The Unofficial NBA Streaming Guide
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I can’t wait for the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend running from February 16th through 18th. The main event, the All-Star Game, tips off on Sunday at 8:00 pm EST, while one of my favorite parts of the festivities is the Slam Dunk Contest. Best of all, I can catch all the action without a cable subscription.
In a hurry? The game will be featured on TNT with individual events shared with NBA TV, ESPN, and ESPN2, which you can stream with these services:
- DIRECTV STREAM: Get a great channel lineup with the best selection of RSNs in the industry. A 5-day free trial is now available for DIRECTV STREAM.
- Sling TV: This low-cost service allows you to select just the channel lineup you want. Save 50% on Sling TV now.
- Hulu + Live TV: This total entertainment streaming service provides a great on-demand selection and all the essential live TV channels with a 3-day free trial.
If you can’t watch your favorite sports because of your location, get ExpressVPN to access the content you deserve.
2024 NBA All-Star Game
The 2024 NBA All-Star Game is a great chance to avoid the usual concerns about blackouts and conflicting game schedules. The event will take place on Sunday, February 18th, 2024. The game will air on TNT.
Here is the schedule of events:
- Friday, February 16
- 11:30 am: Rising Stars Practice (NBA TV)
- 5:30 pm: Basketball Hall of Fame News Conference (NBA TV)
- 7:00 pm: NBA All-Star Celebrity Game (ESPN)
- 9:00 pm: Rising Stars (TNT)
- Semifinal 1
- Semifinal 2
- Final
- Saturday, February 17
- 11:00 am: NBA All-Star Practice (NBA TV)
- 2:00 pm: HBCU Classic — Winston-Salem State vs Virginia Union (NBA TV/TNT/ESPN2)
- 7:00 pm: Commissioner Adam Silver News Conference (NBA TV)
- 8:00 pm: All-Star Saturday Night (TNT)
- Skills Challenge
- 3-Point Contest
- Stephen vs Sabrina 3-Point Challenge
- Slam Dunk
- Sunday, February 18
- 11:30 am: NBA Legends Awards (NBA TV)
- 1:30 pm: G League Up Next Game (NBA TV)
- 8:00 pm: 73rd NBA All-Star Game (TNT)
Stream NBA All-Star Game
Any streaming service that offers TNT will allow you to watch the All-Star Game and also (likely) the Slam Dunk contest.
Hulu + Live TV
Hulu + Live TV provides 85+ live TV channels (including TNT), an excellent on-demand library, in addition to Disney+ and ESPN+. It’s probably the best overall entertainment service around. You get all that plus a DVR and simultaneous streaming for $69.99/mo.
For more information, see our Hulu + Live TV review.
Sling TV
Get TNT with either Sling Blue or Sling Orange for just $35/mo. The Blue plan is more varied but the Orange plan includes ESPN. You can get them both with 50+ channels for $50/mo.
Sling TV offers a lot of options. See our Sling TV review for details. We also have a special viewer’s guide.
DIRECTV STREAM
DIRECTV STREAM has four plans that start at $69.99/mo. The lowest level plan features roughly 80 live TV channels but there are good reasons to go to a higher-level plan. For example, the Choice plan ($89.99/mo) offers its exceptional selection of RSNs for MLB, NBA, and NHL fans.
Our DIRECTV STREAM review has more information.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV offers a plan that’s similar to Hulu + Live TV. It offers more channels but doesn’t come with Disney+ and ESPN+. It is, however, a bit cheaper at $64.99/mo.
Devices to Live Stream the NBA All-Star Game
All of the streaming services we listed above allow you to watch on the major devices currently in use:
- Amazon Fire TV
- Android Mobile
- Apple TV
- Chromecast
- iOS (iPhone, iPad)
- Roku
- Samsung smart TVs.
DIRECTV STREAM also offers its own device.
Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, and YouTube TV also support Android TV devices, LG Smart TVs, and Xbox gaming systems. There are other devices supported. See our individual streaming reviews for the details.
All-Star Weekend Information
Each year since 1951, the NBA has paused in the middle of the season to play an exhibition game featuring the best players in the league. Although the NBA All-Star game doesn’t count in the standings, it is eagerly anticipated by fans and players alike.
In 2023, the game is scheduled to be played on Feb 19 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. Let’s take a closer look at the history of the game, how players are selected, and the other significant events that will take place prior to the showcase of the league’s best players.
The History of the All-Star Game
In 1951 and 1952, the game was held at Boston Garden, which is considered to be one of the most historic arenas ever built. In 1952, the East squad defeated the West squad 108-91 thanks to shooting almost 50% from the field. The MVP of that game was Paul Azirin, and it included memorable performances from the likes of Bob Cousy and Red Rocha.
In 2018, the game would abandon the conference versus conference format in favor of allowing captains to choose teams. The captains were the players from each conference who received the most votes. In 2021, LeBron James and Kevin Durant were the ones choosing how each team would be structured. Team LeBron defeated Team Durant 170-150 in the 2021 game.
All-Star Game Participants Selection
The NBA uses a mixture of fan voting, media voting, and coaches selections to determine the two guards and three frontcourt players who are classified as starters from their conferences. Each player is given a weighted score based on how many votes they receive from each of these three groups. The players who have the highest scores are then placed into the starter pool.
Each team’s captain will first select four of the eight remaining players in this pool when structuring their teams. An additional 14 players are selected as reserves, and these players are then allocated to their teams in the same manner as the starters.
If necessary, participants can be added by Commissioner Adam Silver, and this is typically done to honor individuals for outstanding achievement on the court throughout the course of their careers.
Other Events That Take Place Prior to the Game
In most years, the NBA All-Star game is simply the main event of an entire weekend of festivities. There is also a Rising Stars game, which features players in their first or second year who were not selected for the traditional midseason showcase. This game typically pits younger players from the United States against those who represent other nations such as Canada, Spain, or Argentina.
There is also a series of skill challenges such as a 3-point contest, slam dunk contest, and other competitions. Players can be recognized in a single event or participate in every event in an effort to be crowned the skills challenge winner. In 2021, Damontas Sabonis of the Indiana Pacers won this event.
If you are a fan of the game of basketball, the NBA All-Star game is an event that you won’t want to miss. In addition to watching the greatest current players in the league competing for bragging rights, you’ll have a chance to watch the next generation of stars before they become famous. Finally, the 2022 Hall of Fame induction class will be announced the day before the main event takes place.
Slam Dunk Contest
The AT&T NBA Slam Dunk Competition is one of the most eagerly anticipated events during NBA All-Star weekend. This event usually takes place the night before the big game itself.
Each year, participants get more creative as they try to both impress the judges and set themselves apart from those who took part in the event in previous years.
History of the Slam Dunk Contest
In 1984, the NBA decided to add the slam dunk contest in an effort to garner more attention for its marquee midseason event. That year, Larry Nance of the Phoenix Suns defeated Julius Erving in the final.
Michael Jordan won the event in 1987 and 1988, and his dunk from the free throw line in 1988 is thought to be the most iconic moment in the slam dunk competition’s history.
In 2021, Anfrenee Simons won the event after besting Obi Toppin in the final round. The 2021 competition was the first to feature fewer than four people. This was partially because of the COVID-19 pandemic and partially because of a lack of interest among potential participants.
Event Scoring
Since 2007, the event has traditionally featured four participants who are given two opportunities to showcase their dunking talent. A panel of five judges score each dunk based on their perception of the participant’s technical and artistic skill. In other words, the cooler a dunk looks, the higher a participant’s score will be.
Of course, players typically lose points for failing to actually put the ball in the basket. After two rounds, the two people with the highest combined scores advance to the final. In 2021, the final round was also scored by a panel of judges. However, in recent years, fan voting via text message has helped to determine the overall winner.
The NBA slam dunk contest has helped to launch the careers of many great players throughout the last several decades. For many, winning the competition has allowed them to create a legacy as exciting players.
Although slam dunk contest participants may not be selected to the NBA All-Star game itself, taking part in this competition allows them to be recognized for their contributions on the court.
Our Choice
If you’re looking to catch everything from NBA All-Star Weekend without missing a beat, Hulu + Live TV is where it’s at. You get TNT for the main game, ESPN for the Celebrity Game, and NBA TV for all the extra coverage – all in one place. The stream quality is solid, switching between games is super easy, and the built-in DVR is handy if you can’t watch live. It even bundles Disney+ and ESPN+, so there’s a ton to watch when basketball isn’t on. Other options like Sling TV might seem cheaper, but you’ll likely need extra add-ons to match Hulu’s lineup. For a smooth, all-in-one experience across any device, it’s an easy pick.
My expertise in sports coverage, particularly for out-of-market games and regional sports networks, stems from years of hands-on experience as an early adopter of streaming services and my work addressing fans' viewing challenges. As a longtime cord-cutter and subscriber to multiple streaming platforms, I combine my technical knowledge with practical user experience, making me a leading expert in the field of sports streaming and entertainment technology.
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