The 2021 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game played on March 7, 2021, during the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2020–21 season. It was the 70th edition of the NBA All-Star Game, and was hosted at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, home of the Atlanta Hawks. With teams captained by LeBron James and Kevin Durant, Team LeBron won the game 170–150. Giannis Antetokounmpo of Team LeBron was named the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player. The game was originally scheduled to be held in Indianapolis, but it was relocated to Atlanta due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting scheduling conflicts with the 2021 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. The game was televised nationally on TNT for the 19th consecutive year, and simulcast on TBS for the 7th consecutive year.
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| Date | March 7, 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Arena | State Farm Arena | ||||||||||||||||||
| City | Atlanta | ||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Giannis Antetokounmpo (Team LeBron) | ||||||||||||||||||
| National anthem | Gladys Knight (American) Alessia Cara (Canadian) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Halftime show | 2021 AT&T Slam Dunk Contest | ||||||||||||||||||
| Network | TNT and TBS | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Marv Albert, Reggie Miller, Chris Webber, and Allie LaForce Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Shaquille O'Neal, and Dwyane Wade (Skills Competition, 3 Point Contest, and Slam Dunk Contest) | ||||||||||||||||||
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| NBA All-Star Game | |||||||||||||||||||
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This was the third time that Atlanta hosted the All-Star Game; the previous times were 1978 and 2003. This was the last All-Star game Marv Albert would call in his career.
Background
editOn December 13, 2017, at a press conference held by the Indiana Pacers, it was announced that the 2021 NBA All-Star Game would be hosted at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. In attendance at the announcement was NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, Pacers owner Herb Simon, Governor Eric Holcomb, and Mayor Joe Hogsett. The team had submitted its bid for the game in grand fashion with then-team president and NBA legend Larry Bird delivering the bid in an Dallara IR-05.[1]
On November 25, 2020, the NBA announced that the All-Star Game would be postponed due to NBA schedule changes as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and potential schedule conflicts with the 2021 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament (which, for logistical considerations, was relocated in and around the Indianapolis area).[2][3] Silver confirmed that Indianapolis will instead host the 2024 NBA All-Star Game.[2][4] On February 4, 2021, the NBA and the NBA Players Association announced the 2021 All-Star Game had been relocated to State Farm Arena in Atlanta, home of the Atlanta Hawks.[5]
The NBA placed a focus on supporting African-American communities through the All-Star Game; on February 15, it was announced that the NBA and the NBA Players Association would donate $2.5 million to support equitable COVID-19 care and relief, and historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).[6] The two teams played in support of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and United Negro College Fund respectively, recorded performances of bands from Florida A&M University and Grambling State University were used for player introductions, and the court was decorated with artwork from students of HBCUs.[7][8]
COVID-19 protocols
editAll participants in the game were required to test negative on a COVID-19 PCR test before they were transported to Atlanta, and they could only bring limited family and friends. They were required to use private transport provided by the league. All NBA players were subject to daily testing during the All-Star break, even if they were not participating in the game, and they were prohibited from travelling internationally or using public accommodations if they did travel out of their home market. For the first week after the break, all players were subject to gameday testing protocols (one rapid test and two PCR tests) daily, even if they were not scheduled to play that day.[9]
The NBA faced criticism for going on with the All-Star Game, raising the possibility of a superspreading event due to participation by players from multiple teams.[10][11] The possibility that exposure could also occur at events tied to the game was also raised.[12] Multiple players expressed resentment to the decision, including Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James (who described it as a "slap in the face"), and Kawhi Leonard among others.[11][13][10] Critics acknowledged that the All-Star Game has been a major source of revenue for the NBA and its media partners which likely factored into the decision to still go on with the event.[13][11] On March 8, the NBA reported that there were no positive tests among players and staff present on gameday.[14]
The All-Star Game was closed to the public, and there were no other official festivities tied to the game.[15] Spectators were limited to 1,200–1,500 invited guests and were expected to include vaccinated health care workers and the students and faculty of HBCUs.[16] Mayor of Atlanta Keisha Lance Bottoms publicly stated that "we are in agreement that this is a made-for-TV event only"; she asked fans to refrain from travelling to Atlanta for the game and strongly discouraged the hospitality industry from hosting events relating to the game.[12][11] This request was enforced by the NBA which sent cease-and-desist notices to various local businesses for using its trademarks to promote events tied to the All-Star Game.[17] Artificial crowd noise and virtual fans on screens along the court, similarly to the NBA Bubble, were also utilized.[18]
Teams
editCoaches
edit
Quin Snyder, coach of the Utah Jazz, qualified as the head coach of Team LeBron on February 15.[19] Doc Rivers, coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, also qualified as the head coach of Team Durant on February 19, after their win over the Chicago Bulls.[20]
Rosters
editAs had been the case in previous years, the rosters for the All-Star Game were selected through a voting process. The fans could vote through the NBA website as well as through their Google account. The starters were chosen by the fans, media, and current NBA players. Fans made up 50% of the vote, and NBA players and media each comprised 25% of the vote. The two guards and three frontcourt players who received the highest cumulative vote totals in each conferences were named the All-Star starters and two players in each conferences with the highest votes were named team captains.[21] NBA head coaches voted for the reserves for their respective conferences, none of which could be players from their own team. Each coach selected 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 was to be selected, coaches were 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.[22]
The All-Star Game starters were announced on February 18, 2021. Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards and Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets were named the backcourt starters in the East, earning their third and seventh all-star appearances, respectively. Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks were named the frontcourt starters in the East, earning their 11th and fifth all-star appearances, respectively. Joining in the East frontcourt was Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, his fourth selection.[23]
Luka Dončić of the Dallas Mavericks and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors were named to the starting backcourt in the West, earning their second and seventh all-star appearances, respectively. In the frontcourt, Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers and LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers was named to their fifth and 17th all-star selections, respectively. Joining them was Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets, in his third all-star selection.[23]
The All-Star Game reserves were announced on February 23, 2021. The West reserves included Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers, his eighth selection; Paul George of the Los Angeles Clippers, his seventh selection; Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz, his second selection; Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers, his sixth selection; Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz, his second selection; Chris Paul of the Phoenix Suns, his 11th selection; and Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans, his first selection.[24]
The East reserves included Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics, his first selection; James Harden of the Brooklyn Nets, his ninth selection; Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls, his first selection; Julius Randle of the New York Knicks, his first selection; Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers, his third selection; Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics, his second selection; and Nikola Vučević of the Orlando Magic, his second selection.[24]
- Italics indicates leading vote-getters per conference
^INJ1 Anthony Davis was unable to play due to a calf injury.[25]
^REP1 Devin Booker was selected as Anthony Davis's replacement.[25]
^INJ2 Kevin Durant was unable to play due to a hamstring injury.[26]
^REP2 Domantas Sabonis was selected as Kevin Durant's replacement.[26]
^ST1 Jayson Tatum was selected to start in place of Durant.[26]
^INJ3 Devin Booker was unable to play due to knee injury.[27]
^REP3 Mike Conley was selected as Devin Booker's replacement.[27]
^ST2 Zion Williamson started in place of Joel Embiid on Team Durant, who was out for the game due to contact tracing in addition to his teammate Ben Simmons.[28][29]
Draft
editThe NBA All-Star Draft took place on March 4, 2021. LeBron James and Kevin Durant were named captains, as they both received the most votes from the West and East, respectively.[23] This was the fourth straight year that James was named an All-Star team captain, while this was Durant's first selection as team captain. The first eight players that were drafted were starters. The next fourteen players (seven from each conference) were chosen by NBA head coaches. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver selected replacements for any player unable to participate in the All-Star Game, choosing a player from the same conference as the player who was being replaced. Silver's selection joined the team that drafted the replaced player. If a replaced player was a starter, the head coach of that team would choose a new starter from their cast of players instead.
James picked Giannis Antetokounmpo with his first pick, and Durant picked Kyrie Irving second. Team Durant was the home team due to the Eastern Conference having home team status for the game.[30]
| Pick | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | LeBron |
| 2 | Kyrie Irving | Durant |
| 3 | Stephen Curry | LeBron |
| 4 | Joel Embiid | Durant |
| 5 | Luka Dončić | LeBron |
| 6 | Kawhi Leonard | Durant |
| 7 | Nikola Jokić | LeBron |
| 8 | Bradley Beal | Durant |
| 9 | Jayson Tatum | Durant |
| 10 | James Harden | Durant |
| 11 | Damian Lillard | LeBron |
| 12 | Devin Booker | Durant |
| 13 | Ben Simmons | LeBron |
| 14 | Zion Williamson | Durant |
| 15 | Chris Paul | LeBron |
| 16 | Zach LaVine | Durant |
| 17 | Jaylen Brown | LeBron |
| 18 | Julius Randle | Durant |
| 19 | Paul George | LeBron |
| 20 | Nikola Vučević | Durant |
| 21 | Domantas Sabonis | LeBron |
| 22 | Donovan Mitchell | Durant |
| 23 | Rudy Gobert | LeBron |
Lineups
edit
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Hours before the opening tip, the 76ers' Embiid and Simmons were scratched from the game due to NBA COVID-19 protocols as they had visited a local barber in Philadelphia who later tested positive before they traveled to Atlanta. No replacements were named, and each squad went with 11 players. Coach Rivers chose Williamson to start for Team Durant in place of Embiid.[31]
Game summary
editGiannis Antetokounmpo scored 35 points on a perfect 16-of-16 shooting from the field to lead Team LeBron to a 170–150 win and capture All-Star MVP honors. He set an All-Star record for most attempts without a miss, surpassing Hal Greer's 8-for-8 in 1968.[31][7] Damian Lillard and Stephen Curry added 32 and 28 points, respectively, and both made eight three-point field goals for Team LeBron, including several from more than 30 feet from the basket. Team Durant was led by Bradley Beal's 26 points.[32]
The game used the same format as the 2020 edition: the team that scored the most points during each of the first three 12-minute quarters would receive a cash prize to be donated to a designated charity. The fourth quarter was untimed, with the first team to meet or exceed a "target score"—the score of the leading team in total scoring after three quarters plus 24—declared the winner.[33] Team LeBron controlled the contest after winning the second quarter by 19 points, while also taking the first and third quarters by one point each.[7] Lillard made a walk-off 40-foot (12 m) three-pointer to win it.[32][31] LeBron James finished with just four points in 13 minutes, played the first half and rested thereafter.[31] His prior low in his 16 previous All-Star games was 13 points. Team LeBron donated over $1 million to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, while Team Durant gave $500,000 to the United Negro College Fund.[7]
March 7, 2021
8:00 pm ET |
| Team LeBron 170, Team Durant 150 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 40–39, 60–41, 46–45, 24–25 | ||
| Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 35 Rebs: Chris Paul 8 Asts: Chris Paul 16 |
Pts: Bradley Beal 26 Rebs: Kawhi Leonard 9 Asts: Kyrie Irving 12 | |
All-Star Weekend
editMost NBA All-Star Weekend festivities were canceled, while some of the traditional Saturday-night competitions were moved to Sunday with the All-Star Game itself. The Skills Challenge and Three-Point Contest were held before the game, and the Slam Dunk Contest at halftime.[31][34]
Rising Stars Challenge
editDue to the downsizing of the All-Star Game due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NBA All-Star Weekend was not held, and the Rising Stars Challenge was not played. The NBA still named the Rising Stars rosters of first- and second-year players.[31]
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A Rising Stars roster was named to honor the league's top first- and second-year players, but the game was not played.[31][35]
Skills Challenge
edit| Pos. | Player | Team | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F | Robert Covington | Portland Trail Blazers | 6–7 | 209 |
| G/F | Luka Dončić | Dallas Mavericks | 6–7 | 230 |
| G | Chris Paul | Phoenix Suns | 6–0 | 175 |
| F/C | Julius Randle | New York Knicks | 6–8 | 250 |
| F/C | Domantas Sabonis | Indiana Pacers | 6–11 | 240 |
| C | Nikola Vučević | Orlando Magic | 6–11 | 260 |
| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals | |||||||||
| Domantas Sabonis (Indiana) | O | ||||||||||
| Domantas Sabonis (Indiana) | O | Luka Dončić (Dallas) | X | ||||||||
| Julius Randle (New York) | X | Domantas Sabonis (Indiana) | O | ||||||||
| Nikola Vučević (Orlando) | X | ||||||||||
| Nikola Vučević (Orlando) | O | ||||||||||
| Nikola Vučević (Orlando) | O | Chris Paul (Phoenix) | X | ||||||||
| Robert Covington (Portland) | X | ||||||||||
Three-Point Contest
editCurry won his second Three-Point Contest after making his last shot in the final round to edge Mike Conley Jr. 28–27.[37]
| Pos. | Player | Team | Height | Weight | First round | Final round |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors | 6–3 | 185 | 31 | 28 |
| G | Mike Conley Jr.REP1 | Utah Jazz | 6–1 | 175 | 28 | 27 |
| F | Jayson Tatum | Boston Celtics | 6–8 | 210 | 25 | 17 |
| G/F | Zach LaVine | Chicago Bulls | 6–5 | 200 | 22 | DNQ |
| G | Donovan Mitchell | Utah Jazz | 6–3 | 215 | 22 | |
| G/F | Jaylen Brown | Boston Celtics | 6–6 | 223 | 17 | |
| G | Devin BookerINJ1 | Phoenix Suns | 6–5 | 206 | DNP | DNP |
^INJ1 Devin Booker was unable to play due to knee injury.[27]
^REP1 Mike Conley was selected as Devin Booker's replacement.[27]
Slam Dunk Contest
edit- Note: The final round was decided by votes from the judges.
| Pos. | Player | Team | Height | Weight | First round | Final round |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | Anfernee Simons | Portland Trail Blazers | 6–3 | 181 | 95 (46 49) | 3 |
| F | Obi Toppin | New York Knicks | 6–9 | 220 | 94 (48 46) | 2 |
| G | Cassius Stanley | Indiana Pacers | 6–5 | 190 | 81 (44 37) | DNQ |
Broadcasting
editThe All-Star Game was broadcast by TNT for the 19th consecutive year. The game was seen by 5.94 million viewers, an 18% decrease over 2020 and the least-watched All-Star Game overall, but it beat CBS's Oprah with Meghan and Harry special in key demographic audience share.[40][41]
Additionally, this was the final NBA All-Star Game to ever be called by Marv Albert, as he announced his retirement from broadcasting following the 2021 Playoffs.
References
edit- ^ Brown, Clifton; Newell, Nat; Briggs, James (December 13, 2017). "Pacers to host 2021 NBA All-Star game". Indy Star. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- ^ a b Wells, Adam (November 25, 2020). "NBA Postpones 2021 All-Star Weekend; Indianapolis to Host in 2024". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on June 4, 2023.
- ^ Maloney, Jack (February 28, 2021). "NBA All-Star Game 2021: Kevin Durant to still serve as captain despite sitting out with hamstring injury". CBS Sports. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
- ^ McCleary, Michael (November 25, 2020). "Indianapolis, Pacers awarded 2024 NBA All-Star game with 2021 cancellation". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
- ^ Wimbish, Jasmyn (February 4, 2021). "NBA, NBPA agree to hold 2021 All-Star Game in Atlanta on March 7, per report". CBS Sports. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
- ^ Bontemps, Tim (February 18, 2021). "NBA announces All-Star Game plans; Adam Silver says playing 'right thing to do'". ESPN. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Bontemps, Tim (March 7, 2021). "Giannis Antetokounmpo, perfect in Team LeBron win, nabs NBA All-Star Game MVP". ESPN. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
- ^ Vera, Amir; Dotson, Kevin (March 8, 2021). "Team LeBron wins NBA All-Star Game, but HBCUs were the real winner of the night". CNN. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- ^ Bontemps, Tim; Wojnarowski, Adrian (February 15, 2021). "Travel options will be limited for players during All-Star break, whether they head to Atlanta or not, according to NBA memo". ESPN. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
- ^ a b Young, Ryan (February 16, 2021). "Kings star De'Aaron Fox worried about widespread COVID-19 outbreak from All-Star Game". Yahoo! Sports. Archived from the original on February 17, 2021. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Deb, Sopan (February 8, 2021). "N.B.A. Announces All-Star Game Plans Despite Player Objections". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 23, 2021. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
- ^ a b Quinn, Sam (February 16, 2021). "Atlanta mayor expresses concern over city hosting NBA All-Star Game, calls it a 'made-for-TV' event". CBS Sports. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
- ^ a b Young, Jabari (February 9, 2021). "NBA players oppose All-Star Game, but the league knows there's a lot of money on the line". CNBC. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
- ^ Feldman, Dan (March 8, 2021). "NBA: No players, coaches or officials tested positive for coronavirus at All-Star". ProBasketballTalk | NBC Sports. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
- ^ "2021 NBA All-Star Game: League reveals details for game, skills events on March 7 in Atlanta". CBS Sports. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
- ^ "The NBA All-Star game comes to Atlanta". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on February 17, 2021. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
- ^ Lev, By Kevin Dotson, Homero De la Fuente, and Jacob (March 7, 2021). "NBA cracks down on Atlanta promoters planning All-Star Game events". CNN. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Golliver, Ben; Wallace, Ava; Bieler, Des. "Team LeBron dominates an NBA All-Star Game that feels incomplete". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- ^ a b "Utah's Quin Snyder earns spot as coach of Team LeBron in 2021 NBA All-Star Game". NBA.com. February 19, 2021. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
- ^ a b "76ers' Doc Rivers to coach Team Durant in All-Star Game". NBA.com. February 19, 2021. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
- ^ "2020 NBA All-Star voting first returns released". NBA.com. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
- ^ Stein, Marc (January 18, 2013). "1. Reserve Judgment: Stein's All-Star Benches". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on January 26, 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e "2021 NBA All-Star Game starters revealed". NBA.com. February 18, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Harden, Lillard headline 2021 NBA All-Star reserves". NBA.com. February 23, 2021. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
- ^ a b "Devin Booker to replace Anthony Davis in NBA All-Star Game". NBA.com. February 24, 2021. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Domantas Sabonis to replace Kevin Durant in All-Star Game". NBA.com. February 26, 2021. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Utah's Conley to replace Phoenix's Booker in 2021 NBA All-Star Game and MTN DEW 3-Point Contest". NBA.com. March 5, 2021. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
- ^ "Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons (health & safety protocols) out for 2021 All-Star Game". NBA.com. March 7, 2021. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
- ^ "Zion Williamson to replace Joel Embiid in Team Durant starting lineup". NBA.com. March 7, 2021. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
- ^ "Team LeBron vs. Team Durant: NBA All-Star Draft rosters and results". NBA.com. March 4, 2021. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g Stein, Marc (March 7, 2021). "Two Players Out of N.B.A. All-Star Game Because of Virus Protocols". The New York Times. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
- ^ a b Golliver, Ben; Wallace, Ava; Bieler, Des (March 8, 2021). "Team LeBron dominates an NBA All-Star Game that feels incomplete". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
- ^ "2021 All-Star Game Format". NBA.com. February 18, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
- ^ "NBA All-Star game, slam dunk contest set for March 7". Los Angeles Times. February 18, 2021. Archived from the original on February 18, 2021. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Zion Williamson, Ja Morant lead 2021 Rising Stars roster". NBA.com. March 3, 2021. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
- ^ "2021 Taco Bell Skills Challenge". NBA.com. March 2, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
- ^ Golliver, Ben (March 7, 2021). "Stephen Curry claims second three-point contest title". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
- ^ "2021 MTN DEW 3-Point Contest". NBA.com. March 2, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
- ^ "2021 AT&T Slam Dunk". NBA.com. March 2, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
- ^ "Media Tells Two Different Stories About NBA All Star Ratings". Barrett Sports Media. March 9, 2021. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
- ^ Traina, Jimmy. "NBA All-Star Game Beats Oprah, Harry and Meghan in One Important Category". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
