Whether we like it or not, All-Star Weekend remains present in 2021, though not without several noticeable COVID-19-induced alterations.
Previously scheduled to take place in Indiana, the events have been shipped down to Atlanta’s State Farm Arena, where they will be scrunched together over the course of several hours. There is no Rising Stars Challenge. The Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest, two of Saturday night’s typical headliners, will now take place before the All-Star Game tips off on Sunday. The Dunk Contest will fill the halftime void.
The NBA has packed most of the traditional All-Star Weekend into one night, giving fans plenty to look for throughout the evening.
Like most everything over the last year, All-Star won’t be what we’ve grown accustomed to, but the inherent nature of each event, even when rolled into a singular day, is not without its intrigue if you look hard enough.
Anytime you can assemble some of the most talented people in a profession in one place, there is going to be something worth tuning in for.
Expect some of the best of the best to do what brought them to Atlanta in the first place, but also keep an eye out for several things that very well could wind up determining the verdict on a spectacle many don’t even believe should be taking place.