NBA ALL-STAR VOTING 2018 PRESENTED BY VERIZON TIPS OFF DEC. 21 WITH EARLY VOTING ON NBA APP AND NBA.COM

Voting via all other channels, including Amazon Alexa for the first time, will launch on Monday, Dec. 25 at 11 a.m. ET before five Christmas Day matchups across ESPN, ABC and TNT.

Additionally, new for this season, five “2-for-1 Days” will allow fans to have their votes count twice on Dec. 31, Jan. 4, Jan. 11, Jan. 12 and Jan. 15 when voting through the NBA App and NBA.com, along with Sina Weibo and Tencent in China.  All “2-for-1 Days” will be designated 12 a.m. – 11:59 p.m. ET.

TNT will reveal the All-Star Game starters, including the two captains, onThursday, Jan. 18 during TNT NBA Tip-Off presented by Autotrader at 6 p.m. ET, featuring Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith.  The network will announce the reserves, as selected by NBA head coaches, on Tuesday, Jan. 23 during TNT NBA Tip-Off at 7 p.m. ET.  

The team rosters for NBA All-Star Game 2018 in Los Angeles will be revealed on Thursday, Jan. 25 during a special one-hour edition of TNT NBA Tip-Off at 7 p.m. ET.  The 67^th All-Star Game will be played at Staples Center on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on TNT.   

Under a new All-Star Game format that replaces the traditional matchup between the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference, the team rosters will be chosen by two captains from the pool of players voted as starters and reserves.  The captains, who will select the teams before TNT televises the results, will be the All-Star starter from each conference who receives the most fan votes in his conference.   

For the second consecutive year, NBA players and basketball media will join fans in selecting the All-Star Game starters.  Fans will account for 50 percent of the vote, while all current players and a media panel will account for 25 percent each. 

Throughout the voting period, fans may submit one full ballot each day through the NBA App and NBA.com, post 10 total votes on Facebook, Google Search, Twitter and Amazon Alexa, as well as 10 total votes via Sina Weibo and Tencent.  All current NBA players will be available for selection via all platforms.  

Players and media will be able to complete one full ballot, featuring three frontcourt players and two guards each from both the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference.  Players may vote for their teammates or themselves. 

Fan voting updates will be shared on Thursday, Jan. 4 and Thursday, Jan. 11.  Voting will conclude on Monday, Jan. 15 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

How to vote:

• NBA.com voting page at NBA.com/vote: Fill out one full ballot per day (per day is defined as once every 24 hours) on NBA.com/vote from a desktop or mobile browser.   Fans can select up to two guards and three frontcourt players from each conference when choosing starters.  During the five “2-for-1 Days,” votes through this channel will be counted twice.

• NBA App: Access the ballot and vote through the app, which isavailable on Android and iOS.  Fans can fill out one full ballot per day, and select up to two guards and three frontcourt players from each conference when choosing starters.  During the five “2-for-1 Days,” votes through this channel will be counted twice.

• Facebook: Post the player’s first and last name along with the hashtag #NBAVOTE on your personal Facebook account.   Each post may include only one player’s name.  Fans may post votes for 10 unique players per day from Dec. 25 – Jan. 15.

• Twitter: Tweet, retweet or reply with an NBA player’s first and last name or Twitter handle, along with the hashtag #NBAVOTE.  Each tweet may include only one player’s name or handle.  Fans may vote for 10 unique players per day from Dec. 25 – Jan. 15.

• Google Search: Search “NBA Vote All-Star” or “NBA Vote Team Name” (i.e., NBA Vote Warriors) and use respective voting cards to select teams and then players.  Fans may submit votes for 10 unique players per day from Dec. 25 – Jan. 15.

• Amazon Alexa: To vote via Amazon Alexa, the user must have an Alexa-enabled device, and enable the “NBA All-Star” skill.  To submit a vote, the user can open the skill with, “Alexa, open NBA All-Star,” and then request to vote for his or her player of choice.  Voters can submit a maximum of one player name per request to Alexa.  Users can submit votes for 10 unique players per Amazon account each day from Dec. 25 – Jan. 15. 

·         Sina Weibo and Tencent: To vote on Sina Weibo (weibo.com), the user must have a Sina Weibo account. To vote via Sina Weibo, voters must visit China.NBA.com/vote, and select up to 10 players. To vote on Tencent NBA community, the user must have a QQ account.  To vote via Tencent NBA community, voters must visit China.NBA.com/vote, and select up to 10 players.

*This is Press Release

First NBA Filipino Heritage Week to Celebrate Philippine Culture

The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced the first NBA Filipino Heritage Week to celebrate Philippine culture with millions of Filipino fans around the world.  The celebration in the Philippines, which will run from March 13-19, will feature a viewing party attended by an NBA legend, an NBA Cares event, and social media activations on the NBA’s Facebook andTwitter accounts in the Philippines.

As part of NBA Filipino Heritage Week, the Golden State Warriors and the Miami Heat will host Filipino Heritage Nights in March, featuring in-arena Philippine-themed activations including musical performances and giveaways.  All three games will be available in the Philippines on Basketball TV, with the Heat-Minnesota Timberwolves and Warriors-Milwaukee Bucks matchups also airing on ABS-CBN Channel 2 and Sports + Action respectively.

“The first NBA Filipino Heritage Week is the perfect opportunity for the NBA to celebrate the support of our Filipino fans around the world,” said NBA Philippines Managing Director Carlo Singson.  “The activities in the Philippines, Miami and Oakland will showcase the country’s vibrant culture and passion for basketball.”

In addition, there will be specially designed merchandise to commemorate the first-ever Filipino Heritage Week.

NBA Filipino Heritage Week Matchups include:

·         March 16 (March 15 U.S.) – Heat vs. New Orleans Pelicans: Head Coach and Filipino-American Erik Spoelstra, Hassan Whiteside and the Heat will face four-time NBA All-Star Anthony Davis and the Pelicans (Basketball TV)

·         March 18 (March 17 U.S.) – Heat vs. Timberwolves: The Heat will matchup against reigning Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Karl-Anthony Towns and the Timberwolves (ABS-CBN, Basketball TV and NBA Premium TV)

·         March 19 (March 18 U.S.) – Warriors vs. Bucks: Reigning back-to-back Kia NBA MVP Stephen Curry and seven-time NBA All-Star Kevin Durant will take on 2017 NBA All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo and the visiting Bucks (Sports + Action and Basketball TV)

Fans can also watch Filipino Heritage Night games on NBA LEAGUE PASS.  Globe Telecom subscribers are also eligible for exclusive NBA packages available in three service offerings: NBA499 for a 30-day premium access, NBA299 for 7 days, and NBA50 for a 24-hour access. Globe users must text the preferred NBA promo keyword (NBA499, NBA299, NBA50) to 8080 to begin the registration process.  

More details on the first NBA Filipino Heritage Week will be announced in the coming weeks.  For all the latest news and updates on the NBA, visitwww.nba.com, download the NBA app and follow the NBA on Facebook (www.facebook.com/philsnba) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/nba_philippines).

About the NBA

The NBA is a global sports and media business built around three professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association, and the NBA Development League.  The league has established a major international presence with games and programming in 215 countries and territories in 49 languages, and NBA merchandise for sale in more than 125,000 stores in 100 countries on 6 continents.  NBA rosters at the start of the 2016-17 season featured a record 113 international players from 41 countries and territories.  NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com and the NBA App, which achieved record viewership and traffic during the 2015-16 season.  The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with more than 1.3 billion likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms.  Through NBA Cares, the league addresses important social issues by working with internationally recognized youth-serving organizations that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes

FOR FIRST TIME, NBA PLAYERS AND MEDIA WILL JOIN FANS IN SELECTING STARTING LINEUPS FOR NBA ALL-STAR 2017

For the first time ever, NBA players and basketball media will join fans in selecting the starters for NBA All-Star 2017 in New Orleans.  NBA All-Star Voting 2017 presented by Verizon will tip off at 11 a.m. ET on Sunday, Dec. 25before an exciting lineup of five Christmas Day matchups on ABC and ESPN. 

Fans were first given the opportunity to vote for NBA All-Star starters during the 1974-75 season.  This year, the league will extend the platform to include two other important constituents of the game – NBA players and NBA media.  Fans will account for 50 percent of the vote, while all current players and a panel of basketball media will account for 25 percent each.

Players and media will be able to complete one full ballot, featuring three frontcourt players and two guards from both the Eastern and Western Conference.  Players may vote for their teammates or themselves.

NBA fans may submit one full ballot each day through NBA.com, the NBA App (available on Android and iOS), Twitter, Facebook and Google Search, as well as via Sina Weibo and Tencent Microblogs in China.  All current NBA players will be available for selection. 

How to vote:

• NBA.com voting page at NBA.com/vote: Fill out one full ballot per day (per day is defined as once every 24 hours) on NBA.com/vote from a desktop or mobile browser.  Fans can select up to two guards and three frontcourt players from each conference when choosing starters.  

• NBA App: Access the ballot and vote through the app, which is available on Android and iOS.  Fans can fill out one full ballot per day, and select up to two guards and three frontcourt players from each conference when choosing starters.

• Twitter: Tweet, retweet or reply with an NBA player’s first and last name or Twitter handle, along with the hashtag #NBAVOTE.  Each Tweet may include only one player’s name or handle.  Fans may vote for 10 unique players each day throughout the NBA All-Star voting period. 

• Facebook: Post the player’s first and last name along with the hashtag #NBAVOTE on your personal Facebook account, or comment on another’s Facebook post.   Each post may include only one player’s name.  Fans may post votes for 10 unique players per day throughout the voting period. 

• Google Search: Search “NBA Vote All-Star” or “NBA Vote Team Name” (ex: NBA Vote Celtics), and use respective voting cards to select teams and then players.  Fans may submit votes for 10 unique players per day throughout the voting period.

Fan voting updates will be shared on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017, and Thursday, Jan. 12.  Voting will conclude on Monday, Jan. 16 at 11:59 p.m. ET.  Starters will be announced live on TNT on Thursday, Jan. 19, during a special one-hour edition of TNT NBA Tip-Off presented by Autotrader.com at 7 p.m. ET, featuring Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith.  The special will air prior to TNT’s exclusive doubleheader featuring the Washington Wizards at the New York Knicks (8 p.m. ET) and the Minnesota Timberwolves at the LA Clippers (10:30 p.m. ET).  The Eastern Conference and Western Conference All-Star reserves, as selected by NBA head coaches, will be announced the following week on Thursday, Jan. 26. 

About NBA All-Star 2017

NBA All-Star 2017 in New Orleans will bring together some of the most talented and passionate players in the league’s history for a global celebration of the game.  The 66^thNBA All-Star Game, which will take place on Sunday, Feb. 19 at Smoothie King Center, will reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages.  TNT will televise the All-Star Game for the 15^th consecutive year, marking Turner Sports’ 32^nd year of NBA All-Star coverage.  Smoothie King Center will also host the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge on Friday, Feb. 17 and State Farm All-StarSaturday Night on Saturday, Feb. 18.  The NBA All-Star Practice, NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and NBA Development League All-Star Game presented by Kumho Tire will take place at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

*This is Press Release

NBA All-Star Voting 2016 Presented by Verizon

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Verizon will tip off NBA All-Star Voting 2016 today at 2 p.m. ET.  The all-digital program gives fans everywhere the opportunity to vote for their favorite players as starters for NBA All-Star 2016 in Toronto, the first All-Star Game to be held outside of the U.S. in the event’s 65-year history.

New to the voting program this year, NBA fans are now able to cast their daily votes directly through Google Search on their desktop, tablet and mobile devices.  They can also vote on NBA.com, through the NBA App (available on Android and iOS), SMS text, and social media networks including Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, as well as via Sina Weibo and Tencent Microblogs in China.

All current NBA players are available for selection.  Fans can select up to two guards and three frontcourt players from each conference when choosing starters via NBA.com or the NBA App. 


How to vote:

    NBA.com voting page at NBA.com/vote: Fill out one full ballot per day on NBA.com/vote from a desktop or mobile browser.
    NBA App: Access the ballot and vote through the app, which is available on Android and iOS.  Fans can fill out one full ballot per day.
    Twitter: Tweet, retweet or reply with the player’s first and last name, along with the hashtag #NBAVOTE.  Each Tweet may include only one player’s name.  Fans can vote 10 unique players each day throughout the All-Star voting period.
    Facebook: Use player’s first and last name along with the hashtag #NBAVOTE in a post on your personal Facebook account, or comment on another’s Facebook post.   Fans can post votes for 10 unique players per day and each vote may contain only one player’s name.
    Instagram:  Post an original photo, with the hashtag #NBAVOTE and the player’s first and last name in the photo caption.  Fans can vote for 10 unique players per day, and each vote may contain only one player’s name.
    SMS: Text the player's last name to 6-9-6-2-2 ("MYNBA") on any wireless device.  Fans can vote for 10 different players per day, per phone number, via SMS voting by sending 10 separate SMS messages, each one with a different player's last name.  Message and data rates may apply.
    Google Search: Search “NBA Vote All-Star” or “NBA Vote Team Name” (ex: NBA Vote Celtics), and use respective team cards to select players.  Voters can submit one vote per player per day, with up to 10 total votes per day. 


Voting will conclude on Monday, Jan. 18, 2016 at 11:59:59 p.m. ET.  Starters will be announced live on TNT on Thursday, Jan. 21, during a special one-hour edition of TNT NBA Tip-Off presented by Autotrader.com at 7 p.m. ET, featuring Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith.  The special will air prior to TNT’s exclusive doubleheader featuring the L.A. Clippers at the Cleveland Cavaliers (8 p.m. ET) and the San Antonio Spurs at the Phoenix Suns (10:30 p.m. ET).


Other balloting updates will be shared:

    Friday, Dec. 25
    Thursday, Jan. 7
    Thursday, Jan. 14