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2016 NBA All-Star Game

(Redirected from 2016 NBA All-Star Weekend)

The 2016 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game that was played on February 14, 2016, during the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2015–16 season. It was the 65th edition of the NBA All-Star Game, and was played at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, home of the Toronto Raptors. The Western Conference defeated the Eastern Conference, 196–173. Russell Westbrook was named the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player. The Raptors were awarded the All-Star Game in an announcement on September 30, 2013. This was the first time that the NBA All-Star Game was held outside the United States.[1] TSN and Sportsnet televised the game nationally in Canada, while TNT and TBS televised the game nationally in the United States. This was also the 18th and final All-Star Game in which Kobe Bryant participated, as a result of his retirement after the season.

2016 NBA All-Star Game
1234 Total
West 40525351 196
East 43474637 173
DateFebruary 14, 2016
ArenaAir Canada Centre and Ricoh Coliseum
CityToronto
MVPRussell Westbrook (West)
National anthemNelly Furtado (Canadian)
Ne-Yo (American)
Halftime showSting
Attendance18,298
NetworkTSN and Sportsnet (Canada)
TNT and TBS (United States)
AnnouncersMarv Albert, Reggie Miller, Chris Webber, Craig Sager, and David Aldridge
Kevin Harlan, Ernie Johnson, Reggie Miller, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kevin Hart (All-Star Saturday Night)
Matt Winer, Grant Hill and Chris Webber (Rising Stars Challenge)
NBA All-Star Game
< 2015 2017 >

Background

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Toronto's bid to host the 2016 NBA All-Star Game was led by NBA Canada vice-president and managing director Dan MacKenzie. It was the culmination of years of planning to grow basketball in Canada, and by 2013 he stated that "the time was right" to bring the event outside of the United States for the first time. He estimated that it would bring $80 million to $100 million into Toronto's economy. He also highlighted that the NBA had 650,000 Canadian followers on Twitter by 2016.[2]

All-Star Game

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Coaches

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Although the Golden State Warriors had the best record in the Western Conference, no coach may coach two consecutive All-Star Games, therefore making Steve Kerr ineligible. San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich served as the Western Conference coach due to the Spurs having the second-best record in the West. The Cleveland Cavaliers had the best record in the Eastern Conference, but on January 22, the team fired head coach David Blatt and replaced him with Tyronn Lue. Lue was named the Eastern Conference head coach on January 27, even though he had only coached four games up to that point.

 
 
Gregg Popovich (left) and Tyronn Lue were selected as the West and East head coach, respectively.

Rosters

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Kawhi Leonard was selected by fans as an All-Star starter for the first time.

The rosters for the All-Star Game were selected through a voting process. The starters are chosen by the fans. Two guards and three frontcourt players who received the highest vote are named the All-Star starters. NBA head coaches vote for the reserves for their respective conferences, none of which can be players on their own team. Each coach selects 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 is to be selected, coaches are 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.[3]

Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers topped the ballots this year with 1,891,614 votes, earning Bryant his 18th all-star appearance in his final season in the NBA, and also beating out the 2015 leading vote getter Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, who was second this year in total votes with 1,604,325. This is the fourth time that Bryant has been the leading vote getter. The other players named to the Western Conference starting roster include Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder, named to their fifth and seventh All-Star Games respectively, and Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs, who was named to his first career All-Star Game.[4]

LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, with 1,089,206 votes, was the leading vote getter in the Eastern Conference, earning James his 12th career all-star nod. Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat was also named a starter to his 12th career All-Star Game, with a total of 941,466 votes. Rounding out the rest of the Eastern Conference starting lineup was Kyle Lowry of the Toronto Raptors (second all-star nod), Paul George of the Indiana Pacers (3rd all-star nod), and Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks, who was named to his ninth career All-Star Game.[4]

The West Reserves included Klay Thompson and Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors, Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers, James Harden of the Houston Rockets, Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans, DeMarcus Cousins of the Sacramento Kings, and LaMarcus Aldridge, who made the All-Star Game as a member of the San Antonio Spurs for the first time.

The East Reserves included John Wall of the Washington Wizards, DeMar DeRozan of the Toronto Raptors, Jimmy Butler of the Chicago Bulls, Isaiah Thomas of the Boston Celtics, Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat, Paul Millsap of the Atlanta Hawks, and Andre Drummond of the Detroit Pistons. Jimmy Butler and Chris Bosh ultimately had to sit out the All-Star Game due to a knee and calf injury, respectively. Pau Gasol of the Chicago Bulls and Al Horford of the Atlanta Hawks were named as Butler and Bosh's replacements.

^INJ1 Jimmy Butler was unable to participate due to a knee injury.[8]
^REP1 Pau Gasol was selected as Butler's replacement.[8]
^INJ2 Chris Bosh was unable to participate due to a calf injury.[9]
^REP2 Al Horford was selected as Bosh's replacement.[9]

Game

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February 14, 2016
8:30 pm ET
Western Conference 196, Eastern Conference 173
Scoring by quarter: 40–43, 52–47, 53–46, 51–37
Pts: Russell Westbrook 31
Rebs: Russell Westbrook 8
Asts: Chris Paul 16		 Pts: Paul George 41
Rebs: Andre Drummond 13
Asts: Kyle Lowry 10
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 18,298
Referees:
  • Matt Boland
  • Zach Zarba
  • Danny Crawford

Russell Westbrook earned his second-straight MVP award in his first All-Star start as the West won 196–173 over the East.[10][4] He scored a team-high 31 points and added eight rebounds, five assists, and five steals in 22 minutes. Kobe Bryant, who planned to retire after the season, had 10 points, six rebounds, and seven assists in his final All-Star Game. The 369 total points in the game broke the previous year's record by 48, and both sides exceeded the prior team record of 163.[11]

Stephen Curry added 26 points for the West, and teammates Anthony Davis scored 24 on 12-of-13 shooting and Kevin Durant tallied 23. The East's Paul George scored 41, which tied Westbrook's total from 2015 and was one short of Wilt Chamberlain's record. LeBron James totaled 13 points for a career record of 291 to pass Bryant, who retired with 290.[11]

Westbrook became the first black player in All-Star history to win consecutive MVPs outright. Bob Pettit is the other player to have won back-to-back awards, winning in 1958 and sharing it with Elgin Baylor in 1959.[10] West players offered to feed Bryant the ball in an attempt to get him a record fifth All-Star MVP, but he declined.[11][12][13]

All-Star Weekend

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Celebrity Game

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Further information: NBA All-Star Weekend Celebrity Game

The 2016 NBA Celebrity All-Star Game was played on February 12, 2016, at the Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto.[14][15]

The game was a matchup of Team Canada vs. Team USA, coached by Canadian rapper Drake, and 4-time Celebrity Game MVP Kevin Hart, respectively. It featured 21 players, including actors Stephan James, Jason Sudeikis, Anthony Anderson, O'Shea Jackson, Jr., Joel David Moore, and Tom Cavanagh, and TV hosts Nick Cannon, Terrence Jenkins, and the Property Brothers. The game also included four NBA legends in Chauncey Billups, Muggsy Bogues, Tracy McGrady, and Rick Fox, as well as Elena Delle Donne and Tammy Sutton-Brown of the WNBA.[16][17]

Despite the efforts of head coach Kevin Hart who later played in the game in the second half, Team Canada won 74–64 and Win Butler was named MVP of the game.

February 12
7:00 pm ET
Team USA 64, Team Canada 74
Scoring by quarter: 15–20, 13–17, 18–16, 18–21

Rising Stars Challenge

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Further information: Rising Stars Challenge

^INJ1 Nerlens Noel was unable to participate due to injury.[19]
^REP1 Devin Booker was named as Noel's replacement.[19]
^INJ2 Nikola Mirotić was unable to participate due to injury.[20]
^REP2 Trey Lyles was named as Mirotić's replacement.[20]

February 12
9:00 pm ET
Team USA 157, Team World 154
Scoring by half: 88–79, 69–75
Pts: Zach LaVine 30
Rebs: LaVine, Towns 7
Asts: D'Angelo Russell 7		 Pts: Porziņģis, Mudiay 30
Rebs: Dwight Powell 11
Asts: Emmanuel Mudiay 10
Air Canada Centre, Toronto
Attendance: 18,298
Referees:
  • #72 J. T. Orr
  • #52 Scott Twardoski
  • #46 Ben Taylor

Team USA won 157–154 in the highest scoring game in Rising Stars Challenge history.[21] Zach LaVine was named MVP, leading all of the USA team with 30 points while also recording 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Jordan Clarkson, D'Angelo Russell, and Devin Booker all scored over 20 points, with Russell also recording 7 assists. Kristaps Porziņģis and Emmanuel Mudiay led the way for Team World with 30 points each, with Andrew Wiggins also scoring 29 points.

Skills Challenge

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Skills Challenge Competition 2016 Toronto
Further information: NBA All-Star Weekend Skills Challenge
Contestants[22][23]
Pos. Player Team Height Weight
G Patrick BeverleyINJ Houston Rockets 6–1 185
G Jordan Clarkson Los Angeles Lakers 6–5 194
G CJ McCollum Portland Trail Blazers 6–3 190
G Isaiah Thomas Boston Celtics 5–9 185
G Emmanuel MudiayREP Denver Nuggets 6–5 200
C DeMarcus Cousins Sacramento Kings 6–11 270
F/C Anthony Davis New Orleans Pelicans 6–11 253
F Draymond Green Golden State Warriors 6–7 230
C Karl-Anthony Towns Minnesota Timberwolves 7–0 244

^INJ Patrick Beverley was unable to participate due to an ankle injury.[24]
^REP Emmanuel Mudiay was selected to replace Beverley.[24]

 
Skills Challenge Competition 2016 Toronto
Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
         
CJ McCollum (Portland) O
Jordan Clarkson (L.A. Lakers) X
CJ McCollum (Portland) X
Isaiah Thomas (Boston) O
Isaiah Thomas (Boston) O
Emmanuel Mudiay (Denver) X
Isaiah Thomas (Boston) X
Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota) O
Draymond Green (Golden State) X
Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota) O
Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota) O
DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento) X
DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento) O
Anthony Davis (New Orleans) X

Three-Point Contest

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Further information: Three-Point Contest

Teammates Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors, known as the Splash Brothers, were the favorites to win the contest. The betting site, Bovada, listed the defending-champion Curry as the favorite to win with 10–11 odds, while Thompson was second at 9–2.[25] Contestant Devin Booker would be the youngest participant to ever compete in the Three-Point contest at 19 years old. Chris Bosh was announced as a first-time participant for the event, but he would be replaced by CJ McCollum due to an injury before the event.

Contestants[26][27]
Pos. Player Team Height Weight First round Final round
G Klay Thompson Golden State Warriors 6–7 215 22 27
G Stephen Curry Golden State Warriors 6–3 190 21 23
G Devin Booker Phoenix Suns 6–6 206 20 (12) 16
G JJ Redick Los Angeles Clippers 6–4 190 20 (9) —
G James Harden Houston Rockets 6–5 220 20 (8) —
G Kyle Lowry Toronto Raptors 6–0 205 15 —
G CJ McCollumREP Portland Trail Blazers 6–3 190 14 —
G/F Khris Middleton Milwaukee Bucks 6–8 234 13 —
F/C Chris BoshINJ Miami Heat 6–11 235 — —

^INJ Chris Bosh was unable to participate due to a calf injury.[28]
^REP CJ McCollum was selected as Bosh's replacement.[28]

(#) – Indicates score from 30-second tiebreaker

Slam Dunk Contest

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Further information: Slam Dunk Contest

Zach LaVine became the first back-to-back Slam Dunk Contest winner since Nate Robinson, edging out Aaron Gordon with four consecutive perfect scores in the final round.

Contestants[29][30]
Pos. Player Team Height Weight First round Final round[a]
G Zach LaVine Minnesota Timberwolves 6–5 185 99 (50+49) 200 (50+50+50+50)
F Aaron Gordon Orlando Magic 6–9 220 94 (45+49) 197 (50+50+50+47)
C Andre Drummond Detroit Pistons 6–11 279 75 (36+39) –
G Will Barton Denver Nuggets 6–6 175 74 (44+30) –
  1. ^ Includes two tiebreakers

References

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  1. ^ "Raptors Announce 2016 All-Star Game; Name Drake Ambassador". TSN.ca. Archived from the original on December 5, 2013. Retrieved September 30, 2013.
  2. ^ Barrabi, Thomas (February 12, 2016). "NBA All-Star Weekend 2016 Invades Toronto". Fox Business. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  3. ^ Stein, Marc (January 18, 2013). "1. Reserve Judgment: Stein's All-Star Benches". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on January 26, 2013.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Kobe, Curry highlight 2016 list of All-Star starters". NBA.com. January 21, 2016. Archived from the original on February 22, 2016. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  5. ^ a b "65th NBA All-Star Game". NBA.com. January 28, 2016. Archived from the original on February 23, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  6. ^ "Cavaliers' Lue, staff to coach 2016 East All-Stars". NBA.com. January 27, 2016. Archived from the original on February 3, 2016. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
  7. ^ "Spurs' Gregg Popovich earns spot as Western Conference head coach for 2016 NBA All-Star Game" (Press release). NBA. January 27, 2016. Archived from the original on January 28, 2016.
  8. ^ a b "Bulls' Gasol replaces injured Butler on All-Star team". NBA.com. February 9, 2016. Archived from the original on February 12, 2016. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  9. ^ a b "Al Horford to Replace Chris Bosh in 2016 NBA All-Star Game". Bleacher Report. February 12, 2016. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  10. ^ a b "Russell Westbrook wins second-straight All-Star Game MVP award". ESPN.com. February 15, 2016. Archived from the original on February 16, 2016.
  11. ^ a b c "Defense in record-setting short supply in West's rout of East". ESPN.com. Associated Press. February 15, 2016. Archived from the original on February 15, 2016.
  12. ^ Cacciola, Scott (February 14, 2016). "Kobe Bryant, in His Final Lap, Is Happy to Surrender the Midseason Stage". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 18, 2016.
  13. ^ Bolch, Ben (February 14, 2016). "Kobe Bryant's final NBA All-Star game turns into a love fest as West rolls to historic 196-173 victory". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 15, 2016.
  14. ^ "Toronto to host NBA All-Star 2016". National Basketball Association. Archived from the original on December 5, 2015. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  15. ^ "2016 NBA All-Star Tickets – NBA All-Star Events | QuintEvents". nba-events.com. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  16. ^ "Drake, Kevin Hart to coach teams at 2016 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game". Bleacher Report. January 14, 2016. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  17. ^ "2016 All-Star Celebrity Game". National Basketball Association. February 11, 2016. Archived from the original on February 21, 2016. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  18. ^ a b "Timberwolves' Wiggins and Towns, Knicks' Porzingis headline rosters for BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge". NBA.com. January 27, 2016. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
  19. ^ a b "Suns' Booker replaces Noel in BBVA Rising Stars Challenge". NBA.com. February 11, 2016. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  20. ^ a b "BBVA Rising Stars Challenge". NBA.com. February 3, 2016.
  21. ^ "NBA Rising Stars Stats and History". February 14, 2016. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
  22. ^ "Taco Bell Skills Challenge". NBA.com. February 4, 2016. Archived from the original on February 7, 2016. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  23. ^ "Big man Towns takes Taco Bell Skills Challenge". February 13, 2016. NBA.com. Archived from the original on February 14, 2016. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
  24. ^ a b "Mudiay replaces Beverley in Taco Bell Skills Challenge". NBA.com. February 11, 2016. Archived from the original on February 14, 2016. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  25. ^ Mahoney, Brian (February 13, 2016). "Klay Thompson believes, even if he knows not many others do". U.S. News & World Report. Associated Press. Archived from the original on February 22, 2016.
  26. ^ "Foot Locker Three-Point Contest, Sharpshooters take aim in Foot Locker Three-Point Contest". NBA.com. February 4, 2016. Archived from the original on February 7, 2016. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  27. ^ "Thompson Takes Foot Locker Three-Point Contest". February 13, 2016. NBA.com. Archived from the original on February 3, 2016. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
  28. ^ a b "Blazers' CJ McCollum to replace Chris Bosh in the 3-point shootout". CBS Sports. February 12, 2016. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  29. ^ "Report: Zach LaVine to defend title in Slam Dunk Contest". FoxSports.com. February 3, 2016. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  30. ^ "LaVine overcomes Gordon in epic dunk contest". NBA.com. February 14, 2016. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
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