DStv To Air The NBA All-Star Game Live

The 2021 National Basketball Association (NBA) annual All-Star exhibition match will bring the very best of basketball to screens across Africa this March on ESPN 2 (DStv Channel 219).

LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 28: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball during the game against the Golden State Warriors on February 28, 2021 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)

Showcasing 24 of the league’s star players, The NBA All-Star match will air live on Monday, 8 March 2021 at 2am. For the first time, the league’s annual global celebration of the game will take place on one night only, during which the two All-Star teams will compete to win each quarter for their respective charity beneficiaries.

To whet fans’ appetites, the exciting 3-Point Skills Contest will take place right before the game in Atlanta on ESPN 2 from 12:30am, with Portland Trailblazers’ super star Damian Lillard set to take part. Repeats of both the 3-Point Skills Contest and the All-Star match will broadcast later that day at 7am, 2pm and 8:15pm, all on ESPN
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 26: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates his dunk with Dennis Schroder #17 during a 102-93 Lakers win at Staples Center on February 26, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James and Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant lead the list of ten players who have been selected by fans, current NBA players and a media panel to star in the 2021 NBA All-Star Game. The two legends will serve as team captains for the Team LeBron vs. Team Durant matchup as both players lead their respective conferences in voting and will draft the rosters from the pool of players voted as starters and reserves for each conference on Thursday, 4 March.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – FEBRUARY 24: Domantas Sabonis #11 of the Indiana Pacers shoots a free throw during the game against the Golden State Warriors on February 24, 2021 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by A.J. Mast/NBAE via Getty Images)

Durant will however, not play in the game, due to a hamstring injury that has prevented him from playing in the last seven Nets games. He will stay on as captain though, after receiving the most fan votes of any player in the Eastern Conference. Indiana’s Domantas Sabonis will replace Durant on the court, with Boston’s Jayson Tatum was moved up from reserve to starter to fill in that void.

LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 21: Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets shoots the ball before the game against the LA Clippers on February 21, 2021 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)

For the 2020 NBA All-Star Game, the league incorporated 24 points into the calculation of the Final Target Score to honor the late Kobe Bryant, who wore No. 24 for the final ten seasons of his career. The same method for determining the Final Target Score will be used for the 2021 NBA All-Star Game. More information on the format of this year’s NBA All-Star match is available here. Will it be Team LeBron or Team Durant that emerges on-top?

On the same day, Monday, 8 March, the next video in the Bob O’ Connor comedy series will launch on both ESPN and ESPN 2, and on ESPN Africa social media platforms as the special correspondent continues his hilarious commentary on American sports.

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The action on American basketball courts continues later in the month as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) March Madness matches is scheduled to start on Thursday, 18 March on ESPN (DStv Channel 218 & GOtv Channel 37).

This popular NCAA single-elimination basketball tournament, features no less than 67 college teams. This tournament is known as one of the standout and most thrilling annual events on the sporting calendar. With 2020’s tournament having been cancelled due to the pandemic, fans are chomping at the bit for this year’s installment of March Madness, which will broadcast live on ESPN.

For updates on the NBA, March Madness and the world of American sports, fans can connect to @ESPNAfrica on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or visit https://www.espn.com/.

Visit www.dstvafrica.com and www.gotvafrica.com to subscribe or upgrade, and join in on the excitement and while you’re on the move, you can stream the action on DStv.