LOS ANGELES, March 22, 2016 – The NBA announced today that Los Angeles has been selected to host NBA All-Star 2018. The 67th annual game will take place at Staples Center, home of the L.A. Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers, on Sunday, Feb. 18. This will mark the record sixth NBA All-Star in Los Angeles, which hosted in 2011, 2004, 1983, 1972 and 1963, and the third All-Star at Staples Center (2011 and 2004).
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made the announcement today during a press conference at Staples Center, where he was joined by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, AEG President and CEO Dan Beckerman and Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission President Kathy Schloessman.
“Los Angeles is known for first-class hospitality and entertainment, making it the perfect host for NBA All-Star,” said Silver. “The city is home to some of the most passionate basketball fans in addition to extraordinary facilities, including Staples Center and L.A. Live. We thank Mayor Garcetti, Clippers Owner Steve Ballmer, Lakers President and Co-Owner Jeanie Buss and AEG President and CEO Dan Beckerman for their support in bringing All-Star back to L.A.”
“We are proud that the NBA has selected Staples Center, L.A. Live and the L.A. Convention Center to host NBA All-Star for the third time in just 14 years,” said Beckerman. “All-Star in Los Angeles will bring worldwide attention, thousands of fans and over $100 million of economic activity to our City. We believe that L.A. Live, with its variety of venues, hotels and other hospitality options, creates a true headquarters district that will be the ideal showcase for NBA All-Star 2018. Finally, on behalf of AEG, we thank our partners at the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission for your commitment to bring back this incredible event and thank Commissioner Silver and the NBA for your faith in our great City.”
“Since becoming part of L.A. through my ownership of the Clippers, I’ve witnessed firsthand the passion this city has for basketball and celebrating world-class talent, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for both players and fans during NBA All-Star 2018,” said Ballmer. “I’m also thrilled that Mayor Garcetti and the city of Los Angeles will be able to show off their vision and the incredible evolution of downtown L.A.”
“All-Star is a premiere event, so it’s fitting that it’ll be hosted by Los Angeles, the premiere sports city in America, and by Staples Center, one of the premiere arenas in the world,” said Los Angeles Lakers President and Co-Owner Jeanie Buss. “2004 and 2011 proved what a great combination this is, and 2018 will prove it again.”
NBA All-Star on-court events will tip off on Friday, Feb. 16, at Staples Center with the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge, where the league’s top rookies and second-year players take the court. On Feb. 17, State Farm All-Star Saturday Night will feature current NBA players showcasing their skills in exciting basketball competitions that include the Taco Bell Skills Challenge, where participants compete head-to-head in a series of passing, shooting and agility drills; the Foot Locker Three-Point Contest; and Verizon Slam Dunk. The weekend concludes on Sunday with the NBA All-Star Game.
“Los Angeles is one of the world’s great basketball cities – a place where players become legends and great NBA moments last forever,” said Mayor Garcetti. “Now we will make history again, in 2018, by hosting our sixth NBA All-Star Game, something no other city has done. I look forward to working with the NBA and our local partners on this amazing event at Staples Center, which will bring thousands of visitors to Los Angeles, and generate more than $100 million of economic activity.”
In partnership with AEG, the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission (LASEC) and the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board (LATCB), the NBA will host several events for fans of all ages at venues throughout the city, including the Los Angeles Convention Center and L.A. Live. These events, including NBA All-Star Practice, the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game presented by Mountain Dew and the NBA Development League All-Star Game presented by Kumho Tire, will feature interactive programming bringing fans closer to NBA and WNBA players and legends.
“It is exciting and humbling for us to be hosting NBA All-Star again for the third time in 14 years,” said Schloessman. “Events like the NBA All-Star fill our hotels, employ Angelenos and bring direct spending to our restaurants, shops, attractions, and an economic windfall to our city. Having the unique assets and venues of L.A. Live continues to play an important role in bringing these great high-profile events to our City.”
During NBA All-Star 2018, the NBA will continue to celebrate its tradition and commitment to social responsibility with a full schedule of NBA Cares events. Through partnerships with schools, government and local nonprofit organizations in Los Angeles and surrounding areas, the league will reach thousands of children and families and provide important resources to community-based programs.
NBA All-Star Game 2018 will be televised in prime time on TNT for the 16th consecutive year, marking Turner Sports’ 33rd year of NBA All-Star coverage. The game will be broadcast worldwide in more than 200 countries and territories and in more than 40 languages.
NBA All-Star 2016 in Toronto featured the highest-scoring All-Star Game in NBA history; an epic Verizon Slam Dunk won by reigning champion Zach LaVine of the Minnesota Timberwolves; and an exhilarating Foot Locker Three-Point Contest won by the Golden State Warriors’ Klay Thompson, who narrowly beat teammate and 2014-15 Kia NBA MVP Stephen Curry. NBA All-Star 2017 will take place in Charlotte, N.C.
NBA ALL-STAR HISTORY IN LOS ANGELES
Staples Center last played host to NBA All-Star in 2011, when dazzling performances by hometown favorites Kobe Bryant of the Lakers and Blake Griffin of the Clippers highlighted the weekend. Bryant was named Kia NBA All-Star MVP for a record-tying fourth time after scoring 37 points as the West overcame LeBron James’ triple-double to defeat the East 148-143. Griffin played in the game as a rookie, an appearance that followed his memorable victory in Verizon Slam Dunk and his role in helping the Rookies beat the Sophomores 148-140 in the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge.
NBA All-Star’s return to Los Angeles in 2018 will mark the 55-year anniversary of the first midseason classic in the city. In 1963, Bill Russell finished with 19 points and 24 rebounds to lead the East past the West 115-108 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. Russell took home the MVP award, an honor also bestowed on the Lakers’ Jerry West (1972), the Philadelphia 76ers’ Julius Erving (1983) and the Lakers’ Shaquille O’Neal (2004) in subsequent All-Star Games in Los Angeles.
