The NBA, Pacers Sports & Entertainment (PS&E), and the NBA All-Star 2024 Host Committee will serve Indiana over five days with more than 50 social impact and youth basketball events focusing on food insecurity, education, youth development, inclusion, and other topics. To honor Indiana’s strong basketball legacy.
The Jr. NBA will conduct a full calendar of activities in which almost 4,000 youngsters will participate and play the game. Additionally, throughout NBA All-Star 2024, the league will maintain its longstanding commitment to supporting historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and provide professional development opportunities for students. More than $3.5 million will be provided to benefit the Indiana and HBCU communities. NBA All-Star 2024 will conclude with the All-Star Game on February 18 at 8 p.m. ET on TNT, with two Indiana-based groups acting as charity benefactors.
- NBA Cares
(16th) NBA Cares All-Star Day of Service – The NBA, PS&E, the Host Committee, and the Million Meal Movement will dedicate 24 hours of service to packing 1 million meals for the Indiana community. The NBA family will package meals for hungry local citizens with the assistance of 5,000 volunteers, including NBA and WNBA players, legends, guests, and community partners. This one-of-a-kind event begins at 4 p.m. on Thursday, February 15, and ends at 4 p.m. on Friday, February 16.
- NBA All-Star Game Beneficiaries
The NBA will work with two local Indiana-based organizations to serve as charity beneficiaries for the 73rd NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, February 18. The Boys and Girls Clubs of Indianapolis will represent the West All-Stars, while Special Olympics Indiana will represent the East All-Stars. Each company will start with a $100,000 commitment, with the option to raise an additional $240,000 for the nonprofit whose team wins the All-Star Game. As part of the NBA Cares State Farm® Assist Tracker Program, an additional $1,900 will be raised for each assist made during the game, which will be divided between the two charities.
- State Farm® NBA All-Star Saturday Night
As part of the STARRY® 3-Point Contest on NBA All-Star Saturday Night, STARRY® will donate $50,000 to the NBA Foundation to benefit the HBCU community, and if any player scores 30 points in a round, STARRY will donate $300,000.
Furthermore, as part of the Stephen vs Sabrina 3-Point Challenge, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry and New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu will engage in a three-point shootout, with each successful shot earning additional funds for charity. The NBA and WNBA will make donations to Curry’s Eat.Learn.Play and Ionescu’s SI20 charity, respectively. Each shot made during “Stephen vs. Sabrina” will also result in a State Farm® gift to the NBA Foundation.
Finally, the Host Committee offered 2,400 complimentary NBA All-Star Saturday Night tickets to Hoosier children via a network of local community partners around Indiana.
NBA Cares: All-Star Legacy Project Presented by State Farm. The NBA, PS&E, and State Farm® will unveil upgrades to the Christamore House, a local juvenile and adult services facility. The improvements result in a Live, Learn, or Play Center, which includes a renovated gymnasium, a new STEAM lab named after the Simon Family Foundation, a revived wellness area, and internet and connectivity upgrades. Since 2020, the Host Committee has invested more than $1 million statewide to provide a venue where families and youth may come together through the power of basketball. In addition, 45 kids from across Indiana were chosen as Rising Stars and received college scholarships. This Legacy Project will be the 24th Live Learn or Play Center dedicated in Indiana since 2020.
Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital @ Ascension St. Vincent visit – Members of the NBA and WNBA families, as well as the Indiana Pacers, will pay visits to children and families at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital and spend quality time with them to kick off NBA All-Star 2024.
Make-A-Wish Experience – The NBA will maintain its long-standing connection with the Make-A-Wish Foundation by assisting in the fulfillment of 13 children’s desires during NBA All-Star 2024.
- NBA Foundation
NBA Foundation All-Star Pitch Competition 2024 – The NBA Foundation, in partnership with PS&E, Be Nimble Foundation, Elevate Ventures, and Sixty8 Capital, will host seven finalists for the third NBA All-Star Pitch Competition. Seven Indiana entrepreneurs representing the future of technology and innovation will pitch their firms and fight for a total of $150,000 in cash prizes. Judges for the Pitch Competition include Hall of Famer and WNBA star Tamika Catchings, award-winning singer Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, and VP of Advisory Pendulum. Michelle Obeso-Theus, NBA icon Jalen Rose, and Steve Simon, the Pacers’ Sports & Entertainment Owner and Alternate Governor. Additionally, the NBA Foundation will grant $1 million to HBCUs that serve non-profits.
- HBCU Classic and other activations
As previously announced, the Virginia Union University and Winston-Salem State University men’s basketball teams from the CIAA will compete in the third NBA HBCU Classic presented by AT&T on Saturday, February 17 at 2 p.m. ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The NBA HBCU Classic will be broadcast simultaneously on TNT, ESPN2, and NBA TV. As part of their ongoing commitments to HBCUs, the NBA and AT&T will offer gifts to each school to enhance the student experience. The NBA, AT&T, and other partners will also conduct professional development opportunities, as well as HBCU activations and celebrations, throughout the weekend. More information on HBCU-focused activations and initiatives for NBA All-Star 2024 can be found here.
- Junior NBA
Junior NBA Day, presented by Nike – The Jr. NBA, in collaboration with Nike, will host almost 2,000 local children from across Indiana for the 7th annual Jr. NBA Day during NBA All-Star 2024. Current and former NBA and WNBA players will join the youngsters for basketball clinics that teach the fundamentals. Junior NBA Day, sponsored by Nike, will take place on Friday, February 16.
Her Time to Play Clinic, presented by Wilson Sporting Goods Her Time to Play is a WNBA project that aims to provide chances for females to learn and play basketball. The Her Time to Play clinic will feature a vision board workshop, a basketball clinic, and a panel discussion with WNBA players to help girls acquire confidence and understand the value of physical and mental health. Her Time to Play Clinic, presented by Wilson Sporting Goods, will take place on Saturday, February 17.
Special Olympics Games – The Jr. NBA will host two basketball games featuring the top two men’s and women’s teams in Indiana to honor the state’s more than 2,000 Special Olympics competitors. Special Olympics Indiana will be a charitable beneficiary during the NBA All-Star Game.
Jr. NBA Leagues All-Star Tournament – To commemorate the introduction of Jr. NBA Leagues in Indiana, the Jr. NBA will hold its inaugural Jr. NBA Leagues All-Star Tournament for 18 area junior basketball teams. The competition begins on Saturday, February 17, and will feature both a boy’s and a girl’s division. The top four teams from each division will progress to the semi-finals and final on Sunday, February 18.
Other Jr. NBA programs include the Jr. NBA Coaches Clinic, Coaching Girls Clinic, Jr. NBA Skills Challenge, Jr. NBA STEM Clinic, Adapted Sports Clinic, and a Business of Basketball event. For further information about Junior NBA activities at NBA All-Star 2024, please contact the NBA contact(s) listed below.
- NBA Mental Health
NBA Crossover will feature a Mind Gym powered by Mind Health, the NBA’s comprehensive mental health and wellness program. The Mind Gym is an immersive area where fans may discover and feel the power of their Mind Health in terms of well-being and mental fitness. The Mind Gym offers an experience journey through a number of activities and games, allowing people to exercise their minds in surprising ways.
- Inclusion
Throughout NBA All-Star 2024, the NBA will maintain its commitment to inclusivity and mental health. On Wednesday, February 14, the NBA will collaborate with the Indiana Youth Group (IYG), an LGBTQ+ Youth and Community Center. IYG students and NBA and WNBA players will engage in activities and have a lunch together. The NBA will also make a donation to help fund various rooms and programs around the center. As part of AT&T and the NBA’s pledges to local community organizations in Indiana, AT&T will donate 150 smartphones (each) to Indiana Youth Group and the Indianapolis Public School District to help close the digital gap. For additional information, go to att.com/connectedlearning.
The NBA will continue to work with KultureCity to make NBA All-Star 2024 accessible to those with sensory requirements. NBA All-Star 2024 will provide sensory training for 60 youth basketball clinicians, as well as sensory bags and rooms for fans at Lucas Oil Stadium and Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
- Sustainability
Throughout NBA All-Star 2024, the league will educate and encourage fans and the larger Indiana community to collaborate on solutions to environmental sustainability challenges. NBA All-Star 2024 will be powered entirely by renewable energy, thanks to the efforts of the Indianapolis Host Committee’s Sustainability subcommittee and its local partners. This includes events held at all official NBA All-Star 2024 venues and hotels. Additionally, NBA Green and the Host Committee will try to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollutants from increased traffic by offering free public transportation, bike share, and other services throughout the weekend.
