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) — Boston's Jayson Tatum got his gamewinner from midcourt. Oklahoma City's Hamidou Diallo went over Shaquille O'Neal to help win his trophy. And Brooklyn's Joe Harris made all the shots at all the right times to deny Golden State's Stephen Curry a storybook ending in his hometown.Say this for All-Star Saturday Night: It had flair.Tatum won the skills competition, Diallo put on a show for the league's annual slam dunk title, and in easily the most anticipated part of the night Harris held off the Warriors' shooting star for the win in the 3-point contest.Harris made 12 straight shots in the final round and went a staggering 15 for 18 on moneyballs — the shots worth the most — to win the 3-point title. He finished with 26 of a possible 34 points in the final round, beating Curry by two. Sacramento's Buddy Hield was third with 19 final-round points."Obviously, it's incredible," Harris said. "Steph is the greatest shooter of all time. But, again, shooting off of the rack... [More]

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) — Milwaukee has the best record in the NBA, Denver has its coaching staff at the All-Star Game and Sacramento is in position to end the league's longest current playoff drought.Overseeing a league that has wanted competitive balance, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver likes what he's seeing on those fronts.But he acknowledged during his annual address at All-Star Weekend that there are still ways for the league to have more top-to-bottom competitiveness."You can point to teams like Milwaukee, teams like Oklahoma City, what's happening in Denver now and Sacramento as signs that the system is working better than it has historically," Silver said Saturday. "I'd say we still have work to do, though. ... We can still come up with a better system to create more competition."While Golden State is still widely believed to be the favorite for what would be its fourth title in five years, the Bucks have been a success story all season in the East. Denver was leading the Western Conference... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on NBA All-Star Weekend (all times local):8:40 p.m.Boston's Jayson Tatum hit a 3-pointer from just beyond midcourt to beat Atlanta's Trae Young in the final round of the skills competition at All-Star Saturday night.Tatum defeated Memphis' Mike Conley in the first round, then topped Denver's Nikola Jokic in the semifinals.Tatum was slightly behind Young going into the 3-pointer, the final shot of the event, and decided he needed to try the long shot to get one in before Young could shoot for the title.Tatum says the trophy will go to his mother's home. He says he was "just out here trying to have fun. I threw one up and it went in."Jokic defeated Orlando's Nikola Vucevic, Young beat Sacramento's De'Aaron Fox and Dallas' Luka Doncic topped the Los Angeles Lakers' Kyle Kuzma in other first-round matchups. Young beat Doncic in the semifinals.___7:30 p.m.NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says he's pleased with the level of competitive balance that currently exists... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on NBA All-Star Weekend (all times local):7:30 p.m.NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says he's pleased with the level of competitive balance that currently exists within the league, though cautioned there are still many ways to improve on that front.Silver's annual All-Star weekend address was Saturday night. It comes with Milwaukee holding the NBA's best record, a surprise of sorts in Denver contending for the top record in the Western Conference and Sacramento in position to end the league's longest current playoff drought at 13 years.Silver says there are still teams who choose, for whatever reason, to not be as competitive as others. But he says the league is striving to continue creating a fair and balanced playing field for all 30 teams.___12:50 p.m.The NBA is bringing a pro league to Africa.The Basketball Africa League, a collaboration between the NBA and the sport's global governing body FIBA, was announced Saturday. The initial plan is for the 12-team... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on NBA All-Star Weekend (all times local):12:50 p.m.The NBA is bringing a pro league to Africa.The Basketball Africa League, a collaboration between the NBA and the sport's global governing body FIBA, was announced Saturday. The initial plan is for the 12-team league to begin play in January.It's yet to be determined which existing club teams will be part of the league. Qualification tournaments will be held later this year to determine those clubs, with teams from Angola, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia expected to be among those taking part. No nation will have more than two teams in the league.NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says the league is "an important next step in our continued development of the game of basketball in Africa."___12:35 p.m.Boston's Kyrie Irving and New Orleans' Anthony Davis say they both plan to play in Sunday's All-Star game.Both have been dealing with injuries lately. Irving has been dealing... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on NBA All-Star Weekend (all times local):12:35 p.m.Boston's Kyrie Irving and New Orleans' Anthony Davis say they both plan to play in Sunday's All-Star game.Both have been dealing with injuries lately. Irving has been dealing with a strained right knee for about a week, and Davis left New Orleans' last game before the All-Star break with a bruised muscle in his left shoulder.Irving is a starter on Team LeBron, and Davis is one of the reserves on that team.Irving was definitive, saying he is fine and ready to go. Davis' tempered his prediction on playing, saying he expects to play but suggesting that it depends on how he feels Sunday.___12:10 p.m.LeBron James says he has kept a close eye on what freshman sensation Zion Williamson is doing at Duke and believes "it's great for the game."Williamson, a 6-foot-7, 285-pounder, has become a national sensation with his size and leaping ability.James said Saturday at practice for the All-Star game that the biggest... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on NBA All-Star Weekend (all times local):11:35 a.m.The Curry brothers have levied a wager for their head-to-head competition in Saturday night's NBA 3-point contest: Whoever loses must buy tickets for the entire Curry family anytime they play against each other for the remainder of their NBA careers.Stephen said Saturday before practice for the All-Star game that "the stakes are pretty high considering how many people show up for our games."It's unclear if the group will include a new sister-in-law. There are reports that Seth has proposed to Callie Rivers, the daughter of NBA coach Doc Rivers. When asked about it Saturday, Seth declined to talk about their relationship.Stephen, who won the 3-point competition in 2015, says he is motivated to win it again because he's "knows for a fact" that everybody else in the Curry family —including his parents— are pulling for Seth.Stephen says with a laugh, "so I hope to pull the upset."Both players are hoping to... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on NBA All-Star Weekend (all times local):10:50 p.m.Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo says he'll play in the FIBA world championships this summer.Greece has already qualified for the 32-team tournament, which starts in China on Aug. 31.Antetokounmpo said Saturday before practice for the All-Star game that the only way he wouldn't play is if he had any injury concerns.Many NBA stars are expected to participate, even though the finals in mid-September will be held a week or so before the start of training camps for the 2019-20 season.___10:10 a.m.John Collins has a favorite dunker. Not surprisingly, it's his Atlanta teammate Vince Carter.Collins will represent the Hawks in the dunk contest, one of the events during All-Star Saturday Night. The 3-point contest and skills competition are also on the evening docket.Collins had perhaps the best dunk of the Rising Stars game Friday night, going with a pass off the backboard to himself for a slam over Dallas' Luka Doncic. He says he's got three or four dunks ready to go for Saturday night.He won't reveal what to expect: "No hints," he said Saturday morning.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — John Collins has a favorite dunker. Not surprisingly, it's his Atlanta teammate Vince Carter.Collins will represent the Hawks in the dunk contest, one of the events during All-Star Saturday Night. The 3-point contest and skills competition are also on the evening docket.Collins had perhaps the best dunk of the Rising Stars game Friday night, going with a pass off the backboard to himself for a slam over Dallas' Luka Doncic. He says he's got three or four dunks ready to go for Saturday night.He won't reveal what to expect: "No hints," he said Saturday morning.___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):10:55 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 Curry family All-Star Weekend is off to a rousing start — a Curry knocked down a big shot on Friday.Not surprising, except it was Sonya Curry. Yes, Dell's wife and the mother of Stephen and Seth showed she also hit a dramatic game-winning shot from deep.Sonya sank a one-handed, half-court shot — that she took underhanded — to beat the clock and help her three-person team topple squads led by her NBA sons and one led by her daughter in a family shootout during a dedication of a refurbished Charlotte community center.And she let her sons know about it. Sonya raced around the court after the ball went through the basket as fans in the crowded center cheered. She danced, taunting her sons as they looked on in amazement while her teammate and husband applauded."I was trash talking with the kids and I said, 'me and your pops, we are going to take this thing from you.' And they were like, 'whatever, whatever," Sonya said.She joked that she now has "bragging rights" as... [More]