INDIANAPOLIS — We are just two weeks away from one of the biggest weekends of the year in Indianapolis as the world’s best basketball players come to town for the NBA All-Star game.
“The focus has been on the fans and how we create the most fan-first All-Star [weekend] of all time,” said Joseph Graziano, the Senior VP and Head of Global Event Strategy and Development for the NBA. “That means more fan insights, more access, and more community engagement.”
As Graziano said, leading up to the big game, it’s all about the fans and all Indianapolis has to offer.
“It really brings a different spotlight to the city and the state to put us on display for a global audience, which is really neat and something we are definitely going to take advantage of,” said Danny Lopez, the VP for External Affairs with Pacers Sports and Entertainment. “You will have public art sculptures, light displays, signage on buildings, pop art galleries, pop-up retails, all kinds of things that people can experience and come in and out of and even if they don’t have a ticket.”
Plenty of activities will be happening in the heart of the city and on the outskirts. On Wednesday, Feb. 14, and Thursday, Feb. 15, New BOY will host “Voices Ignited,” featuring youth discussion panels, guest speakers, and special appearances from celebrities and athletes.
“I think the kids are the voices that we need to uplift,” said Kareem Hines, the founder of New BOY. “The kids are the voices we need to hear. So with this spotlight being intensified for the weekend, I want to put something together for the kids so they are heard but rewarded.”
Kids who attend both days will be rewarded by getting free tickets to some of the NBA All-Star Weekend madness, like the NBA Crossover at the Convention Center. For more information on “Voices Ignited,” see the flyer below.
Also happening on Thursday, Feb. 15, is the 17th Annual All-Star Gospel Celebration at the Madam CJ Walker Theatre. Some performers include Grammy award-winning artists Maverick City’s Dante Bowe and Kelontae Gavin, Stellar Award-winning gospel saxophonist Angella Christie, and FOX’s ‘The Four’ winner Evie McKinney. To learn more about this event, click here.
But that’s not all; RTG Features and Heartland Film are teaming up to introduce the SLAM Film Festival, a one-of-a-kind film festival dedicated exclusively to basketball at the Living Room Theaters.
“There is no better place that we could have picked than to launch the festival in Indianapolis while the NBA All-Star Weekend is in town,” said Aron Phillips, the artistic director of the SLAM Film Festival.
There will be 15+ films featured during the festival, including Above the Rim, Blue Chips, and Hoop Dreams. The festival will also feature panel conversations with filmmakers, player-owned production companies, and network executives in the sports film and documentary space. To learn more about the SLAM Film Festival and to purchase tickets, click here.
Finally, one of the most anticipated events that weekend is the NBA Crossover. Here, fans can experience 350,000 square feet of interactive games and activities, meet some of the world’s best players and some basketball legends, and win prizes, too.
“Our focus is to be incredibly affordable and family-friendly,” Graziano said. “We have kids tickets as cheap as $20 and for our adults it is $35 that gets you in all day long.”
So even if you can’t score tickets to the 2024 NBA game, there are still plenty of things to check out during All-Star weekend. To learn more about the NBA Crossover, the ultimate NBA Fan Experience, click here.
“It’s going to be electric,” Lopez said. “This is the place where basketball grew up. We treat basketball here differently than any other state and to have the world’s best basketball players on our campus, in our buildings, in front of our fans… It’s going to be incredible!”
