Despite a global pandemic, the NBA is pressing forward with NBA All-Star 2021. Originally planned to take place in Indianapolis, the event was postponed due to the uncertainty of the NBA season at the time.
Since then, the NBA has arranged for the event to be held on Sunday, March 7th at State Farm Arena in Atlanta with a one night only event for the first time in All-Star weekend history.
The game will be televised on TNT with on-court action beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET. TNT’s NBA All-Star coverage will begin at 5 p.m. ET with TNT NBA Tip-Off presented by CarMax, followed by the Taco Bell® Skills Challenge and MTN DEW® 3-Point Contest starting at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Coverage of the 70th NBA All-Star Game will begin at 8 p.m. ET, with AT&T Slam Dunk taking place at halftime. The game will follow the same format as last year, with the teams competing to win each quarter and playing to a Final Target Score during the untimed fourth quarter.
The rosters for the NBA All-Star Game will be determined through the NBA All-Star Draft, where the two team captains will select from the pool of players voted as starters and reserves in each conference and make their picks without regard to conference affiliation.
For NBA All-Star 2021, the NBA and NBPA have established additional measures to supplement the league’s current Health and Safety Protocols. These include private travel to and from Atlanta, the creation of a “mini bubble” environment within a single hotel for players and coaches, and enhanced PCR testing.
Additionally, for the well-being and safety of the greater Atlanta community, there will be no fan activities, ticketed events or hospitality functions as part of All-Star.
While the NBA is doing their best to ensure player safety, that may not be enough. Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal who will be a starter for the first time in his career shared some hesitancy about playing in this year’s game.
Nonetheless, it looks like the show will go on with players heading to Atlanta is just a few weeks.