December 11th, 2015NBA LAUNCHES NATIONWIDE ALL-STAR 2016 PROGRAM ACROSS 14 CANADIAN CITIES IN 10 PROVINCES

 

NBA LAUNCHES NATIONWIDE ALL-STAR 2016 PROGRAM ACROSS 14 CANADIAN CITIES IN 10 PROVINCES

- Bell NBA All-Star Challenge Presented by AIRMILES Invites Canada’s Top Competitors on All-Expenses Paid Trip to Compete at NBA All-Star 2016 -

- BMO All-Star Kidsfest at the YMCA Includes Jr. NBA Clinics, NBA Cares Activities, and More -

TORONTO, Nov. 12, 2015 – The NBA today announced a nationwide All-Star 2016 program that will bring the excitement of All-Star to 14 Canadian cities in 10 provinces from November through February.

Anchored by the BMO Financial Group (BMO) NBA All-Star Kidsfest at the YMCA and the Bell NBA All-Star Challenge presented by AIRMILES, the events will take place in Calgary, Charlottetown, Edmonton, Fredericton, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Regina, Sherbrooke, St. John’s, Toronto, Vancouver, Windsor and Winnipeg. NBA Global Ambassador and Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo and former NBA players Muggsy Bogues and Ron Harper, among others, will interact with fans across the country as they participate in All-Star-themed events and basketball activities, including appearances by NBA mascots and NBA team dancers.

“We couldn’t be more excited to bring NBA All-Star 2016 events to 14 cities across the country,” said NBA Canada Vice President and Managing Director Dan MacKenzie. “As part of our largest grassroots initiative in Canada to date, this program will allow us to grow the game in the birthplace of basketball while also providing top young talent with the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend NBA All-Star. We thank our partners BMO, Bell, AIRMILES, Samsung and the YMCA for helping us make these events possible.”

Each event will tip off with the BMO NBA All-Star Kidsfest at the YMCA, an interactive family-friendly event featuring Jr. NBA clinics and NBA Cares activities such as dance classes led by NBA dancers, and a youth art program that invites the community to design a canvas that will be displayed during NBA All-Star 2016 in February. The YMCA is the community partner of Kidsfest, where young sports enthusiasts will also have the chance to try their hand at newsmaking through the popular BMO Junior Reporter Contest.

The Bell NBA All-Star Challenge presented by AIRMILES, which builds on Bell’s commitment to growing basketball across the country and developing homegrown talent, invites basketball enthusiasts ages 14 and older to realize their All-Star dreams and show off their talent. A cross-country initiative to identify and showcase the country’s next generation of rising stars, the Challenge will invite Canada’s top three-point shooters, skills challenge competitors and dunkers on an all-expenses paid trip to compete for a national title

1

at NBA All-Star 2016 in Toronto. The regional challenges will be held at local universities and tie into each school’s basketball games.

Samsung Canada will be onsite in each market with the Samsung Studio to help get fans closer to their passion for basketball by creating personal NBA All-Star-themed videos using the latest mobile technology, which can be shared with family and friends through social channels.

NBA All-Star 2016 will celebrate the 125th anniversary of the birth of basketball. Toronto also hosted the first game in NBA history on Nov. 1, 1946 at Maple Leaf Gardens. NBA All-Star 2016 in Toronto is the first NBA All-Star to be held outside of the United States.

For more information on the nationwide NBA All-Star 2016 program and to learn about the events in each market, visit www.nba.com/allstarevents. Fans can follow @NBACanada on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for updates and unique content.

About NBA All-Star 2016

NBA All-Star 2016 in Toronto – the first All-Star to be held outside of the U.S. – will bring together some of the most talented and passionate players in the league’s history for a global celebration of the game. The 65th NBA All-Star Game, which will take place Sunday, Feb. 14 at the Air Canada Centre, will reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages. TNT will televise the All-Star Game in the U.S. for the 14th consecutive year, marking Turner Sports’ 31st year of All-Star coverage. The Air Canada Centre will also host the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge on Friday, Feb. 12 and State Farm All-Star Saturday Night on Saturday, Feb. 13. Other events at NBA All-Star 2016 include the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, the NBA Development League All-Star Game presented by Kumho Tire and the NBA Development League Dream Factory.

Contact

Tiffany Fisher, NBA Canada, (416) 528-5582 or TiFisher@nba.com