NBA All-Star 2022, Live

Johannesburg, 15 February 2022: The 2022 National Basketball Association (NBA) annual All-Star exhibition match brings the best basketball to screens across Africa this February on ESPN. The 71^st NBA All-Star game will take place on Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. There will also be a celebration of the league’s 75^th anniversary. This much-anticipated basketball event will broadcast live on ESPN (channel 248) on Monday 21 February at 3 AM (03:00 UCT +2), with repeat broadcasts at 7 AM (07:00 UCT +2) and 1 PM (13:00 UCT +2) on ESPN2 (channel 248) and at 8 PM (20:00 UCT +2) on ESPN on this same day.

Showcasing 24 of the star players of the NBA, the 2022 match will again get headlined by LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers) and Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets). LeBron Hames and Kevin Durant earned the honours to captain their teams by finishing with the highest fan votes in their respective conferences.

For the fifth year in a row, LeBron James had the first pick in the NBA All-Star Draft, selecting his team from a pool of nine starters. Durant chose his team right after that. Due to injury, Kevin Durant will not be stepping onto the court for the second consecutive year. Replacing Durant is Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics.

James, together with Stephen Curry, Ja Morant, Nikola Jokic, and Andrew Wiggins, are the five starters for the Western Conference team. DeMar DeRozan, Trae Young, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Joel Embiid joined Durant as starters from the East. The head coaches of the league selected the reserves. Each coach voted for seven players in their respective conferences, selecting two guards, three frontcourt players, and two wild card players at either position.

As part of the exciting build-up, the All-Star Celebrity Game will get broadcasted on Saturday 19 February at 2 AM (02:00 UCT +2). Right after, the Rising Stars Challenge (live at 4 AM (04:00 UCT +2)) will feature the presence of G League Ignite players for the first time. Four top prospects playing for the Ignite join 12 players from the 2020 and 2021 NBA draft classes. They make up the 28 players who will participate in the annual showcase for its stars of tomorrow as part of All-Star Weekend. The four teams of Ignite will get coached by Hall-of-Famers Rick Barry, Gary Payton, Isiah Thomas, and James Worthy.

The popular NBA All-Star Saturday-Night event will be broadcast live on Sunday 20 February at 3 AM (03:00 UCT +2). It will feature the Basketball Skill Challenge, the 3-Point Contest (now with an updated format), and the Slam dunk contest.

For more from the world of American sports, fans can connect to @ESPNAfrica on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or visit Africa.espn.com.