NBA AND PACERS SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT TO HOST MORE THAN 50 SOCIAL IMPACT AND YOUTH BASKETBALL EVENTS AS PART OF NBA ALL-STAR 2024
– Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis and Special Olympics Indiana to Serve as Charity Beneficiaries for NBA All-Star Game –
– NBA and NBPA to Provide More Than $3.5 Million to Indiana and HBCU Communities –
– First Ever 24 Hours All-Star Day of Service Packing 1 Million Meals for Indiana Community –
NEW YORK, Feb. 8, 2024 – During NBA All-Star 2024, the NBA, Pacers Sports & Entertainment (PS&E) and the NBA All-Star 2024 Host Committee will serve Indiana through more than 50 social impact and youth basketball events over the course of five days that will focus on food insecurity, education, youth development, inclusion and more. To celebrate the rich tradition of basketball in the state of Indiana, the Jr. NBA will be hosting an expansive schedule of activities for nearly 4,000 youth to participate and play the game. Also, throughout NBA All-Star 2024, the league will continue its ongoing commitment to support historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and create career development opportunities for students. In total, more than $3.5 million will be contributed to support Indiana and HBCU communities. NBA All-Star 2024 will culminate with the All-Star Game on Feb. 18 at 8 p.m. ET on TNT with two Indiana-serving organizations as charity beneficiaries.
16th NBA Cares All-Star Day of Service – The NBA, PS&E, the Host Committee and Million Meal Movement will host 24 consecutive hours of service to pack 1 million meals for the Indiana community. With the help of 5,000 volunteers, including NBA and WNBA players, legends, guests and community partners, the NBA family will package meals for local residents experiencing hunger. This first-of-its kind event begins on Thursday, Feb. 15 at 4 p.m. and will conclude at 4 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 16.
NBA All-Star Game Beneficiaries
The NBA will partner with two local Indiana-serving organizations to serve as charity beneficiaries for the 73rd NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 18. Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis will represent the West All-Stars and Special Olympics Indiana will represent the East All-Stars. Each organization will begin with a starting donation of $100,000 with the opportunity to raise an additional $240,000 to the organization 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 during the game that will be split between the two organizations.
State Farm® NBA All-Star Saturday Night
As part of the STARRY® 3-Point Contest during NBA All-Star Saturday Night, STARRY® is donating $50,000 to the NBA Foundation to support the HBCU Community and if any player scores 30 points in a round, STARRY will donate $300,000.
Additionally, as part of the Stephen vs Sabrina 3-Point Challenge, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry and New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu will compete in a three-point contest with each made shot raising additional money for charity. Curry’s Eat.Learn.Play and Ionescu’s SI20 foundation will each receive a donation from the NBA and WNBA. Each shot made during “Stephen vs. Sabrina” will also trigger a donation from State Farm® to the NBA Foundation.
Finally, the Host Committee distributed 2,400 tickets to NBA All-Star Saturday Night, free of charge, to Hoosier children through a network of local community partners across Indiana.
NBA Cares All-Star Legacy Project Presented by State Farm – The NBA, PS&E and State Farm® will unveil renovations to the Christamore House – a local youth and adult services center. The renovations create a Live, Learn or Play Center and includes a refurbished gymnasium, a new STEAM lab named in honor of the Simon Family Foundation, a revitalized wellness room and internet and connectivity upgrades. Since 2020, the Host Committee invested more than $1 million statewide to provide a space for families and youth to come together through the power of basketball. Additionally, 45 students from across Indiana were selected Rising Stars and awarded scholarships to pursue college. This Legacy Project will be the 24th Live Learn or Play Center dedicated in Indiana since 2020.
Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at Ascension St. Vincent visit – Members of the NBA and WNBA family, alongside the Indiana Pacers, will visit children and families at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital and spend meaningful time with them to tip off NBA All-Star 2024.
Make-A-Wish Experience – The NBA will continue its longstanding partnership with Make-A-Wish Foundation and help grant 13 wishes of youth throughout NBA All-Star 2024.
NBA Foundation
NBA Foundation All-Star Pitch Competition 2024 – The NBA Foundation in collaboration with PS&E, Be Nimble Foundation, Elevate Ventures and Sixty8 Capital will host seven finalists for its third NBA All-Star Pitch Competition. Seven Indiana-based entrepreneurs representing the future of tech and innovation will pitch their businesses and compete for $150,000 in total cash prizes. Judges for the Pitch Competition include Hall of Famer and WNBA legend Tamika Catchings, award-winning musician Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, VP of Advisory Pendulum Michelle Obeso-Theus, NBA legend Jalen Rose and Pacers Sports & Entertainment Owner and Alternate Governor Steve Simon. Additionally, the NBA Foundation will donate $1 million dollars to HBCU serving non-profits.
As previously announced, on Saturday, Feb. 17, the Virginia Union University and Winston-Salem State University men’s basketball teams from the CIAA will face off in the third NBA HBCU Classic presented by AT&T at 2 p.m. ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The NBA HBCU Classic will be simulcast on TNT, ESPN2 and NBA TV. As part of the NBA and AT&T’s ongoing commitments to HBCUs, they will make donations to each school to support the student experience. Additionally, the NBA, AT&T and other partners will host professional development opportunities and HBCU activations and celebrations throughout the weekend. More information on activations and initiatives supporting HBCUs during NBA All-Star 2024 can be found here.
Jr. NBA
Jr. NBA Day presented by Nike – The Jr. NBA in partnership with Nike will host nearly 2,000 local students 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 youth to participate in basketball clinics that teach the fundamentals of basketball. Jr. NBA Day presented by Nike will be on Friday, Feb. 16.
Her Time to Play Clinic presented by Wilson Sporting Goods – Her Time to Play is the WNBA initiative dedicated to providing girls with opportunities to learn and play the game of basketball. The Her Time to Play clinic will include a vison board workshop, a basketball clinic and a panel discussion with WNBA players to help girls gain confidence and learn the importance of physical and mental wellness. Her Time to Play Clinic presented by Wilson Sporting Goods will be Saturday, Feb. 17.
Special Olympics Games – In celebration of the more than 2,000 Special Olympics Indiana basketball athletes, the Jr. NBA will host two basketball games featuring the top two men’s and women’s teams in the state. Special Olympics Indiana will serve as a charity beneficiary during the NBA All-Star Game.
Jr. NBA Leagues All-Star Tournament – To celebrate the launch of Jr. NBA Leagues in Indiana, the Jr. NBA will host its first-ever Jr. NBA Leagues All-Star Tournament for 18 local youth basketball teams. The tournament begins on Saturday, Feb. 17 and will include a boy’s division and a girl’s division. The top four teams in each division will advance to the semi-finals and finals on Sunday, Feb. 18.
Additional Jr. NBA activities 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 more information on any Jr. NBA activities throughout NBA All-Star 2024, please reach out to the NBA contact(s) below.
NBA Mind Health
At NBA Crossover, there will be a Mind Gym powered by Mind Health – the NBA’s comprehensive mental health and wellness program. The Mind Gym is an immersive space for fans to explore and experience the power of their Mind Health as it relates to well-being and mental fitness. The Mind Gym provides an experiential journey, through a series of activities and games, where fans will have the opportunity to exercise their minds in unexpected ways.
Inclusion
Throughout NBA All-Star 2024, the NBA will continue its commitment around inclusion and mental well-being. On Wednesday, Feb. 14, the NBA will partner with Indiana Youth Group (IYG) – a LGBTQ+ Youth and Community Center. IYG students and members from the NBA and WNBA family will participate in activities and have a meal together. The NBA will also provide a donation to support various rooms and programs throughout the center. As part of AT&T and the NBA’s commitments to the local community organizations in Indiana, AT&T will be donating 150 devices (each) to Indiana Youth Group and Indianapolis Public School District in efforts to narrow the digital divide. For more information, visit att.com/connectedlearning.
The NBA will continue its partnership with KultureCity and make NBA All-Star 2024 accessible to those with sensory needs. NBA All-Star 2024 will include sensory training for 60 youth basketball clinicians and have sensory bags and sensory rooms available for fans at Lucas Oil Stadium and Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Sustainability
Throughout NBA All-Star 2024, the NBA will educate and empower fans and the broader Indiana community to work on solutions that address environmental sustainability issues. Thanks to the work of the Indianapolis Host Committee’s Sustainability subcommittee and its local partners, NBA All-Star 2024 will be fully powered by renewable energy, including events taking place across all official NBA All-Star 2024 venues and hotels. Additionally, NBA Green and the Host Committee will also work to minimize greenhouse gas emissions and pollution from increased traffic by providing free public transit, free bike share and more throughout the weekend.