How the NBA All-Star Teams are Chosen

The NBA All-Star game is one of the biggest highlights in the NBA schedule. Fans get to watch the biggest and best players team up or play against each other in a game that determines who has the strongest conference; the East or the West?

The selection process is relatively simple, but some factors determine who gets to be captain, who gets to play, and how much game time you end up having; if you are a basketball betting fan, you would know this game can get very crazy. Here is everything you need to know about the NBA All-Star game. 

What is the All-Star Game?

As mentioned, the NBA All-Star game is a once-off game played each season that sees the best players from the East take on the best from the West. Considering you almost always get to see players who have never played with or against each other on the same court, you can bet things get very exciting very quickly. 

First started in the early 50s to bring more attention to the league, the All-Star game has now become a way for fans in the stadium and worldwide to see the greatest stars in the sport play together. 

Criteria

Becoming eligible to be an All-Star is far more difficult than being chosen in the starting line-up. Two main factors drive who does and doesn’t get chosen, and they are relatively self-explanatory. 

Performance 

The first thing a player needs to do is to perform. The All-Star game is about showcasing the best talent the league has to offer; therefore, the players need to be at the top of their game if they want a look-in. 

While the All-Star isn’t the biggest thing in basketball for some players, it can be a chance for younger players to showcase their talents and make a name for themselves.  

The Team You Play for

Another aspect that can impact your chances of getting chosen is which team you play for. There have been several notable snubs due to players playing for weak teams and not being able to perform at their best. 

While severely unfair in a way, many players who may deserve a spot often miss out due to a weak or poorly performing team. 

Popularity

While popularity isn’t always a factor in who does and doesn’t get chosen, there have been a few cases where more popular get chosen when they weren’t always “worthy.” While this isn’t a very strong argument, as being in the NBA automatically means you’re better than most of the world’s population, popularity plays its part. 

Some notable snubs over the years include Damian Lillard, Al Horford, Vince Carter, Jerry Stackhouse, and Allen Iverson. 

Captains

When it comes to the teams, the first players selected are the captains. Fans, current players, and the media all have a say in who becomes captain, with voting weight split 50% to fans, then 25% to current players, and the other 25% to media. 

All-Star  Weekend

Once the captains are selected, the one with the most overall votes gets the first pick in the draft. Out of the 22 All-Stars chosen, the captains pick their starting 8, and then the reserves. Those are the teams that then go on to play the All-Star game. 

All-Star Weekend

The All-Star game isn’t the only event that happens midseason; it falls on All-Star Weekend, a weekend-long festival of basketball that includes the game, events, exhibitions, and shows for fans and players to enjoy. 

The Friday sees the All-Star Celebrity game take place, with former NBA players, WNBA players, actors, and musicians all taking to the court to play. On Saturday, the G-League All-Star game takes place, as well as the world-famous Slam Dunk Competition, 3-point shootout competition, and the skills challenge. 

While the Celebrity All-Star can be very entertaining, most people want to be courtside on Saturday as the Dunk Contest is where you often see how super-human players can be. This was where Dwight Howard pulled off his Superman Shot, Vince Carter carved his name into the wall of dunking greats, and Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon had the greatest dunk contest of all time.