The 2022 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition game played on February 20, 2022, during the National Basketball Association's 2021–22 season. It was the 71st edition of the NBA All-Star Game. The game was hosted by the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. This was the third time that the Cleveland area hosted the All-Star Game, the first being in 1981 at the Coliseum in nearby Richfield, Ohio, and most recently in 1997—three years after the Cavaliers moved back to downtown Cleveland to play in the newly built Gund Arena, which is now known as Rocket Arena. Coincidentally, on the occasion Cleveland hosted an All-Star Game, the NBA celebrated its 35th season (1981), 50th anniversary (1997), and 75th anniversary (2022). The announcement of the site selection was made on November 1, 2018, at a press conference held by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
With teams captained by LeBron James and Kevin Durant, Team LeBron won the game 163–160. Team LeBron's Stephen Curry, who scored 50 points, set the record for most three-pointers made in an All-Star quarter (6), half (8), and game (16), and was also named the All-Star Game Kobe Bryant Most Valuable Player. This was Team LeBron's fifth consecutive All-Star win.
All-Star Game Coaches
The two teams were coached from their team captain's respective conference. Monty Williams, head coach of the Western Conference leader Phoenix Suns, qualified as the head coach of Team LeBron on January 30. Erik Spoelstra, head coach of the Eastern Conference leader Miami Heat, qualified as the head coach of Team Durant on February 6.
Rosters As had been the case in previous years, the rosters for the All-Star Game were selected through a voting process. The fans could vote through the NBA website and the NBA App. The starters were chosen by the fans, media, and current NBA players. Fans made up 50% of the vote, and NBA players and media each comprised 25% of the vote. The two guards and three frontcourt players who received the highest cumulative vote totals in each conferences were named the All-Star starters and two players in each conferences with the highest votes were named team captains. NBA head coaches voted for the reserves for their respective conferences, none of which could be players from their own team. Each coach selected two guards, three frontcourt players and two wild cards, with each selected player ranked in order of preference within each category. If a multi-position player was to be selected, coaches were encouraged to vote for the player at the position that was "most advantageous for the All-Star team", regardless of where the player was listed on the All-Star ballot or the position he was listed in box scores.
The All-Star Game starters were announced on January 27, 2022. Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks and DeMar DeRozan of the Chicago Bulls were named the backcourt starters in the East, earning their second and fifth all-star appearances, respectively. Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks were named the frontcourt starters in the East, earning their 12th and sixth all-star appearances, respectively. Joining in the East frontcourt was Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, his fifth selection.
Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors were named to the starting backcourt in the West, earning their first and eighth all-star appearances, respectively. In the frontcourt, Andrew Wiggins of the Golden State Warriors and LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers were named to their first and 18th all-star selections, respectively. Joining them was reigning MVP Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets, in his fourth all-star selection. Wiggins was the third first-time All-Star to be voted a starter in his eighth season or later. He also became the first No. 1 overall draft pick in the modern draft era (since 1966) to earn their first All-Star selection in their eighth season or later.
The All-Star Game reserves were announced on February 3, 2022. The West reserves included Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns, his third selection (and first as a non-replacement player); Luka Dončić of the Dallas Mavericks, his third selection; Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz, his third selection; Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors, his fourth selection; Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz, his third selection; Chris Paul of the Phoenix Suns, his 12th selection; and Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves, his third selection.
The East reserves included Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat, his sixth selection; Darius Garland of the Cleveland Cavaliers, his first selection; James Harden of the Philadelphia 76ers, his tenth selection; Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls, his second selection; Khris Middleton of the Milwaukee Bucks, his third selection; Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics, his third selection; Fred VanVleet of the Toronto Raptors, his first selection; and Jarrett Allen of the Cleveland Cavaliers, his first selection, as an injury replacement for James Harden.
+ Eastern Conference All-StarsPosPlayerTeamNo. of selectionsStartersGTrae YoungAtlanta Hawks2GDeMar DeRozanChicago Bulls5CJoel EmbiidPhiladelphia 76ers5FKevin DurantBrooklyn Nets12FGiannis AntetokounmpoMilwaukee Bucks6ReservesGLaMelo BallCharlotte Hornets1GDarius GarlandCleveland Cavaliers1GJames HardenPhiladelphia 76ers10GZach LaVineChicago Bulls2GFred VanVleetToronto Raptors1FJimmy ButlerMiami Heat6FKhris MiddletonMilwaukee Bucks3FJayson TatumBoston Celtics3CJarrett AllenCleveland Cavaliers1
+ Western Conference All-StarsPosPlayerTeamNo. of selectionsStartersGStephen CurryGolden State Warriors8GJa MorantMemphis Grizzlies1CNikola JokićDenver Nuggets4FLeBron JamesLos Angeles Lakers18FAndrew WigginsGolden State Warriors1ReservesGDevin BookerPhoenix Suns3GLuka DončićDallas Mavericks3GDonovan MitchellUtah Jazz3GDejounte MurraySan Antonio Spurs1GChris PaulPhoenix Suns12FDraymond GreenGolden State Warriors4CRudy GobertUtah Jazz3CKarl-Anthony TownsMinnesota Timberwolves3
Notes Italics indicates leading vote-getters per conference.
Kevin Durant was unable to play due to a knee injury. LaMelo Ball was selected as Kevin Durant's replacement. Draymond Green was unable to play due to a lower disc injury. Dejounte Murray was selected as Draymond Green's replacement. Jayson Tatum was selected to start in place of Durant. James Harden was unable to play due to a hamstring injury, but was present for the halftime ceremony. Jarrett Allen was selected as James Harden's replacement. After being announced as an All-Star, James Harden was traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Draft The NBA-All Star draft took place on February 10, 2022. LeBron James and Kevin Durant were named captains for the second straight year, as they both received the most votes from the West and East, respectively. The first eight players to be drafted were starters. The next 14 players, chosen by NBA head coaches (seven from each conference), were then drafted. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver selected replacements for any player unable to participate in the All-Star Game, choosing a player from the same conference as the player who was being replaced. Silver's selection joined the team that drafted the replaced player. If a replaced player is a starter, the head coach of that team would choose a new starter from their cast of players. James picked Giannis Antetokounmpo with his first pick, and Durant picked Joel Embiid second. Team Durant was the home team due to the Eastern Conference having home team status for the game.
+ 2022 All-Star DraftPickPlayerTeam1Giannis AntetokounmpoLeBron2Joel EmbiidDurant3Stephen CurryLeBron4Ja MorantDurant5DeMar DeRozanLeBron6Jayson TatumDurant7Nikola JokićLeBron8Andrew WigginsDurant9Trae YoungDurant10Devin BookerDurant11Luka DončićLeBron12Karl-Anthony TownsDurant13Darius GarlandLeBron14Zach LaVineDurant15Chris PaulLeBron16Dejounte MurrayDurant17Jimmy ButlerLeBron18Khris MiddletonDurant19Donovan MitchellLeBron20LaMelo BallDurant21Fred VanVleetLeBron22Rudy GobertDurant23James HardenLeBron
Lineups
+ Team LeBron Pos Player TeamStarters F LeBron James Los Angeles Lakers F Giannis Antetokounmpo Milwaukee Bucks C Nikola Jokić Denver Nuggets G DeMar DeRozan Chicago Bulls G Stephen Curry Golden State WarriorsReserves F Luka Dončić Dallas Mavericks G Darius Garland Cleveland Cavaliers G Chris Paul Phoenix Suns F Jimmy Butler Miami Heat G Donovan Mitchell Utah Jazz G Fred VanVleet Toronto Raptors C Jarrett Allen Cleveland CavaliersHead coach: Monty Williams (Phoenix Suns)
+ Team Durant Pos Player TeamStarters F Andrew Wiggins Golden State Warriors F Jayson Tatum Boston Celtics C Joel Embiid Philadelphia 76ers G Ja Morant Memphis Grizzlies G Trae Young Atlanta HawksReserves G Devin Booker Phoenix Suns F/C Karl-Anthony Towns Minnesota Timberwolves G Zach LaVine Chicago Bulls G Dejounte Murray San Antonio Spurs F Khris Middleton Milwaukee Bucks G LaMelo Ball Charlotte Hornets C Rudy Gobert Utah JazzHead coach: Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat)
Game
The 2022 All-Star Game used the same format as the 2020 edition; the team that scores the most points during each of the first three 12-minute quarters received a cash prize, which was donated to a designated charity; the pot would roll over if the teams are tied. The fourth quarter was untimed under the rules of the Elam Ending, in which the first team to meet or exceed a "target score"—the score of the leading team in total scoring after three quarters plus 24—was declared the winner.
After one quarter win each and a tie in the third quarter, LeBron James made a walk-off basket on a turnaround fadeaway jumper to win the game 163–160. Team LeBron's Stephen Curry won the NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant Most Valuable Player Award after scoring 50 points, two shy of Anthony Davis's record and 48 of which were made from three-pointers, and setting three-pointers record.
All-Star Weekend
Celebrity Game
NBA HBCU Classic A neutral site Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) college basketball game between the Howard Bison and Morgan State Bears was held on February 19, 2022, at the Wolstein Center as the inaugural NBA HBCU Classic. The NBA and AT&T donated $100,000 to each team's athletic department, and the game was simulcasted by NBA TV, TNT and ESPN2. Howard defeated Morgan State 68–66.
Rising Stars Challenge
Skills Challenge
The Skills Challenge took place on February 19. Team Rooks advanced to the finals after winning the third round and receiving 200 points in the round. Team Cavs defeated Team Rooks in the finals after Evan Mobley drilled a half-court shot.
+ Team Rooks Pos. Player Team F Scottie Barnes Toronto Raptors G Cade Cunningham Detroit Pistons G Josh Giddey Oklahoma City Thunder + Team Cavs Pos. Player Team C Jarrett Allen Cleveland Cavaliers G Darius Garland Cleveland Cavaliers C/F Evan Mobley Cleveland Cavaliers + Team Antetokounmpos Pos. Player Team F Giannis Antetokounmpo Milwaukee Bucks F Alex Antetokounmpo Raptors 905 F Thanasis Antetokounmpo Milwaukee Bucks
Three-Point Contest
The Three-Point Contest took place on February 19. Towns won his first Three-Point Contest by defeating Trae Young and Luke Kennard. Towns set the record for most points in the final round with 29 surpassing Devin Booker who had 28 in 2018, becoming the first center to win the event and the first Timberwolves player since Kevin Love in 2012.
+ Contestants Pos. Player Team Height Weight First round Final round C/F Karl-Anthony Towns Minnesota Timberwolves 6–11 248 22 29 G Trae Young Atlanta Hawks 6–1 164 22 26 G Luke Kennard Los Angeles Clippers 6–5 206 28 26 G Patty Mills Brooklyn Nets 6–0 180 21 DNQ G CJ McCollum New Orleans Pelicans 6–5 190 19 G Desmond Bane Memphis Grizzlies 6–5 215 18 G Fred VanVleet Toronto Raptors 6–1 195 16 G Zach LaVine Chicago Bulls 6–5 200 14
Slam Dunk Contest