL-STAR GAME
--
Pistons’ Drummond and Celtics’ Thomas Join Green as First-Time Selections --
-- Heat’s Bosh Earns 11th
Straight Nod; Clippers’ Paul Honored for Ninth Year in a Row --
Draymond Green and Klay
Thompson of the Golden State Warriors headline the list of 14 players selected
by the NBA’s head coaches as reserves for the 2016 NBA All-Star Game. Green, a first-time selection, and Thompson,
an All-Star for the second year in a row,
join Western Conference starter
Stephen Curry of Golden State to give the NBA-leading Warriors (42-4) three
All-Stars for the first time since the 1975-76 season.
The 65th NBA All-Star Game will be
televised by TNT at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, Feb. 14 from Air Canada Centre in
Toronto, the first All-Star Game held outside the U.S. The game will be seen by fans in more than
200 countries and territories and will be heard in more than 40 languages.
TNT will air the All-Star Game in the U.S.
for the 14th straight year, marking Turner Sports’ 31st
year of NBA All-Star coverage. Sportsnet
ONE and TSN will simulcast the All-Star Game in Canada.
Along with Green and
Thompson, the other West reserves are LaMarcus Aldridge (San Antonio Spurs),
DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento Kings),
Anthony Davis (New Orleans Pelicans), James
Harden (Houston Rockets) and Chris Paul (Los Angeles Clippers).
The Eastern
Conference reserves are Chris Bosh (Miami Heat), Jimmy Butler (Chicago Bulls),
DeMar DeRozan (Toronto Raptors), Andre Drummond (Detroit Pistons), Paul Millsap
(Atlanta Hawks), Isaiah Thomas (Boston Celtics) and John Wall (Washington
Wizards).
Curry, Green and
Thompson comprise the Warriors’ first trio of All-Stars since Rick Barry, Phil
Smith and Jamaal Wilkes 40 years ago.
Green (14.5 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 7.2 apg) leads the NBA in triple-doubles with
eight, while Thompson (20.9 ppg) ranks second in three-pointers made with 140. Also for the West:
· Aldridge, in his
first season with the Spurs (39-7), earns his fifth consecutive All-Star nod.
· Cousins, the only
NBA player ranked in the top five in scoring (27.3 ppg) and rebounding (11.3
rpg), is an All-Star for the second straight season.
· Davis makes his
third All-Star team in a row. He is the
only NBA player averaging at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and two blocked shots.
· Harden, the NBA’s
second-leading scorer (27.5 ppg), is making his fourth consecutive trip to the
All-Star Game since joining the Rockets in 2012.
· Paul has been chosen
as an All-Star for the ninth straight year.
He owns the highest assist average in All-Star Game history (12.9 apg).
In the East,
Drummond and Thomas have been named All-Stars for the first time.
Drummond, who leads the NBA in rebounding (15.2 rpg) and double-doubles (38), is Detroit’s first All-Star selection since Allen Iverson in the 2008-09 season.
Thomas, the 60th and final pick of NBA Draft 2011, is averaging career highs of 21.6 points (12th in the NBA) and 6.6 assists (ninth in the NBA).
Drummond, who leads the NBA in rebounding (15.2 rpg) and double-doubles (38), is Detroit’s first All-Star selection since Allen Iverson in the 2008-09 season.
Thomas, the 60th and final pick of NBA Draft 2011, is averaging career highs of 21.6 points (12th in the NBA) and 6.6 assists (ninth in the NBA).
Also for the
East:
· Bosh, who spent his first seven seasons in Toronto,
earns his 11th consecutive All-Star selection. Among active players, only Kobe Bryant (18
selections in a row), LeBron James (12) and Miami teammate Dwyane Wade (12)
have longer current streaks.
· Butler, who is averaging a career-high 22.3 points (11th
in the NBA), makes his second straight All-Star appearance.
· DeRozan, who is averaging a career-high 23.0 points
(ninth in the NBA) and leads the league in points on drives, is an All-Star for
the second time. DeRozan and Toronto
teammate Kyle Lowry, an East starter, are set to become the first starting
backcourt to play in the All-Star Game in their home city since the Los Angeles
Lakers’ Jerry West and Gail Goodrich in 1972.
· Millsap is making
his third consecutive trip to the All-Star Game since joining the Hawks in 2013.
He is scoring a career-high 18.3 points per game in his 10th season.
· Wall, the Kia NBA
Eastern Conference Player of the Month for December, is an All-Star for the
third year in a row.
The 14 reserves were chosen by the 30 NBA head
coaches,
who were asked to vote for seven players in their respective conferences -- two guards, three frontcourt players and two additional players at any position.
They were not permitted to vote for players from their own team.
who were asked to vote for seven players in their respective conferences -- two guards, three frontcourt players and two additional players at any position.
They were not permitted to vote for players from their own team.
The starters in both conferences were selected through
NBA All-Star Voting 2016 presented by Verizon.
The East starters are Dwyane Wade (Heat), Kyle Lowry (Raptors), LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers), Paul George (Indiana Pacers) and Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks).
The West starters are Stephen Curry (Warriors), Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder), Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers), Kevin Durant (Thunder) and Kawhi Leonard (Spurs).
The East starters are Dwyane Wade (Heat), Kyle Lowry (Raptors), LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers), Paul George (Indiana Pacers) and Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks).
The West starters are Stephen Curry (Warriors), Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder), Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers), Kevin Durant (Thunder) and Kawhi Leonard (Spurs).
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will select the
replacement for any player unable to participate in the All-Star Game. I
f the injured player is a starter, the head coach of that team will determine the replacement in the starting lineup.
f the injured player is a starter, the head coach of that team will determine the replacement in the starting lineup.
The Spurs’ Gregg Popovich and his staff will coach the West
All-Stars, while the Cavaliers’ Tyronn Lue and his staff will lead the East
All-Stars
NBA All-Star 2016 in Toronto will bring together some
of the most talented and passionate players in the league’s history for a
global celebration of the game.
Along with the NBA All-Star Game, Air Canada Centre will also host the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge on Friday,
Feb. 12 and State Farm All-Star Saturday Night on Saturday, Feb. 13.
Other events at NBA All-Star 2016 include the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and the NBA Development League All-Star Game presented by Kumho Tire.
Along with the NBA All-Star Game, Air Canada Centre will also host the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge on Friday,
Feb. 12 and State Farm All-Star Saturday Night on Saturday, Feb. 13.
Other events at NBA All-Star 2016 include the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and the NBA Development League All-Star Game presented by Kumho Tire.
The East and West rosters for the 65th
NBA All-Star Game are below:
2016
EASTERN CONFERENCE ALL-STARS
No. Player
(Team) Pos. Ht. Wt. Birthdate Prior to NBA All-Star
Selections
7 *Carmelo
Anthony (New York) F 6-8 240 05/29/84 Syracuse 9
1 Chris
Bosh (Miami) F 6-11 235 03/24/84 Georgia
Tech 11
21 Jimmy
Butler (Chicago) G 6-7 220 09/14/89 Marquette 2
10 DeMar
DeRozan (Toronto) G 6-7 220 08/07/89 Southern
Cal 2
0 #Andre
Drummond (Detroit) C 6-11 279 08/10/93 Connecticut 1
13 *Paul
George (Indiana) F 6-9 220 05/02/90 Fresno
State 3
23 *LeBron
James (Cleveland) F 6-8 250 12/30/84 St.
Vincent/St. Mary HS 12
7 *Kyle
Lowry (Toronto) G 6-0 205 03/25/86 Villanova 2
4 Paul
Millsap (Atlanta) F 6-8 246 02/10/85 Louisiana
Tech 3
4 #Isaiah
Thomas (Boston) G 5-9 185 02/07/89 Washington 1
3 *Dwyane
Wade (Miami) G 6-4 220 01/17/82 Marquette 12
2 John
Wall (Washington) G 6-4 195 09/06/90 Kentucky 3
Head Coach: Tyronn Lue (Nebraska)
Assistant Coaches: Jim Boylan (Marquette); Bret
Brielmaier (Arizona); Larry Drew (Missouri); James Posey (Xavier); Phil Handy (Hawaii),
Mike Longabardi (Frostburg State)
Athletic Trainers: Scott McCullough and Ray
Chow (Toronto Raptors)
2016
WESTERN CONFERENCE ALL-STARS
No. Player
(Team) Pos. Ht. Wt. Birthdate Prior to NBA All-Star
Selections
12 LaMarcus Aldridge (San Antonio) F 6-11 240 07/19/85 Texas 5
24 *Kobe
Bryant (L.A. Lakers) F 6-6 212 08/23/78 Lower
Merion HS 18
15 DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento) C 6-11 270 08/13/90 Kentucky 2
30 *Stephen
Curry (Golden State) G 6-3 190 03/14/88 Davidson 3
23 Anthony
Davis (New Orleans) F 6-10 253 03/11/93 Kentucky 3
35 *Kevin
Durant (Oklahoma City) F 6-9 240 09/29/88 Texas 7
23 #Draymond Green (Golden State) F 6-7 230 03/04/90 Michigan State 1
13 James
Harden (Houston) G 6-5 220 08/26/89 Arizona
State 4
2 *#Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio) F 6-7 230 06/29/91 San
Diego State 1
3 Chris
Paul (L.A. Clippers) G 6-0 175 05/06/85 Wake
Forest 9
11 Klay
Thompson (Golden State) G 6-7 215 02/08/90 Washington
State 2
0 *Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City) G 6-3 200 11/12/88 UCLA 5
Head Coach: Gregg Popovich (Air Force Academy)
Assistant Coaches: Ime Udoka (Portland State);
Chip Engelland (Duke); Chad Forcier (Seattle Pacific); Ettore Messina (Italy);
James Borrego (San Diego); Becky Hammon (Colorado State)
Athletic Trainer: Will Sevening and Paul West (San Antonio Spurs)
*denotes starter
#denotes first-time selection
SAN ANTONIO’S GREGG POPOVICH EARNS SPOT AS WESTERN
CONFERENCE HEAD COACH FOR 2016 NBA ALL-STAR GAME
San Antonio Spurs head coach
Gregg Popovich will coach the Western Conference All-Stars in the 2016 NBA
All-Star Game, to be televised by TNT at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, Feb. 14 from Air
Canada Centre in Toronto.
Head coaches whose teams have the best records in each
conference following the games played two weeks prior to the All-Star Game
serve as the All-Star Game head coaches, but no head coach is allowed to
participate in two consecutive All-Star Games.
Interim head coach Luke Walton led the Golden State Warriors
to a 39-4 record in the season’s first 43 games prior to the Jan. 22 return of
head coach Steve Kerr. Despite Golden State holding the
conference’s best record (41-4, .911), Kerr is ineligible for the coaching
honor because he led last year’s West All-Stars. Popovich’s Spurs (38-7,
.844) have clinched the next best record in the Western Conference, earning the
five-time NBA Champion his fourth nod as the head coach of the West.
The 65th NBA All-Star
Game will be the first All-Star Game held outside of the U.S. The game
will be seen by fans in more than 200 countries and territories and will be
heard in more than 40 languages. TNT will televise the All-Star Game in
the U.S. for the 14th consecutive year, marking Turner Sports' 31st
year of NBA All-Star coverage.
CLEVELAND’S TYRONN LUE EARNS SPOT AS EASTERN
CONFERENCE HEAD COACH FOR 2016 NBA ALL-STAR GAME
Cleveland
Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue and his staff will coach the Eastern Conference
All-Stars in the 2016 NBA All-Star Game, to be televised by TNT at 8 p.m. ET on
Sunday, Feb. 14 from Air Canada Centre in
Toronto.
The Cavaliers (32-12, .727) clinched
the best record in the conference through games played on Sunday, Jan. 31, by
virtue of their 115-93 win over the Phoenix Suns
on Jan. 27.
The
65th NBA All-Star Game will be the first All-Star Game held outside
of the U.S. The game will be seen by
fans in more than 200 countries and territories and will be heard in more than
40 languages. TNT will televise the
All-Star Game in the U.S. for the 14th consecutive year, marking
Turner Sports' 31st year of NBA All-Star coverage.
