/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45685952/usa-today-8381046.0.jpg)
It's the ALL-STAR-WEEKEND! What is happening? What is happening that Utah Jazz fans will care about? And when it is happening? I have all the details for you here!
Friday:
I've skipped the stuff you don't care about . . . but here's what left to happen tonight!
Date | Time | Event | TV? | Jazz Players | |||||
1 | FRI | 2 | 13 | 2015 | 3:00 | pm (MT) | The BEAT | NBA TV | -- |
2 | FRI | 2 | 13 | 2015 | 4:00 | pm (MT) | The Starters | NBA TV | -- |
3 | FRI | 2 | 13 | 2015 | 5:00 | pm (MT) | Sprint NBA All-Star Celebrity Game | ESPN | -- |
4 | FRI | 2 | 13 | 2015 | 7:00 | pm (MT) | BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge | TNT | Trey Burke, Dante Exum, Rudy Gobert |
5 | FRI | 2 | 13 | 2015 | 9:00 | pm (MT) | Inside the NBA | TNT | -- |
6 | FRI | 2 | 13 | 2015 | 10:00 | pm (MT) | NBA Game Time | TNT | -- |
Yes, I know what you are all excited to see: 2nd generation Bollywood star Abhishek Bachchan in the celeb game. Okay, actually no. We're all excited for the Rookie/Soph aka USA/The World game. Everything else is mostly useless. The game is mostly useless as well, as they give the MVP trophy to the biggest ball hog.
Actually, I'm also interested to see if Abhi brought his family to this event. I know he's a huge Los Angeles Lakers / Kobe Bryant fan. I don't know if he has any game at all. Well, basketball game. It's clear he has some game as he married Aishwarya ...
Saturday:
This is usually the most "fun" day of the weekend. What's happening?
Date | Time | Event | TV? | Jazz Players | |||||
1 | SAT | 2 | 14 | 2015 | 8:00 | am (MT) | Hall of Fame Class of 2015 Finalists | NBA TV | -- |
2 | SAT | 2 | 14 | 2015 | 9:00 | am (MT) | NBA All-Star Practice | NBA TV | -- |
3 | SAT | 2 | 14 | 2015 | 11:00 | am (MT) | Inside Stuff | NBA TV | -- |
4 | SAT | 2 | 14 | 2015 | 11:30 | am (MT) | The Starters | NBA TV | -- |
5 | SAT | 2 | 14 | 2015 | 5:00 | pm (MT) | Adam Silver news conference | NBA TV | -- |
6 | SAT | 2 | 14 | 2015 | 6:00 | pm (MT) | TNT NBA Tip-Off | TNT | -- |
7 | SAT | 2 | 14 | 2015 | 6:30 | pm (MT) | State Farm All-Star Saturday Night | TNT | -- |
8 | SAT | 2 | 14 | 2015 | -- | -- | Degree Shooting Stars | TNT | Dell Curry, Paul Millsap, (Dominique Wilkins) |
9 | SAT | 2 | 14 | 2015 | -- | -- | Taco Bells Skills Challenge | TNT | Trey Burke |
10 | SAT | 2 | 14 | 2015 | -- | -- | Foot Locker Three-Point Contest | TNT | Kyle Korver, Wesley Matthews |
11 | SAT | 2 | 14 | 2015 | -- | -- | Sprite Slam Dunk | TNT | -- |
12 | SAT | 2 | 14 | 2015 | 9:00 | pm (MT) | NBA Game Time | NBA TV | -- |
That's a lot of stuff! It seems like they add new things every year. The HOF Finalists thing is nice, but there are no Jazz players, people, or things up for it. The Commish Presser is fun, and Adam Silver is a very nice guy. Some former Jazz players, or in the case of 'Nique, very brief Jazz players are in the Shooting Stars contest (aka. which prayer halfcourt shot will go in first). Trey is in the Skills challenge, but has a tough draw against Brandon Knight in the first round. Two former Jazz players are in the three point contest. And like the last few years, it's likely that the Dunk contest will be anti-climatic.
Sunday:
This is the big game, before all the new things this was the only thing. And for most players with high ego needs, being an All-star is what they want. It's the Sunday show that matters, not the Friday/Saturday side-show. Here are the events for Sunday:
Date | Time | Event | TV? | Jazz Players | |||||
1 | SUN | 2 | 15 | 2015 | 10:30 | am (MT) | NBA Legends Brunch | ? | Karl Malone, others (?) |
2 | SUN | 2 | 15 | 2015 | 12:30 | pm (MT) | NBA D-League All-Star Game | NBA TV | Jerrelle Benimon |
3 | SUN | 2 | 15 | 2015 | -- | -- | NBA D-League Dunk Contest | NBA TV | -- |
4 | SUN | 2 | 15 | 2015 | 3:00 | pm (MT) | NBA Game Time | NBA TV | -- |
5 | SUN | 2 | 15 | 2015 | 4:00 | pm (MT) | Sprint Pregame Concert | NBA TV | -- |
6 | SUN | 2 | 15 | 2015 | 5:00 | pm (MT) | NBA Tip-Off | TNT | -- |
7 | SUN | 2 | 15 | 2015 | 6:30 | pm (MT) | NBA All-Star Game | TNT | Paul Millsap, Kyle Korver |
8 | SUN | 2 | 15 | 2015 | 9:30 | pm (MT) | Inside the NBA | NBA TV | -- |
So we have some Jazz alumns here too. I don't know if the brunch is on TV, I don't see WHY it would be on TV, but it's listed as an event. The Idaho Stampede have one guy in the All-star game (no Dee Bost or Kevin Murphy this time around as they jumped ship to go play in Europe part way through the season). Benimon is a bigman who has some skills with the ball, but bigmen rarely get the ball in All-Star games. So enjoy that. There are no Idaho guys in the NBADL dunk contest, so don't bother -- it's at halftime of the game itself.
Millsap and Korver are both in the All-Star game, but it remains to be seen if the game won't be dominated by ball hogs instead.