On February 12th to 14th, 2016, the National Basketball Association (NBA) will hold its 65th annual All-Star Game in Toronto, Ontario. The home city of the popular and successful Toronto Raptors franchise will host the game, a showcase of the best players in the world’s top basketball league, on February 14th and its related competitions and fan festival on the weekend leading up to the main event on Sunday night at the Air Canada Centre. It will be Toronto’s first time hosting the NBA All-Star weekend and the first time that the event will be held outside of the United States, where all NBA teams besides the Raptors are based.
The main event of the NBA All-Star celebration each year is the All-Star Game itself, featuring 24 of the biggest stars in the league. This year’s game at the Air Canada Centre on the evening of Sunday, February 14th features prominent NBA superstars such as LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, and reigning league MVP Stephen Curry. Also on this year’s All-Star team for the Eastern Conference (opposing the Western Conference stars in the game) are two Toronto Raptors, guards Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, who will showcase their game for the home crowd along the rest of the NBA’s elite.
NBA All-Star 2016 features many more events over the weekend throughout Toronto. On Friday night, February 12th, the Air Canada Centre hosts the Rising Stars Challenge, which pits many of the league’s top rookies and sophomores against each other. This year, recognizing the NBA’s increasingly international character, the game will pit young U.S. players against Team World, consisting of rising stars from Europe, South America, Africa, and Canada, including promising Canadian forward Andrew Wiggins. On the same night at the Ricoh Coliseum, the Celebrity Game will take place, pitting celebrities and NBA legends from the US (coached by comedian Kevin Hart, a 4-time Celebrity Game MVP) against those from Canada (coached by hip hop star and Raptors ambassador Drake, with 2-time NBA MVP Steve Nash and MLB star Jose Bautista as his assistants).
On Saturday night, February 13th, the Air Canada Centre will host some of the most popular events of the NBA All-Star weekend: the Skills Challenge, Three-Point Shootout, and Slam Dunk Contest. In addition, the NBA Centre Court fan festival will be held from Feb. 12th to 14th at the Enercare Centre at Exhibition Place in Toronto, featuring 40 courts and baskets allowing fans to shoot around and showcase their skills, as well as official NBA merchandise stores and autograph sessions with NBA players and legends.
Feel free to contact Global Alliance Worldwide Chauffeured Services for all of your transportation needs during NBA All-Star 2016 in Toronto. Please keep in mind that, due to high demand, Global Alliance has instituted a 7-day cancellation policy and 6-hour minimum charge for all services related to NBA All-Star 2016 from Friday, February 12th through Sunday, February 14th.