CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on All-Star Weekend. (all times local)9 p.m.Giannis Antetokounmpo is taking aim at NBA All-Star Game MVP honors, scoring 16 points on 8 of 8 shooting — including five dunks — to give his team a 53-37 lead after the first quarter over Team LeBron. He also has three rebounds, three assists and a steal.Khris Middleton is heating up too with 12 points on four 3-pointers.Team LeBron is offering little defense with Team Giannis on pace to break 200 points.Kevin Durant has 10 points to lead Team LeBron, which is just 6 of 21 from 3-point range.Dirk Nowitzki knocked down two 3-pointers late in the first quarter for Team Giannis. Dwyane Wade also has checked into the game in his last All-Star game appearance for Team LeBron.Team Giannis set an All-Star record with 23 field goals in the quarter, topping the mark of 22 set on four other occasions — by both the West and the East in the first quarter of the 2017 game, and by the West in both the second and third quarters... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on All-Star Weekend. (all times local)8:30 p.m.The NBA All-Star game has tipped off with Hornets guard Kemba Walker making his first career All-Star start for Team Giannis against Team LeBron.He's the game's only first-time starter and received a huge ovation during warmups — although not quite as loud as Stephen Curry, who grew up in Charlotte and received the loudest roar from the crowd.That could make Team Giannis the crowd favorite.But Team Giannis could have a difficult time going against a stacked team that includes LeBron James, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant starting.Carley Rap Jepsen Carly Rae Jepsen sang the Canadian national anthem, while Charlotte native Anthony Hamilton sang a stirring rendition of the "Star Bangled Banner."___7:30 p.m.Joel Embiid and Stephen Curry warmed up to play basketball — by playing volleyball.Embiid and Curry passed a basketball back and forth before Sunday night's All-Star game by using... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on All-Star Weekend. (all times local)7:30 p.m.Joel Embiid and Stephen Curry warmed up to play basketball — by playing volleyball.Embiid and Curry passed a basketball back and forth before Sunday night's All-Star game by using volleyball maneuvers, perfectly executing bumps and sets. That is, until Embiid seemed to decide he was bored with all that.He took his massive right arm and, with fine form, spiked the ball as one would when trying for a kill and a point in volleyball. The ball bounced hard off the court, the carom skipping over the sideline and the ball winding up in the second row of seats.Embiid covered his mouth in mock disbelief, and the volleyball game ended.___1:05 p.m.When Michael Jordan talks, people tend to listen. Apparently the same goes for his mother, Deloris Jordan.The mother of the six-time NBA champion and Hornets owner delivered an inspirational speech during All-Star Weekend to a group of about 100 mothers of current NBA players... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Sonya Curry hasn't stopped smiling all weekend.She has had quality time with her grandchildren with the entire family in town for All-Star Weekend festivities. She even hit a half-court shot at a community center her family helped refurbish.On Saturday night, she emerged from Suite 21 at the Spectrum Center beaming after spending the evening with family and watching sons Stephen and Seth and husband Dell participate in the NBA All-Star 3-point contest."It's been everything that I hoped it would be," she said of her sons' return to their hometown for All-Star weekend. "Seeing Dell out there on the court being able to share that moment with the boys was awesome. And having the family all here to watch — that's hard to beat."With remnants of half-eaten appetizers and drinks still sitting on the counter, some of the young ones were starting to fuss having grown restless after being up well past their bedtimes.Still, Sonya didn't want the night to end.Neither did her husband.Dell... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on All-Star Weekend. (all times local)1:05 p.m.When Michael Jordan talks, people tend to listen. Apparently the same goes for his mother, Deloris Jordan.The mother of the six-time NBA champion and Hornets owner delivered an inspirational speech during All-Star Weekend to a group of about 100 mothers of current NBA players at a breakfast at a steakhouse in Charlotte, North Carolina.Deloris told the group Saturday that it's time for them to bond together and do more to help others in the community with their resources.Stephen Curry's mother, Sonya, who helped organize the event along with Chris Paul's mom, Robin, says Deloris summed up meeting when she told everyone, "We are blessed to be a blessing" to others.Deloris pushed NBA moms to get together as a group —because there is power in numbers— and make an impact in their communities.It's a message Sonya says is well overdue and the group needed to hear because "there has been a lot of separation over the... [More]

To help you with planning for the NBA All Star weekend, here are some of our plans. This advisory will be updated until Sunday's game. Please contact Oscar Dixon (odixon@ap.org) with any questions. All times ET.SUNDAYBKN--All-Star GameCHARLOTTE, N.C. _ Stephen Curry returns home to Charlotte, Kemba Walker is playing on his homecourt with LeBron James, Kevin Durant and others tip it up in the All-Star game. By Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos. Game starts at 8 p.m.Also:_ BKN--All-Star Weekend-The Latest. Updates throughout Sunday on All-Star Weekend from Charlotte, North CarolinaBKN--All-Star-Curry Family WeekendCHARLOTTE, N.C. _ CHARLOTTE, N.C. _ Sonya Curry says this All-Star Weekend has been everything she hoped it would be. She has spent quality time with her grandchildren and watched sons Stephen and Seth and husband Dell participate in the All-Star 3-point contest. The Currys will wrap up the All-Star Weekend on Sunday night when Stephen competes in his sixth... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on All-Star Weekend. (all times local)11:45 a.m.Dell Curry, Muggsy Bogues, Alonzo Mourning and Glen Rice were honorees at the 20th annual NBA Legends Brunch.The brunch is a tradition on the morning of the All-Star game. About 2,000 people attended Sunday, including about 200 former NBA players.Curry was presented a "hometown hero" award. Bogues was feted for his work as a community ambassador. Mourning received the Global Ambassador Award, and Rice was selected as the Charlotte Hornets Legend of the Year.NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was among the speakers, along with Dikembe Mutombo and actor and comedian JB Smoove.___11:30 a.m.All-Star Sunday has arrived.The 68th edition of the NBA's annual midseason showcase exhibition game gets played in Charlotte, with LeBron James set to start for the 15th consecutive year, Kemba Walker ready to excite his home crowd and legends Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade ready to bid the game farewell as their careers wind down.After that, the true All-Star "break" begins. There are no games on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, which gives every player and coach a couple of needed days off before the real playoff push begins.Play resumes Thursday night with six games, as the sprint to the end of the regular season begins.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on NBA All-Star Weekend (all times local):10:30 p.m.Oklahoma City's Hamidou Diallo is the NBA's slam dunk champion.Going over Shaquille O'Neal in the first round, then getting a boost from rapper Quavo in the finale, Diallo soared to the crown by topping New York's Dennis Smith Jr.Diallo topped Smith 88-85 in the finale. Charlotte's Miles Bridges and Atlanta's John Collins went out in the first round.Smith leapfrogged Miami's Dwyane Wade and took a lob from Stephen Curry to give himself a chance with his last dunk, getting a perfect score from the judges — and a round of boos from the crowd, many of whom weren't that impressed.That left Diallo as the night's final participant.Diallo pulled off a dunk that will be talked about for years in the first round — dunking over O'Neal, hanging on the rim by his elbow, then tearing open his jersey to reveal a "Superman" shirt underneath. And then he plucked the ball from Quavo as he went airborne for the dunk that... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on NBA All-Star Weekend (all times local):9:35 p.m.Brooklyn's Joe Harris held off Golden State's Stephen Curry to win the 3-point contest at All-Star Saturday night.Harris made 12 consecutive shots at one point in the final round on his way to a score of 26 points. Curry was second with 24 in the finals, and Sacramento's Buddy Hield was third with 19 points.The Warriors' star made his first nine shots of the final round, then missed three of five shots from the top of the key.Stephen Curry won the first round with 27 points out of a possible of 34. Hield was second with 26 points, and Harris finished with 25 to grab the last spot in the finals.There were 10 players in the event, and seven went out in the first round.Defending champion Devin Booker made his final seven shots but was eliminated in a tie for fourth with Danny Green with 23 points. The other competitors who did not advance: Dirk Nowitzki and Damian Lillard (17), Seth Curry (16), Kemba Walker... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on NBA All-Star Weekend (all times local):9:35 p.m.Brooklyn's Joe Harris held off Golden State's Stephen Curry to win the 3-point contest at All-Star Saturday night.Harris made 12 consecutive shots at one point in the final round on his way to a score of 26 points. Curry was second with 24 in the finals, and Sacramento's Buddy Hield was third with 19 points.The Warriors' star made his first nine shots of the final round, then missed three of five shots from the top of the key.Stephen Curry won the first round with 27 points out of a possible of 34. Hield was second with 26 points, and Harris finished with 25 to grab the last spot in the finals.There were 10 players in the event, and seven went out in the first round.Defending champion Devin Booker made his final seven shots but was eliminated in a tie for fourth with Danny Green with 23 points. The other competitors who did not advance: Dirk Nowitzki and Damian Lillard (17), Seth Curry (16), Kemba Walker... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on NBA All-Star Weekend (all times local):10:55 p.m.Kyle Kuzma of the Los Angeles Lakers scored 35 points, Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics added 30 and the U.S. beat the World team 161-144 in the Rising Stars game for first- and second-year players at All-Star Weekend.Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks finished with 25 points and 10 assists, and De'Aaron Fox of the Sacramento Kings had 15 assists for the U.S. Utah's Donovan Mitchell added 20 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.Philadelphia's Ben Simmons led the World team with 28 points. Chicago's Lauri Markkanen had 21 points for the World squad, and Dallas' Luka Doncic had 13 points and nine assists.Both teams shot 55 percent.It was the fifth time the U.S. vs. the World format was used for what was once known as the rookie game. The World now leads the all-time series 3-2, after its two-game winning streak was snapped.___9:05 p.m.Famous Los scored 22 points to win MVP honors, and the Home team held... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on NBA All-Star Weekend (all times local):9:05 p.m.Famous Los scored 22 points to win MVP honors, and the Home team held on to beat the Away team 82-80 in the All-Star Celebrity Game on Friday night.Jay Williams scored 18 points for Home. Quavo scored 27 for Away and Hall of Famer Ray Allen scored 24 — though the NBA's all-time leader in 3-pointers made went 0 for 8 from beyond the arc.___8:35 p.m.NBA executive Monty McCutchen has a less-than-surprising confession.Travels get missed.McCutchen, the former referee who moved to the league office last season and now helps oversee the officiating program, said Friday that about two traveling violations get called per game on average. He says the league believes that the real number of travels that should be called is closer to five per game.The NBA is no different than any other basketball league — if every letter-of-the-law travel was called, games could last for days. But McCutchen says the league is continuing... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on NBA All-Star Weekend (all times local):8:35 p.m.NBA executive Monty McCutchen has a less-than-surprising confession.Travels get missed.McCutchen, the former referee who moved to the league office last season and now helps oversee the officiating program, said Friday that about two traveling violations get called per game on average. He says the league believes that the real number of travels that should be called is closer to five per game.The NBA is no different than any other basketball league — if every letter-of-the-law travel was called, games could last for days. But McCutchen says the league is continuing to work with its referees on making that (and every) call consistently, and remains in constant contact with teams about concerns and interpretations.But don't expect a change to a four-ref system anytime soon. The NBA has tinkered with it at the G League level, and McCutchen says "when we looked into it, accuracy did not go up."___6:45 p.m.Basketball... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on NBA All-Star Weekend (all times local):6:05 p.m.So, the best shooter in the Curry family is.... Sonya Curry?The mother of Stephen and Seth Curry sank a one-handed, half-court shot — that she took underhanded — to help her three-person team beat teams led by her NBA sons and one by her daughter to win a family shootout at a newly refurbished at a community center in Charlotte, North Carolina.It's a shot the Currys will be talking about for a long time.After sinking the shot, Sonya raced around the court as fans in the crowded center went wild. She then did a celebration dance as her sons looked on in amazement and husband Dell applauded.Seth Curry couldn't hold back laughter knowing he just got beat by his mom, a former volleyball player.The Portland guard said afterward "that was a lucky shot, but she knocked it down on the big stage. That was good to see."Seth joked getting beat by his mom was better than losing to his brother.He said, laughing, "Hey,... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on NBA All-Star Weekend (all times local):5:35 p.m.Chris Webber, Bill Fitch, Marques Johnson, Sidney Moncrief, Bobby Jones, Jack Sikma, Eddie Sutton, Ben Wallace and Teresa Weatherspoon are among the 13 finalists for enshrinement later this year into the Basketball Hall of Fame.Webber, part of Michigan's Fab Five and a five-time NBA All-Star, was a finalist for the third consecutive season.Fitch is a two-time NBA coach of the year who led Boston to the 1981 NBA championship. Johnson was a five-time NBA All-Star and an NCAA champion under John Wooden at UCLA. Jones was a four-time NBA All-Star, a huge part of Philadelphia's 1983 NBA-title-winning team and the league's sixth man award winner that season. Moncrief was a two-time defensive player of the year and a prolific scorer.Sikma was an All-Star in seven consecutive seasons, had a brilliant shooting touch and helped Seattle win the 1979 NBA title. Sutton is a College Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and... [More]

To help you with planning for the NBA All Star weekend, here are some of our plans. This advisory will be updated until Sunday's game. Please contact Oscar Dixon (odixon@ap.org) with any questions. All times ET.FRIDAYBKN--All-Star-Curry Family WeekendCHARLOTTE, N.C. _ Stephen and Seth Curry are returning to their hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina for the NBA All-Star weekend. Stephen, a two-time league MVP, will join younger brother Seth in the 3-point shootout on Saturday night at the Spectrum Center and then play in his sixth straight All-Star game on Sunday. Their father Dell Curry is a former NBA star and color commentator for the Hornets. He says it’s going to be “be like a mini family reunion.” By Steve Reed. Sent: 850 words, photosBKN--ALL-STAR-SPORTS BETTINGCHARLOTTE, N.C. _ Washington Wizards owner Ted Leonsis doesn't bet. He does, however, want Wizards fans to know what they're doing if they bet on games. The Wizards and the Sacramento Kings are among the NBA clubs being proactive... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on NBA All-Star Weekend (all times local):4:35 p.m.Warriors guard Steph Curry says it's been "really weird" staying in a downtown hotel in his hometown for the All-Star Weekend. It's leaving him a "little out of sorts."When Curry usually visits Charlotte, North Carolina, he and his family stay at a home they once owned, located about 30 minutes from downtown. Or they stay at his parents' place about 15 minutes away. But with traffic and so much going on this weekend he decided to stay downtown, close to the Spectrum Center.Curry says family is starting to trickle in and "the real fun starts in a little while."He's hosting a community service event Friday afternoon before making a 30-minute drive north to watch his alma mater, Davidson College, play against St. Joseph's. He's excited that the Wildcats will wear alternate black and yellow neon Under Armour jerseys and the same Curry 6 Coy Fish neon shoes that he'll wear at Sunday night's All-Star game, which... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on NBA All-Star Weekend (all times local):1:35 p.m.Seth Curry has a bold prediction as to who will win the NBA 3-point contest on Saturday night."Me, me, I will," Curry confidently told The Associated Press on Friday at the NBA's Day of Service at the Charlotte Convention Center.Curry will be competing in his first NBA 3-point contest against a solid field that includes older brother Stephen Curry, who won the event in 2015 and is third all-time in NBA history with 2,365 3-pointers made.Seth Curry says, "I want to win it for myself and my family" saying it has been a goal of his to win the event since he watched his father Dell Curry compete in it at the 1992 All-Star game.Stephen Curry sees the outcome a little differently. When he was asked who's going to win, he responded, "Oh I am."Game on.___11:10 a.m.Dallas rookie Luka Doncic said if he had to pick any five current international players to beat an American team of All-Stars the list would include... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on NBA All-Star Weekend (all times local):11:10 a.m.Dallas rookie Luka Doncic said if he had to pick any five current international players to beat an American team of All-Stars the list would include Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo, Dallas' Kristaps Porzingis, Denver's Nikola Jokic, Miami's Goran Dragic and — he added with a smile — himself.Doncic got his first look at All-Star life Friday, when he was part of the Rising Stars practice and media session in the morning. He'll play on the World Team against the U.S. in the Rising Stars game on Friday night.Doncic says his adjustment to the NBA has gone better than expected after a very successful start to his career in which he is averaging 20.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.6 assists per gameDoncic said that "it went great from the beginning" and that having the trust of his teammates made the transition easier.He said didn't expect to have as much success as he's had this season, adding "I'm surprised a... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has opened the annual All-Star Technology Summit by touting the "smart jersey of the future."Silver used an app on a phone to change the number and name on the back of a jersey that was displayed on the side of the stage where he spoke, flipping it from a Kemba Walker model to a Stephen Curry model to a Michael Jordan model. Silver laid out what a fully customizable fan experience may look like in the NBA in 2038, right down to changing the name on the jersey those fans wear to games.Silver's address opened the summit, a platform for discussions about basketball's future and the role of evolving technology.The tech summit is in 20th year and draws hundreds of top league executives. Panels are scheduled on sports betting, disruptive technology, the relationship between athletes and technology, and ways to attract fans of the so-called Gen Z — the 2.5 billion people worldwide born between 1997 and 2010.