History of NBA All-Star Game in Timeline

The NBA All-Star Game is an annual exhibition game held each February, showcasing 24 of the NBA's star players. A featured event of NBA All-Star Weekend, a three-day event, it has been held on the third Sunday of February since 2022, coinciding with the Daytona 500. The inaugural All-Star Game took place at the Boston Garden on March 2, 1951.

March 2, 1951: First NBA All-Star Game

On March 2, 1951, the first NBA All-Star Game was played at the Boston Garden.

1962: First Instance of Four All-Stars from One Team

In 1962, the first instance of four players being chosen from one team each was achieved by the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers.

1982: Pat Riley Coaching All-Star Game

Between 1982 and 1990, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Pat Riley earned the right to coach the Western Conference team eight times in nine seasons.

1990: Riley Rule Creation

Between 1982 and 1990, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Pat Riley earned the right to coach the Western Conference team eight times in nine seasons. Known as the "Riley Rule", the coach of the team with the next best record gets to coach instead.

1996: Michael Jordan All-Star MVP Award

In 1996, Michael Jordan was awarded his second All-Star MVP award.

1997: Players Could Wear Team Uniforms

Starting in 1997, players were allowed to wear their normal team uniforms in the All-Star Game.

2000: First Halftime Show

In the 2000 All-Star game, the first halftime show happened featuring Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Mary J. Blige, 98 Degrees, Montell Jordan, Martina McBride, and LL Cool J performing.

2002: Players Wear Team Uniforms

Until 2002, players were allowed to wear their normal team uniforms in the All-Star Game.

December 13, 2003: Previous Attendance Record

On December 13, 2003, the attendance record prior to the 2010 All-Star Game, was 78,129 attendees who watched Michigan State play Kentucky at Ford Field.

2003: All-Star Ballots in Multiple Languages

In 2003, the NBA began offering All-Star ballots in three languages—English, Spanish and Chinese—for fan voting of the starters.

2007: Kobe Bryant Starts as Point Guard

In the 2007 All-Star Game, Kobe Bryant started as a point guard despite typically playing shooting guard.

2010: Host Conference Uniforms Tradition

From 2010, the host conference traditionally had light uniforms, which broke with past practices.

2010: NBA All-Star Game Attendance Record

In 2010, the NBA All-Star Game set a basketball game attendance record with 108,713 people at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

2013: Change in All-Star Frontcourt Selection

Prior to 2013, fans selected two forwards and one center instead of generic frontcourt players for the All-Star Game.

2014: Host Conference Uniforms Tradition Ends

The host conference traditionally had light uniforms until 2014.

March 23, 2016: North Carolina House Bill 2 Passage

On March 23, 2016, North Carolina passed House Bill 2, also known as a "bathroom bill", which was seen as discriminatory against transgender persons and led to controversy surrounding the 2017 All-Star Game location.

July 21, 2016: 2017 All-Star Game Moved to New Orleans

On July 21, 2016, the NBA announced that the 2017 All-Star Game would be moved to New Orleans due to North Carolina's House Bill 2.

March 2017: 2019 All-Star Game Awarded to Charlotte

In March 2017, after the partial repeal of some provisions of House Bill 2, the NBA awarded the 2019 All-Star Weekend to Charlotte.

October 3, 2017: New All-Star Game Format Announced

On October 3, 2017, the NBA and NBPA announced changes to the All-Star Game format, starting in 2018, where the top vote-getters from each conference would be team captains and draft their teams regardless of conference.

2017: Change in All-Star Starter Selection Process

In 2017, the NBA modified the All-Star starter selection process to a weighted system where fan voting accounts for 50%, with player and media voting accounting for 25% each.

2018: Most Recent Instance of Four All-Stars from One Team

In 2018, the Golden State Warriors had four All-Star players selected for the game.

2018: Debut of New All-Star Game Format

In 2018, the new All-Star Game format was implemented, featuring team captains from each conference drafting their teams regardless of conference.

2019: 2019 All-Star Game in Charlotte

In 2019, the All-Star Game was held in Charlotte after the NBA awarded the city the game in March 2017, following a partial repeal of House Bill 2.

2020: Elam Ending Introduced in Fourth Quarter

In 2020, the fourth quarter was changed to use the Elam Ending with the target score set to 157 points, and Team LeBron won the contest.

2020: Elam Ending Introduced

In 2020, the untimed fourth quarter known as Elam Ending was introduced in honor of Kobe Bryant.

2022: NBA All-Star Game Scheduling

In 2022, the NBA All-Star Game was held on the third Sunday of February, coinciding with the Daytona 500 and usually the week after the Super Bowl.

October 25, 2023: Return to Conference-Based Format

On October 25, 2023, the NBA announced the return of the conference-based format for the 2024 All-Star Game, while also removing the untimed fourth quarter, also known as Elam Ending.