All Eyes on San Francisco NBA All-Star Weekend Takes Over the Bay Area with Exciting Events and Performances

 This year, the NBA All-Star Game is making its grand return to the Bay Area, with the Golden State Warriors hosting the much-anticipated event at the Chase Center. It marks the first time in 25 years that the Warriors have hosted the event, with their previous NBA All-Star appearance in 2000 at Oakland Arena, and another in 1967 at the Cow Palace in Daly City.

The weekend promises to be action-packed, with festivities taking place across both San Francisco and Oakland. In addition to the basketball games, there are concerts by major artists including electronic dance acts Zedd and Chainsmokers, hip-hop icons Flo Rida and 2 Chainz, singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, and blues guitar legend Gary Clark Jr.

The NBA Crossover fan experience and NBA All-Star Alley on Powell Street will also add to the excitement, featuring pop-up storefronts, live podcast recordings, and a specially designed basketball court at Union Square.

Where Are the Events Happening? The majority of NBA All-Star events, including the game itself, will take place at Chase Center. However, some events are hosted at the Warriors’ former home, Oakland Arena.

The NBA All-Star concert series will be held at San Francisco’s Pier 48, while the NBA Crossover fan experience will take place at Moscone Center from Friday to Sunday. Additionally, Thrive City will host events at its entertainment zone, featuring restaurants, bars, and attractions like the new Splash sports bar.

When Are the Major Events Happening? Here’s a breakdown of the key events happening throughout All-Star Weekend:

Friday, February 14:

• NBA All-Star Celebrity Game at Oakland Arena, 4 p.m.
• Rising Stars Competition at Chase Center, 6 p.m.

Saturday, February 15:

• NBA All-Star Practice at Oakland Arena, 11 a.m.
• NBA HBCU Classic: Morehouse College vs. Tuskegee University at Oakland Arena, 2 p.m.
• All-Star Saturday Night featuring Skills Challenge, 3-Point Contest, and Slam Dunk Contest at Chase Center, 5 p.m.

Sunday, February 16:

• NBA All-Star Game at Chase Center, 5 p.m.

Navigating All-Star Weekend With so many visitors in town for the All-Star events, plus the Chinese New Year’s Parade on Saturday, San Francisco’s streets are expected to be packed. Fortunately, Muni service will be free for the entire weekend (except for cable cars), making it easier for people to use public transit to get around. BART will also provide services to both Chase Center and Oakland Arena. For those driving, the SFMTA has released detailed info about street closures and detours.

This Year’s All-Star Rosters The All-Star teams have been split into three squads, drafted by TNT analysts Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith. The teams are as follows:

• Chuck’s Global Stars: Nikola Jokić (Denver), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC), Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio), Pascal Siakam (Indiana), Alperen Şengün (Houston), Karl-Anthony Towns (New York), Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland), Trae Young (Atlanta).
• Shaq’s OGs: LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers), Stephen Curry (Golden State), Kyrie Irving (Dallas), Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown (Boston), Kevin Durant (Phoenix), Damian Lillard (Milwaukee), James Harden (LA Clippers).
• Kenny’s Young Stars: Anthony Edwards (Minnesota), Jalen Brunson (New York), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis), Jalen Williams (OKC), Darius Garland and Evan Mobley (Cleveland), Cade Cunningham (Detroit), Tyler Herro (Miami).

New All-Star Game Format This year, the NBA will introduce a new format for the All-Star Game. The game will feature a mini-tournament with four teams playing to 40 points, with no game clock, only a shot clock. The fourth team in the tournament will be the winner of the Rising Stars competition. The matchups include:

• Chuck’s Global Stars vs. Kenny’s Young Stars
• Shaq’s OGs vs. Candace’s Rising Stars (from the Rising Stars competition)

The winning team will receive a prize pool of $1.8 million, with each champion player earning $125,000.

Who’s Performing at All-Star Weekend? In addition to the scheduled concerts, a variety of artists will perform throughout the weekend, including DJ Cassidy, Too $hort, Saweetie, En Vogue, Raphael Saadiq, H.E.R., and LiAngelo Ball. Bay Area rapper LaRussell will also take the stage during the Rising Stars event on Friday night.

With so much to experience and enjoy, All-Star Weekend in San Francisco is set to be an unforgettable event, blending world-class basketball, entertainment, and culture.