NBA All-Star Game Weekend on ESPN Africa: Guide

All the high profile action from the 62nd NBA All-Star Weekend will air live on ESPN this weekend from Houston, Texas, where basketball’s greatest names will rub shoulders with celebrities and fans from across the board. Starting with the All-Star Celebrity Game on Friday night, including the Rising Stars (Rookie) Challenge and All-Star Saturday Night and culminating in the glittering NBA All-Star Game on Sunday night, all games will air live with viewer friendly re-airs during daylight hours.

Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant was the top vote scorer in the ballot to select players for this year’s All-Star Game, edging Miami Heat’s LeBron James into second place. This will be Bryant’s record 15th consecutive All-Star appearance. Other Western Conference players will include fellow Lakers player Dwight Howard, Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant and LA Clippers’ Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.

Joining LeBron James in the Eastern Conference will be Heats teammate Dwyane Wade, New York Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony and Boston Celtics’ Kevin Garnett. Of the 24 players selected for this year’s All-Star Game seven will be making their first appearance.

Highlight of the weekend includes:

BBVA Rising Stars Challenge (Friday, February 15th):

• Check out Ricky Rubio, Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard and the rest of the NBA’s future stars, as the best rookies and sophomores square off on teams drafted by Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley.

NBA All-Star Saturday night (Saturday, February 16th):

• Sprite Slam Dunk contest: Watch the creativity and excitement of the NBA’s best dunkers
• Foot Locker Three-Point Contest: See the league’s best shooters make as many 3’s as they can in 60 seconds
• Taco Bell Skills Challenge: Watch the NBA’s best guards race through an obstacle course, displaying their wide range of skills
• Sears Shooting Stars: See teams of NBA, WNBA and former NBA players face off in a shooting competition

ESPN is also pleased to announce extended coverage of the regular NBA season with 58 regular season games leading up to the NBA Playoffs including live coverage of seven first round games, seven second round (Conference Semifinals) games and the entire series of the Western Conference Finals.

NBA All-Star Weekend on ESPN (All times WAT)
16 February 2013
1am NBA All-Star Celebrity Game (re-air 10:30am)
3am NBA All-Star Event: Rising Stars Challenge (re-air 17th at 10:30am)

17 February 2013
2:30am NBA All-Star Saturday Night (re-air 10:00am)

18 February 2013
2am NBA All-Star  Game  (re-air 6pm)

Watch ESPN on DStv channel 230.