Cabonilas, Dabao top NBTC 24, leads All-Stars cast

Eric Altamirano and Alex Compton with the NBTC's partners for this year

Cabs Cabonilas of Far Eastern University-Diliman stands tall as the new No. 1 player in the annual rankings of the Philippines' top under-19 players by the National Basketball Training Center.

The UAAP Season 88 boys' basketball MVP jumped two spots from his ranking of third in last year's NBTC 24, just behind Ateneo-commit Kieffer Alas and now-La Salle player Lebron Daep.

This time around, Cabonilas left no doubt in staking his claim for the top spot, averaging 15.79 points, 8.86 rebounds, and 3.79 assists, all while leading the Baby Tamaraws back to the finals.

Coming up right behind FEU-D's do-it-all forward is Maco Dabao of De La Salle Zobel, who turned in a breakout season all the way to finishing as MVP runner-up.

The Jr. Archers' lead guard normed 17.29 points, 5.93 rebounds, 2.21 assists, and 2.5 steals to propel his side to its first Final Four since 2017.

As No. 1 and 2, Cabonilas and Dabao will serve as captains for the All-Star Game in the 2026 Smart-NBTC National Finals presented by SM Supermalls on Saturday, March 28, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

Cabonilas will be joined in Team Heart by another Baby Tam in Marc Burgos, as well as fellow UAAP standouts Jay-M Leal (Ateneo), Kirk Cañete (UST), and Bruce Tubongbanua (UPIS).

“Sobrang nakaka-excite po kasi anlaki ng tinaas ko sa rankings. Ngayon, kagaya na po ako ng mga nauna sa'kin tulad nina Jared Bahay at Kieffer Alas,” he said.

Rounding out his roster drafted in the preseason press conference held last Monday at Dickey's Barbecue Pit in Parqal are NCAA guards Mark Esperanza (San Sebastian), Justin Cargo (Letran), and Ray Ladica (Arellano); Regional Championship (RC) Most Outstanding Players Jhon Lord Cruz (North Luzon), Duke Solon (Mindanao), and Zedrick Castillo (South Luzon); and Sacred Heart School-Ateneo's Lian Basa.

Meeting them at the opposite side of the court will be Team Hustle fronted by Dabao alongside other UAAP stars in Mot Matias and Shaun Lucido (NU), Jarl Artango (Adamson), and Noah Banal (Ateneo).

Further fortifying his lineup from the NCAA are Season 101 juniors basketball MVP Sean Franco (Arellano), Nathan Egea (Letran), Andrei Ugaddan (San Beda), Josef Calo-oy (LSGH), and Kelly Coronel (EAC); as well as Henry Suico from SHS-Ateneo and J Lord Pepito from the Visayas RC.

“It just feels great to have this opportunity. It just feels great to put La Salle Zobel back in here,” said the playmaker from DLSZ, who inherits the same All-Star team as his Jr. Archers teammate in Alas.

Last year, a game-winning three from Ian Cuajao, now with San Beda, shot Team Heart over Team Hustle.

And like always, breakout players from international and local teams during the National Finals will also be added to the lineups of Team Heart and Team Hustle, which have been in place for the All-Star Game of the Philippine national under-19 championship since 2019.

Together with the annual exhibition of young talent at the highest level, there will yet again be an All-Star Game from the Manila Live girls tournament, as well as the Manila Showcase, pitting the top players from Manila Live against other standouts of the National Finals.

Here’s the final NBTC 24 for 2026:
1) Cabs Cabonilas, UAAP/FEU-Diliman
2) Maco Dabao, UAAP/DLSZ
3) Mark Esperanza, NCAA/San Sebastian
4) Sean Franco, NCAA/Arellano
5) Mot Matias, UAAP/NUNS
6) Nathan Egea, NCAA/Letran
7) Henry Suico, CESAFI/SHS-Ateneo
8) Kirk Cañete, UAAP/UST
9) Shaun Lucido, UAAP/NUNS
10) Noah Banal, UAAP/Ateneo
11) Ray Ladica, NCAA/Arellano
12) Andrei Ugaddan, NCAA/San Beda
13) Jay-M Leal, UAAP/Ateneo
14) Lian Basa, CESAFI/SHS-Ateneo
15) Marc Burgos, UAAP/FEU-Diliman
16) Justin Cargo, NCAA/Letran
17) Jarl Artango, UAAP/Adamson
18) Josef Calo-Oy, NCAA/LSGH
19) Jhon Lord Cruz, North Luzon RC/Nueva Ecija D’Generals
20) Bruce Tubongbanua, UAAP/UPIS
21) Kelly Coronel, NCAA/EAC
22) J Lord Pepito, Visayas RC/USPF-Playtown Exclusive
23) Duke Solon, Mindanao RC/RSY Group of Companies
24) Zedrick Castillo, South Luzon RC/AG Sports Apparel

Disney+ set to broadcast the 2026 Ruffles® NBA All-Star Celebrity Game in the Philippines

A powerhouse lineup of stars from the worlds of music, film, TV, and sports, including Disney, Marvel, MLB, NFL, and more, will hit the hardwood at the 2026 Ruffles® NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, as the NBA today unveiled the official rosters for the annual showcase. The game tips off Saturday, February 14, at 8:00 a.m. (Philippine Time) from the Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif., streaming live and on replay exclusively on Disney+.

Blending pop culture and basketball, the Celebrity Game remains one of All-Star Weekend’s most anticipated entertainment events.

Player rosters for the 2026 Ruffles® NBA All-Star Celebrity Game will include: actor, writer and producer Keegan-Michael Key, multi-platinum rapper and Indian entertainment icon Badshah, multi-platinum producer and DJ Mustard, multi-platinum rapper GloRilla, NBA legend and champion Jeremy Lin,  ABC’s “The Bachelorette” and Hulu’s “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Taylor Frankie Paul, “Love Island” standout Nicolas Vansteenberghe, ESPN Senior NBA Insider Shams Charania, Los Angeles-native and All-Pro NFL wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, six-time NFL Pro Bowler and Los Angeles Chargers star Keenan Allen, Brazilian soccer legend and two-time FIFA World Cup champion Cafu,  creator and co-founder of Dude Perfect Cody Jones, social media creator and basketball personality Jenna Bandy, singer-songwriter and viral hitmaker Adrien Nuñez, 7-foot-6 former NBA player Tacko Fall, Phoenix Suns Chairman and Governor Mat Ishbia and Charlotte Hornets Co-Chairman and Governor Rick Schnall.

Emmy-winning actor and reigning Ruffles® NBA All-Star Celebrity Game MVP Rome Flynn, Marvel’s “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” and upcoming “Avengers: Doomsday” actor Simu Liu and seven-time Olympic medalist sprinter Andre De Grasse will return for their second Celebrity Games, while Chinese actor and singer Dylan Wang and NBA legend and champion Jason “White Chocolate” Williams return for their third.

Key, Flynn, Wang, Charania, Bandy, Schnall, Fall, Lin, Glorilla, Cafu, and St. Brown will be coached by two-time NBA MVP and NBA champion Giannis Antetokounmpo along with his brothers Thanasis and Alex Antetokounmpo, and by former MVP, four-time World Series Champion and Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts.

Liu, Jones, Badshah, de Grasse, Paul, Ishbia, Williams, Vansteenberghe, Mustard, Nunez, and Allen will be coached by world-renowned NBA shooting coach Lethal Shooter, Emmy®-winning actor and comedian Anthony Anderson and one of the NBA’s top player development trainers Chris Brickley.

Fans will be able to see and hear Monica McNutt as the host for this event, and will conduct interviews with the participants and other event attendees, while Mark Jones and Richard Jefferson are set to call the action.

In addition, this year’s Celebrity Game will also feature a special halftime performance by five-member K-pop group CORTIS, marking the first-ever halftime Celebrity Game performance by a K-pop artist.  CORTIS was recently named part of the NBA’s “Friends of the NBA” program, the league’s official network of celebrities and influencers across Asia.

The 2026 Ruffles® NBA All-Star Celebrity Game streams exclusively on Disney+, bringing together basketball, celebrity culture and live entertainment.

For the full NBA on Disney+ game schedule and updates, visit www.disney.ph/NBA.

All-Star 2024 uniforms unveiled

NBA All-Star kits

What our NBA All-Stars will be strutting in Indianapolis is now officially available locally.

Outfitted by Jordan Brand for the seventh straight season, 2024 NBA-All Star Game uniforms highlight the great basketball history of the state of Indiana while also returning to nostalgic feels with the red and blue uniforms, while also featuring Nike's Dri-FIT ADV technology.

The addition of pinstripes is inspired by the previous Pacers uniforms in the late 90s until early 00s, which saw them become Eastern Conference champions and make the NBA Finals.

Other features in the kits include:

• This season's NBA All-Star logo being featured prominently in front, which weaves in racing stripes to pay homage to Indianapolis. It is also on the side of the shorts, with a large circle around it, as a way of honoring the city's Monument Circle, which surrounds the Soldiers and Sailors Monument at the city center.
• Surrounding the All-Star logo on the shorts are six stars, which represents the twelve All-Stars on each roster.
• Five stars on the side of the jersey represents the five players on the court for one team.
• Just above the black jock tag is "73rd Annual," serving as an anthem graphic.
• The "ASG" ligature mark located on the belt buckle is inspired by the graphical origins of basketball.

Complementing the uniforms are old-school, Hoosier-inspired warm-ups.

Make sure to check these out at both physical NBA Stores in SM Megamall and SM Mall of Asia, as well as through NBAStore.com.ph.

You can watch the 73rd NBA All-Star Weekend next week across One Sports, NBA TV Philippines, and Pilipinas Live, and on NBA League Pass.

SLAM Rising Stars Classic set for 2023 edition

One of the most anticipated basketball events of the summer is set to take place this weekend, with the upcoming SLAM Rising Stars Classic of SLAM Philippines and Titan at the Gatorade Hoops Center in Mandaluyong.

On the books since 2014, the SLAM Rising Stars Classic is the annual showcase involving some of the best high school standouts in the country. Alums of this event have gone on to make waves locally and even internationally.

This coming May 20, 24 have once been selected to be split into either Team Punks and Team Hype, which includes recent senior national team call-ups Francis Lopez and Mason Amos, as well as Gilas Youth standouts Jared Bahay, Seven Gagate, Luis Pablo, Kobe Demisana, Kris Porter, and Lebron Nieto.

Meanwhile, on May 21, the SLAM Rising Stars Classic will hold its inaugural batch for girls, with Gilas Women Youth standouts Camille Nolasco, Candice Udal, and Princess Villarin leading the way. 24 standouts will be split into Team Stars and Team Buckets.

Also highlighting this special event is SLAM Philippines relaunching its print version with a special issue to be unveiled before the game.

Both games will be streamed live on Facebook, thanks to SMART Sports.

The SLAM Rising Stars Classic is presented by Anta, in partnership with Gatorade, Krispy Kreme, and SMART.

NCAA All-Star Volleyball set for Sunday

Much like their basketball counterparts, GMA Network and the National Collegiate Athletic Association are set to have their GMA NCAA All-Star Volleyball Games on Sunday afternoon.

Team Heroes and Team Saints will be set to tangle once again, with a sprinkling of Kapuso celebrities and NCAA volleyball student-athletes and alumni.

The men take to their taraflex first at noon. Team Saints is composed the likes of CSB's Johnvic de Guzman and George Gauani, Letran's Vince Himzon and Erickson James Ramos, Perpetual's Louie Ramirez and Rey Taneo, San Beda's Melver Lapurga and Jerome Lopez, San Sebastian's Richard Nino Tolentino and Kyle Angelo Villamor. Adding flavor are Sparkle artists Carlo San Juan and Prince Clemente, as well as courtside reporter Miguel Venegas. Coaching them is men's Coach of the Year Sammy Acaylar.

Taking care of Team Heroes are Arellano's Kim Vincent Tan and Christian Joseph Segovia, EAC's Joshua Ramilo and Juvie Mangarin, JRU's Kenneth Daynata and Larry Sioco, Jr., Lyceum's Siegfred Corral and Deon Xander Colorado, and Mapua's Angelino Jose Pertierra and John Benedict San Andres. Joining them are Sparkle artists Kristoffer Martin and Bruce Roeland, as well as analyst Jayvee Sumagaysay. Arellano assistant coach Timoti Manalansan will take the coaching reins.

Calling the action for this is the dynamic duo of Andrei Felix and Martin Antonio.

The women would then follow suit at 2pm. Team Saints will have Benilde's Zamantha Nolasco and Jannine Navarro, Letran's Chamberlaine Cuñada and Entezar Bangcola, Perpetual's Mary Rhose Dapol and Angelique Dionela, San Beda's Aurea Francesca Racraquin and Chynna Castillo, San Sebastian's Alyssa Eroa and Kristine Joy Dionisio. Sparkle artists Shaira Diaz and Lyra Micolob, as well as courtside reporter Chase Orozco complement the group, which will be mentored by Women's Coach of the Year Jerry Yee.

Team Heroes, which will be coached by Lyceum's Cromwell Garcia, will have Arellano's Regina Arocha and Trina Maurice Abay, EAC's Jen Omapas and Yvone Reyes, JRU's Sydney Niegos and Shola Alvarez, Lyceum's Ciarnelle Wanta and Zonxi Dahab, Mapua's Jonina Mae Fernandez and Alyanna Nicole Ong. Joining them are Sparkle artists Cassy Legaspi and Angela Alarcon, as well as analyst Kara Acevedo-Ong.

Calling the action for this is the duo of Anton Roxas and Carly Hernandez.

GMA Network First Vice President, GMA Regional TV and Synergy head, and GMA Integrated News acting head Oliver Victor B. Amoroso says, "The GMA NCAA All-Star Volleyball Games happening this Sunday will surely excite and be enjoyed by NCAA and Kapuso supporters. This is one way to express our gratitude to them for their continued support of the NCAA Season 98 Volleyball Tournament."

Hosting the event are Martin Javier and Maureen Emily Schrivjers. The league's courtside reporters will be treating those attending the games at the Filoil EcoOil Centre to prizes through a variety of mini-games.

Serving as in-venue entertainment are Mikee Quintos and XoXo,

The GMA NCAA All-Star Volleyball Games will be shown LIVE on GTV at noon, with simulcast streaming on the social media platforms of the NCAA Philippines and GMA Sports. Fans overseas will be able to watch through GMA Pinoy TV and GMA News TV.

SJ Moore, Team Hustle claim NBTC All-Star Game nod

Team Hustle and Team Heart

The future of Philippine basketball showed about at the Under Armour-NBTC All-Star Game, which made its return for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic forced the postponement.

Team Hustle emerged as 108-91 winners over Team Heart at the Mall of Asia Arena, with SJ Moore named as the Most Outstanding Player.

The Arellano standout scored nineteen points in the showpiece event of the biggest grassroots tournament in the country, which is backed by Smart, SM, Strong Realty and Development Corp., Under Armour, and Molten.

Ranked 15th in the NBTC 24, Moore shared about the experience, "For me, it was about being the top player among the 24 best."

He adds, "Especially, getting a chance a play with all the best NCAA's juniors (players), I'm lucky to be chosen to be the best player."

Moore scored ten points in the first quarter for Cholo Villanueva-coached Team Hustle, as they asserted themselves early on. They would extend that advantage into the second period, erecting a 55-39 halftime lead.

The lead would balloon to as much as 25 points late in the third period, 86-61. Team Heart would manage to reduce the deficit to as low as twelve with 80 seconds remaining at 100-88, but time ran out for the comeback attempt.

Kieffer Alas of La Salle-Zobel added fourteen markers, with Andy Gemao of Letran adding thirteen of his own.

Villanueva added about the NBTC All-Star Game experience, "For me it's a great experience being a coach. You want to be honing the next generation of basketball players and being a part of this event is really a privilege for me."

Chris Hubilla of San Beda led the Ty Tang-coached Team Heart with 27 points.

In the side events, Lorence dela Cruz of Winnipeg edged out Caelum Harris of Fil-Nation Select for the Slam Dunk crown, with the 5'9" guard nailing a one-handed windmill off a bounce pass, impressing the three-man panel of Mikey Williams, Glenn Khobuntin, and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.

He then would put it on ice with a two-handed 360.

John Rex Villanueva of Batang Tiaong claimed the Three-Point Shootout, converting fifteen from deep and besting Kobe Chong of Saint Jude Catholic School, who could only manage eleven.

In the Skills Challenge, Kristian Porter beat out Vhoris Marasign in the final, finishing the course at 22.2 seconds.

The NBTC National Finals is supported by Tecno, Regent, Rebisco, Jollibee, San Miguel Corp., Maynilad, Rebel Sports Pilipinas, MNL Kingpin, Gatorade, Swish App by NBN23, Victory Liner, Jasper Jean, Darlington, Exped, Mr. Freeze, Coach E Basketball School, Lighthouse Events, and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas.

Mandaquit, seven others named to Under Armour NBTC All-Star Game

Jason Mandaquit

Jason Mandaquit of Fil-Nation Select leads the late additions for the 2023 Under Armour-NBTC All-Star Game scheduled for Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Mandaquit averaged twenty points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists to lead the US-based's campaign in the NBTC National Finals, and he will join teammate Jacob Bayla in the Ty Tang-coached Team Heart alongside fellow late additions Michael Asoro of SHS-Ateneo de Cebu and Vhoris Marasigan of Batang Tiaong.

Caelum Harris, on the other hand, will be a part of the Cholo Villanueva-coached Team Hustle, which also has tapped Lorence dela Cruz of Winnipeg, Devin Fikes of Toronto, and John Mowell Morales of Batang Tiaong.

For the side events, freshly-crowned NCAA champion Andy Gemao, Arwin Alforque, and George Diamante will face off against Harris and dela Cruz in the Slam Dunk Contest. There will also be a three-point shootout and Skills Challenge, with the field still to be determined.

All of the Sunday festivities will be shown via streaming through the Facebook pages of NBTC, SMART Sports, Puso Pilipinas.

Both division finals will follow the All-Star Game, with the matchup for Division 2 already confirmed.

Team Tarlac pulled off the 86-77 victory against Ateneo, behind the duo of RJ Liwanag and Earl Sapasap. The former led the way with twenty points, four assists, and four steals, while the latter stuffed the stat sheet with twelve points, nine rebounds, nine assists, and seven steals.

Tarlac uncorked a 38-point second quarter before cruising their way in the second half, as they await Don Bosco-Dumaguete, which emerged as 82-58 winners over Homegrown Australia. Matthew Jucom led the way for the Greywolves with twenty points, four rebounds, a couple of assists and a couple of steals.

John Deposoy added fifteen points, three assists, and three steals, as Don Bosco opened the game with a 20-7 run and never looked back.

The Division 1 final will take place afterwards, with the winner of Fil-Nation Select and UST going up against the winner of Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu and National University Nazareth School. The two games are set to completed Saturday night.

Opening things up on Sunday is the inaugural Girls Have Next tournament final between Fil-Nation Select and NUNS. The two squads emerged out of the round robin matches that took place at the Pretty Huge facility in Taguig.

The NBTC National Finals is backed by Smart, SM, Strong Realty and Development Corp., Under Armour, and Molten. It is also supported by Tecno, Regent, Rebisco, Jollibee, San Miguel Corp., Maynilad, Rebel Sports Pilipinas, MNL Kingpin, Gatorade, Swish App by NBN23, Victory Liner, Jasper Jean, Darlington, Exped, Mr. Freeze, Coach E Basketball School, Lighthouse Events, and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas.

NCAA, GMA set for All-Star Basketball

Action takes place on Saturday

The NCAA presses pause for their 98th season as they and broadcast partner GMA Network hold the "GMA NCAA All-Star Basketball Game on Saturday, October 15, at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.

The league once again subdivides itself between the Heroes and Saints, and like its previous iteration earlier this year, a sprinkling of the hottest Kapuso artists get in on the action.

Serving as an additional spice for this season and in line with its current theme "Achieve Greatness Every Day," a couple of basketball legends will be participating as well.

For Team Heroes, the squad is composed of:

Arellano University: Cade Flores and Axel Doromal

Emilio Aguinaldo College: Allen Liwag and Nat Cosejo

Jose Rizal University: JL Delos Santos and Agem Miranda

Lyceum: Renzo Navarro and Omar Larupay

Mapua: Warren Bonifacio and Rence Nocum

Kapuso celebrities: Pancho Magno, Kokoy de Santos, Migs Villasis, Raheel Bhyria

Legends: Jerry Codinera and Allan Caidic

Muse: Lianne Valentin

As for Team Saints, they are composed of:

Letran: Fran Yu and Mark Sangalang

College of Saint Benilde: Will Gozum and JC Cullar

San Beda: JB Bahio and James Canlas

San Sebastian: Ichie Altamirano and Jesse Sumoda

Perpetual: Jielo Razon and Kim Aurin

Kapuso celebrities: Jeric Gonzales, Prince Clemente, Kirst Viray, and the incumbent Celebrity MVP in Jose Sarasola

Legends: Marlou Aquino and Willie Miller

Muse: Shaira Diaz

GMA Regional TV and Synergy First Vice President and Head Oliver Victor Amoroso shares, "We hope the NCAA fans will enjoy this special treat we prepared for them."

On the league's end, Season 98 Management Committee Chairman Estefanio Boquiron, Jr. of host school EAC says, "NCAA, the Philippines’ first collegiate athletic league, remains grateful for GMA Network's support. Aside from the ongoing Men’s Basketball games, we are excited to have another All-Star Game between our selected NCAA star players and GMA’s talented artists. We would like to invite everyone to catch it this Saturday, October 15."

Serving as host for the event is Anton Roxas alongside the league's courtside reporters, with Martin Javier and the father-and-son duo of Benjie and Andre Paras calling the All-Star Game proper.

Providing additional on-court entertainment are Kapuso performers XOXO, Jon Lucas, Kim de Leon, and Rochelle Pangilinan.

The game will be shown on GTV starting at 230pm. It will also be shown on the social media platforms of both NCAA Philippines and GMA Sports. Fans overseas can watch the action through GMA Pinoy TV and GMA News TV.

For those interested to watch in person at the FilOil EcoOil Centre, one can buy tickets either at the gate or via Ticketmax.

NBA All-Star formalized for 2021

The NBA formally revealed that it will have its 2021 edition of NBA All-Star on March 8 (Manila time) at State Farm Arena, with a few tweaks.

The biggest tweak sees the league holding activities on All-Star Saturday integrated onto the same date as the All-Star Game, ensuring that the league's annual celebration of the game takes place only on one day. The Skills Challenge and 3pt Shootout will take place before the game, while the Slam Dunk competition is slated during halftime.

Aside from those, the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) have banded together to commit over $2.5 million in funds and resources towards Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) as well as support and awareness around equity and access to COVID-19 care, relief, and vaccines.

The game retain the tweaks put in place last season, integrating a modified version of the "Elam Ending." Teams will play an untimed final quarter aiming to reach the Final Target Score to secure the win. The mark is determined by the leading team's output after three quarters and adding 24 to it, as a homage to Kobe Bryant.

The All-Star Draft will determine roster composition, scheduled on March 5. The NBA already revealed the pool of starters on Friday morning (Manila time), with LeBron James and Kevin Durant named as captains.

This year's edition of the All-Star Game will also highlight the importance of HBCUs and raise awareness around the disparate impact of COVID-19 towards communities of color, in partnership with the league, its players, and its partners, as well as with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, the United Negro College Fund, the National Association for Equal Opportunity, and the Direct Relief's Fund for Health Equity. Integrating the festivities are special performances by HBCU musical groups, as well as unique storytelling and content by distinguished HBCU alumni and students.

The pandemic has also helped shape this year's edition of the All-Star Game, as additional measures have been established to complement the current Health and Safety Protocols. Such elements include enhanced PCR testing, the creation of a "mini bubble" environment within a single hotel for players and coaches, and private travel in and out of Atlanta. The league also has opted to not have fan activities, ticketed events, and hospitality functions that normally accompany All-Star Weekend.

Here are quotes from executives about the coming All-Star Game:

NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver: “NBA All-Star in Atlanta will continue our annual tradition of celebrating the game and the greatest players in the world before a global audience. In addition to the festivities on the court, the All-Star Game will honor the vital role HBCUs play in our communities and focus attention and resources on COVID-19 relief, particularly for the most vulnerable.”

NBPA Executive Director, Michele Roberts: “HBCUs provided premium education to our communities at a time when access to higher learning was denied to us. They were there – and have remained there – for us. We now stand with them.”

Thurgood Marshall College Fund President and CEO, Dr. Harry L. Williams: “As a founding partner of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, the NBA has been a consistent supporter for more than 33 years. By dedicating its All-Star platform to supporting Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the NBA is making a profound statement about the league’s commitment to a better future, recognizing the crucial role Black Colleges have always played in facilitating racial equity and serving the African American community.”

UNCF CEO, Dr. Michael Lomax: “We welcome this exciting opportunity to partner with the NBA and the players. Together, the NBA and players can shine a bright light on the vital work of our nation’s HBCUs and help ensure that we can support our Black college students on their education journeys.”

Clark Atlanta University President, Dr. George T. French, Jr.: “The Clark Atlanta University community is incredibly excited to be a part of NBA All-Star 2021. The night will provide a unique opportunity not only to celebrate the accomplishments of our students, faculty and alumni, but also to share the rich history and essential contributions of our institution and other HBCUs with a global audience.”

The Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) President, Rev. Matthew Wesley Williams: “As NBA All-Star Weekend visits the City of Atlanta to showcase the talents and contributions of some of the world’s best and most well-known athletes, the ITC community is pleased to join the NBA and its players in celebrating the achievements and contributions of some of our country’s most important institutions – our Historically Black Colleges and Universities.”

Morehouse College President, David A. Thomas, Ph.D.: “NBA All-Star 2021 presents an extraordinary moment to highlight the legacy of scholarship, leadership and service HBCUs have represented since their founding. Morehouse College is excited to be a part of this celebration and momentous occasion.”

Morris Brown College President, Dr. Kevin James: “Morris Brown College would like to thank the NBA, NBPA and the entire extended NBA family for including us in this year’s All-Star Game. We welcome and appreciate the attention the night will bring to the unique and vital role played by historically Black institutions here in Atlanta and across the country.”

Spelman College President, Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell: “As NBA All-Star returns to Atlanta, Spelman College looks forward to being a part of the celebration that highlights HBCUs across the city and beyond. Our mission at Spelman is to educate Black women to become global leaders and to inspire a commitment to positive change. We are honored to be part of the NBA 2021 All-Star celebration of our nation’s HBCUs.”

James, Durant named as NBA All-Star Game captains

The NBA has released its pool of starters for the 2021 edition of its All-Star Game on Friday morning (Manila time), with LeBron James and Kevin Durant leading the way.

Joining them as starters from the Western Conference are Nikola Jokić, Kawhi Leonard, Stephen Curry, and Luka Dončić, while completing the cast from the Eastern Conference are Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Kyrie Irving, and Bradley Beal.

Both James and Durant led their respective conferences in fan voting to earn the nod as captains, and they will be making their selections for their respective squads on the morning of March 5 (Manila time) through the 2021 NBA All-Star Draft. They will pick the starters first, followed by the reserves, whose pool will be revealed on the morning of February 24 (Manila time). The latter is selected by the league's coaches.

The starters' pool has made history already with half of its composition coming from overseas: Antetokounmpo (Greece via Nigeria), Dončić (Slovenia), Embiid (Cameroon), Irving (United States, but born in Australia) and Jokić (Serbia).

The 70th edition of the NBA All-Star Game will take place on March 8 (Manila time) at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta. As a result of the pandemic, activities have been compressed into one night, with the Skills Challenge and 3pt Contest slated pre-game, and the Slam Dunk competition at halftime.

NBA reveals All-Star Vote plans

About time to cast votes

The NBA officially revealed that voting for the league's midseason classic is about to commence.

Called the NBA All-Star Voting 2021 presented by AT&T, it will tip off starting at noon ET on January 28 (1am on January 29 for the Philippines) and end at 1159pm on February 16 (1259pm on February 17 for the Philippines).

As it has been tradition, fans will have some say as to which players will start for the NBA All-Star Game, although it has since been tweaked (50 percent) to allow the media and players (25 percent for each) to have their opinion. All three groups will name three frontcourt and two backcourt players on their respective ballots for each conference.

Fans have three options to make their choice:

NBA.com: fans can go to vote.nba.com, and fill out the ballot available there with up to three frontcourt and two backcourt players from each conference. One can submit a full ballot daily.

NBA App: available either on Android or iOS, they can go there and fill their ballot with up to three frontcourt and two backcourt players from each conference. One can submit a full ballot daily.

Twitter: fans can tweet, retweet, and reply that includes either the hashtag of a NBA player's first and last name (#FirstNameLastName) or said NBA player's twitter handle. Make sure to then add #NBAAllStar to that tweet/retweet/reply before sending. Only one current NBA player allowed, with a limit of ten unique players daily. 

As has been customary in recent years, the NBA has designated days wherein fan vote count as double. For the 2021 edition, the "2-for-1 Days" will take place on January 30, February 2, February 4, February 13, and February 16. (US time zone will be observed on all these dates).

Once the deadline is passed, players will be ranked in each conference by position based on each voting group, which will then be weighted by the value of each, then aggregated. In case of ties resulting from the aggregation within the position group, the fan vote will serve as tiebreaker. The three frontcourt and two backcourt players from each conference will be named as All-Star Starters.

The NBA has designated February 4 and 11 as days where the league can share the voting results. The All-Star Starters will be revealed on February 18 (19 in the Philippines) during the TNT NBA Tip-Off presented by CarMax. As for the NBA All-Star reserves, which are selected by the league's head coaches, they will be made public on February 23 (24 in Manila).

The NBA All-Star Game had been pegged to take place in Indianapolis pre-pandemic, with recent discussions ongoing to determine if one will actually take place during the break between the First and Second Half of the truncated current season.

2019 edition of #SLAMRisingStars set

The 2019 Batch of #SLAMRisingStars

Some of the best high school stars in the Philippines are back together on one floor, showcasing their talent and skills at the 2019 SLAM Rising Stars Classic

The 2018 edition saw Kai Sotto carry Team Punks to a thrilling overtime victory over Team Hype, a feat that helped him be named as co-MVP in the game.

The 2019 edition looks to be special with the likelihood that Sotto plays his final game before he heads to the United States to begin the next step of his career.

Team Hype

This season's UAAP HS MVP is part of Team Hype this time around, alongside his Ateneo teammate Geo Chiu, La Salle-Zobel's Raven Cortez, and Mapua/Malayan's Jonnel Policarpio to set up their length. This quartet puts Team Hype's bigs at an average height of 6'8".

Backing up such height for Team Hype are a good combo of guards and wings. Leading the way are Forthsky Padrigao of Ateneo and a trio of Red Robins in Dan Arches, Paolo Hernandez, and Clint Escamis. Completing the team are a couple of Adamson Baby Falcons in Adam Doria and Joem Sabandal, with FEU's Royce Alforque, JRU's John Amores, and Xavier's Miguel Tan.

Team Punks, on the other hand, will be basking in the recent afterglow of the NBTC.

Leading the way is the core of the best high school team in the country, Nazareth-NU. The Bullpups have three players represented in SLAM Rising Stars: recently named NBTC Finals MVP Carl Tamayo, and All-NBTC members Terrence Fortea and Gerry Abadiano. Fellow Division I All-NBTC members Joshua David and RJ Abarrientos are also part of Team Punks, as well as NBTC All-Star MVP Mark Nonoy of UST.

Team Punks

Two of David's teammates at La Salle-Greenhills, Inand Fornilos and Joel Cagulangan, are also in Team Punks, fresh from helping the Greenies make back-to-back trips to the NBTC National Finals Championship Game. In addition, Lyceum's Mac Guadana helped power the Junior Pirates to the Finals in Div II of the NBTC, and also got him an all-NBTC nod for that Division.

Rounding out Team Punks are a couple of bigs in Bismark Lina of UST and Aaron Fermin of Arellano, as well as Harvey Pagsanjan of UE and Xyrus Torres of FEU.

Coaching Team Hype is Yuri Escueta, while Gian Nazario handles Team Punks. Each team will have a SLAM Rising Stars alumnus acting as an Associate Head Coach.

Thirdy Ravena joins Team Punks, where he played in 2014.

#TeamPunks Associate Head Coach @ThirdyRavenaaa tells us who’s gonna be on his side for the 2019 #SLAMRisingStars 🚨 pic.twitter.com/FV3E6rHS1Z

— SLAM PH (@SLAMonlineph) March 26, 2019

Juan Gomez de Liano joins Team Hype, where he played in 2017.

Associate Head Coach @juan_swish9 reveals the roster of his #TeamHype for the 2019 #SLAMRisingStars! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/0phZQmrCk0

— SLAM PH (@SLAMonlineph) March 26, 2019

Joining Sotto in their final go-around at the SLAM Rising Stars are Abarrientos, Sabandal, Pagsanjan, Fermin, and Nonoy, as these five are set to take the stage as the hotshot newcomers in the seniors division of the UAAP come Season 82. The others will find this an oppotunity to step up their game and show out for their respective upcoming high school seasons when it kicks off in a few months.

The 2019 edition of the SLAM Rising Stars will be on March 31 at Gatorade Hoops Center at 7pm. The game will be shown LIVE on ABS-CBN Sports' YouTube channel.

Six add international flavor to NBTC All-Star Game

This guy is joining Team Heart

The NBTC has announced a few more additions to the 2019 Chooks-to-Go SM NBTC All-Star Game this coming Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Six players from three of the overseas squads will be joining the local HS stars in one of the much-anticipated gathering of some of the best Filipino high school ballers.

Joining Team Heart of injured captain Joel Cagulangan are three key cogs of FilAm Sports USA, with Jalen Green, Jeron Artest, and Kai Ballungay. They join the Charles Tiu-coached squad alongside Carl Tamayo, Inand Fornilos, Joshua David, Harvey Pagsanjan, Aaron Fermin, Paolo Hernandez, Dan Arches, Joshua Yerro, Mac Guadana, Rafael Go, Joem Sabandal, and Adam Doria.

A fourth member of FilAm Sports USA in Brandon Wilson will join Durham Crossover's Tayler Garcia and AusPinoy's Jasper Rentoy will join Team Hustle of captain Kai Sotto. They join the Chris Gavina-coached squad alongside Mark Nonoy, Bismarck Lina, Gerry Abadiano, Terrence Fortea, Kevin Quiambao, Geo Chiu, Forthsky Padrigao, RJ Abarrientos, John Amores, Jonnel Policarpio, Tony Ynot, and the injured Clint Escamis.

The All Star Game will take place on Saturday, with the Div II version at 12nn and the Div I version at 3pm. Game will be shown LIVE on 5Plus.

The Chooks-to-Go SM NBTC National Finals presented by SM and the NBTC All-Star Game is also sponsored by Darlington-Exped Socks, EPSON, Huawei, Freego, Purefoods, Gatorade, Go for Gold, and Molten. It is also presented by ESPN5 and Lighthouse Events.

The week-long tourney is still free of admission, with fans needing just a valid ID to enter SM Mall of Asia Arena.

Doria, Ynot picked as NBTC All-Star injury replacements

NBTC

The NBTC announced a couple of replacements for their injured players that will force them to the sidelines of the NBTC All-Star Game on March 24.

Team Heart's team captain Joel Cagulangan has an ankle issue that will force the La Salle Greenhills standout to miss the game, while Clint Escamis of Team Hustle is still recovering from surgery that addressed his ACL injury on the right knee of the Mapua/Malayan guard.

Named as Cagulangan's replacement is Adam Doria. The incoming Adamson Soaring Falcon averaged 13 points and 4.2 rebounds for the Baby Falcons, and helped them reach the UAAP HS Final Four. He joins Carl Tamayo of Nazareth-NU, Inand Fornilos and Joshua David of La Salle-Greenhills, Harvey Pagsanjan for Hope Christian HS, Aaron Fermin of Arellano, Paolo Hernandez and Dan Arches for Mapua/Malayan, Joshua Yerro of the University of Visayas, Mac Guadana of Lyceum, Rafael Go of Chiang Kai Shek, and Joem Sabandal of Adamson, with Charles Tiu serving as Team Heart's head coach.

Named as Escamis' replacement is Tony Ynot. The San Beda guard averaged 7.7 points and 5.1 rebounds in his debut season for the Red Cubs. He joins captain Kai Sotto and his fellow Ateneans Geo Chiu and Forthsky Padrigao, Mark Nonoy and Bismarck Lina of UST, Gerry Abadiano, Terrence Fortea, and Kevin Quiambao of Nazareth-NU, RJ Abarrientos of Far Eastern University, John Amores of JRU, and Jonnel Policarpio of Mapua/Malayan, with Chris Gavina serving as their head coach.

This game, alongside the semifinals and finals of the NBTC National Finals, will be shown on 5Plus, with all the other games being shown online via ESPN5.

The 2019 Chooks-to-Go National Finals presented by SM is sponsored by Darlington-Exped Socks, EPSON, Huawei, Freego, Purefoods, Gatorade, Go for Gold, and Molten, as well as ESPN5 and Lighthouse Events.

NCAA All-Star set this afternoon

Schedule today at the Filoil Flying V Centre:

2pm All-Star Side Events
4pm Heroes vs Saints

With the NCAA in between their rounds, the league will have an All-Star Game kind of set-up this afternoon at the Filoil Flying V Centre, highlighted by the third edition of the NCAA All-Star Game.

The league brought back its Heroes vs Saints format from last year, with incumbent co-Players of the Week Robert Bolick and Bong Quinto joining forces for the Saints fresh from their historical feats.

The former became the player with the second highest output in league history with fifty points, while the latter dropped back-to-back triple doubles to close out Letran's first round.

They will join forces with San Sebastian's Michael Calisaan and Allyn Bulanadi, Letran's JP Calvo, San Beda's Javee Mocon, and CSB's Edward Dixon.

Completing the cast are CSB’s JJ Domingo and Luigi Velasco, Letran’s Christian Fajarito, San Beda’s Ranbill Tongco, San Sebastian’s Alvin Capobres, and Perpetual Help’s Jielo Razon, AJ Coronel and Kim Aurin.

Meanwhile, the Heroes will rely on Twin Magic from the Marcelino twins of Lyceum, as they will team up with fellow gunners Levi dela Cruz and Ian Alban from Arellano and Jed Mendoza of JRU.

Completing the cast are Arellano's Michael Canete, Emilio Aguinaldo’s Jerome Garcia, Enrico Diego and Jesse Bautista, Jr., Mapua’s Warren Bonifacio, Lawrence Victoria and Cedric Pelayo, LPU’s Kim Cinco, and Jose Rizal’s Karl Bordon and Richard David.

With the schools making the nominations on who represents them in the All-Star Game, the game features notable non-inclusions in the likes of Edgar Charcos, Prince Eze, Clement Leutcheu, Donald Tankoua, CJ Perez, and Mike Harry Nzeusseu.

Preceding the game itself are the different side events, starting at 2pm with the Skills Challenge, Three-Point Shootout, Slam Dunk Contest, and the Shooting Stars, which will feature the likes of Jio Jalalon, Rey Nambatac, and John Wilson.

NCAA All-Star participants named

On Friday, the NCAA revealed its participants for the NCAA All-Star Game.

Set to take place on August 31 at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan, it will feature the "Heroes vs Saints" format it introduced last season.

The Saints side of the matchup is stacked, with this season's MVP contenders Robert Bolick of San Beda, last year's All-Star Game MVP Prince Eze of Perpetual, and Bong Quinto of Letran nominated by their respective schools.

The Heroes side of the matchup will attempt to make up their 84-80 defeat last year, but they will have to do it without last season's Most Valuable Player CJ Perez, who was not nominated by Lyceum. In his stead, the Pirates are fielding the Marcelino twins and Ralph Tansingco. In addition, they will rely on the hot shooting of Levi dela Cruz of Arellano and Jed Mendoza of JRU.

Notable absences other than Perez in this All-Star matchup include foreign student-athletes Donald Tankoua, Mike Harry Nzeusseu, Hamadou Laminou, and Clement Leutcheu.

Preceding the event itself are the different side events to showcase the skills of the league's student athletes.

Justin Gutang of CSB leads the aspiring high-flyers in the dunk contest, while noted outside gunners AC Soberano, Allyn Bulanadi, Jerome Garcia, and Rence Alcoriza lead the field in the 3-point shootout.

All eyes on the trio of CJ Cadua, Mark Mallari, and Arjan dela Cruz in the Skills Challenge, while notable alumni Jio Jalalon, John Wilson, and Ronjay Enrile highlight the Shooting Stars which will have the combination of a current HS, collegiate, and alumnus working together as a team.

The complete list of NCAA All-Star participants are as follows:

Slam Dunk: William de Leon (Arellano), Renato Ular (Letran), Juju Bautista (EAC), Enoch Valdez (Lyceum), Arvin Gamboa (Mapua), Eugene Toba (San Beda), Kenneth Villapando (San Sebastian), Lean Martel (Perpetual), Justin Gutang (CSB)

3-Point Shootout: Rence Alcoriza (Arellano), Letran (Nicolo Galvelo), Jerome Garcia (EAC), MJ Dela Virgen (JRU), Ralph Tansingco (Lyceum), Exequiel Biteng (Mapua), AC Soberano (San Beda), Allyn Bulanadi (San Sebastian), Luke Sese (Perpetual), Carlo Young (CSB)

Skills Challenge: Maui Sera Joseph (Arellano), Bonbon Batiller (Letran), CJ Cadua (EAC), Mark Mallari (JRU), Carl Lumbao (Lyceum), Eric Jabel (Mapua), Clint Doliguez (San Beda), Arjan dela Cruz (San Sebastian), Jasper Cuevas (Perpetual), Jimboy Pasturan (CSB)

Shooting Star: John Ronald Barba & Kevin Lacap & Kim Cinco (Lyceum), Yong Garcia & Clint Escamis & Exequiel Biteng (Mapua), Penny Estacio & Calvin Oftana & Marcelo Pascual (San Beda), Milo Janao & Ian Valdez & Papa Jepoy Quiamco (San Sebastian), Jielo Razon & Gerald Dizon & Yuri Kawamura (Perpetual), Marlo Espiritu & Kraniel Viloria & Jio Jalalon (Arellano), Stacey Tibayan & Jerrick Balanza & Ronjay Enrile (Letran), CJ Boado & Maui Cruz & Ferdinand Melocoton (EAC), John Amores & Agem Miranda & John Wilson (JRU), Jimboy Pasturan & RJ Deles & Francis Lopez (CSB)

Saints: (Coach Boyet Fernandez)
CSB - Luigi Velasco, Josh Barnes, Jayjay Domingo
Letran - JP Calvo, Bong Quinto, Christian Fajarito
San Beda - Robert Bolick, Javee Mocon, Ranbill Tongco
San Sebastian - Michael Calisaan, Allyn Bulanadi, Alvin Capobres
Perpetual - Edgar Charcos, AJ Coronel, Prince Eze

Heroes: (Coach Topex Robinson)
Arellano: Levi dela Cruz, Ian Alban, Michael Canete
EAC: Jerome Garcia, Jerico Diego, Juju Bautista
Mapua: Warren Bonifacio, Laurenz Victoria, Cedric Pelayo
Lyceum: Jaycee Marcelino, Jayvee Marcelino, Ralph Tansingco
JRU: Jed Mendoza, Karl Bordon, Richard David

NBA touts Global Reach at 67th NBA All-Star

The NBA touts itself as a global league and with the NBA All-Star Weekend, it once again gets to flex its muscles and showcase its worldwide reach.

For starters, the 2018 edition of the NBA All-Star Weekend, which includes the Mtn Dew Kickstart Rising Stars, State Farm All-Star Saturday Night, and the All-Star Game itself, will be shown to fans in over 215 countries and territories, doing so in over fifty languages.

There are fourteen players of international descent who are participating in this special weekend, including the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, and Al Horford. Most of these players are taking part as members of the Team World in the Mtn Dew Kickstart Rising Stars, which uses a USA vs the Rest of the World format for the fourth straight year.

The ten members of Team World come from nine different countries, with five of them being alumni of the Basketball Without Borders initiative, a collaborative program set up by both the NBA and FIBA.

The five BWB alums are: Embiid (BWB Africa 2011), Lauri Markkanen (BWB Europe 2014 / BWB Global 2015), Jamal Murray (BWB Global 2015), Frank Ntilikina (BWB Europe 2015 / BWB Global 2016), and Dario Saric (BWB Europe 2010).

The NBA is set to conduct its fourth BWB Global Camp at the Los Angeles Lakers' practice facility, with a cast of current and former NBA, WNBA, and FIBA players coaching the top 67 high school age campers from around the world, including nine prospects from the different NBA Academies, which is the league's network of elite basketball training centers it has set up around the world. Among the campers is our very own AJ Edu. Portions of the BWB Global Camp will be streamed LIVE on both the Facebook pages of the NBA and FIBA.

Fans will have a chance to get a glimpse of the NBA All-Star Media Day, as the league will be streaming this through mediaday.nba.com.

On the media end, there will be 515 international media members from 44 countries and territories covering NBA All-Star 2018, with ten international television networks and websites from China, France, Greece, Japan, Latin America, the Middle East, Poland, and Spain providing live on-site commentary.

This will also be a special moment for fans in central Asia, Indonesia, Japan, Sweden, Thailand, and Turkey, as eight television networks will be making their first NBA All-Star broadcast remotely.

Indian fans will also get a first, with both the State Farm All-Star Saturday Night and the All-Star Game being broadcast with Hindi commentary.

Those who have NBA League Pass and the NBA App on their mobile devices can partake of the NBA All-Star experience, while NBA TV international will take fans in 138 countries and territories behind the scenes.

Aside from main All-Star events, there is also the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, presented by Ruffles. Notable participants include Canadian sprinter Andre De Grasse, Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry, actor Michael B. Jordan, and golfer Bubba Watson, among others.


There is a fan vote for the MVPs in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game (via SMS and Twitter), Mtn Dew Kickstart Rising Stars (via NBA.com, SMS, Twitter), and the All-Star Game (via NBA.com, SMS, Twitter).

A new wrinkle to All-Star Weekend is the NBA G-League Intenational Challenge presented by Kumho Tires. In lieu of the G-League All-Star Game, the NBA G-League USA selection will be facing the Mexico National Team at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Mexico is set to face off against Puerto Rico at Monterrey and travel to Havana to face Cuba during the FIBA World Cup Qualifying. The United States will be calling up players from the G-League to play its matches against Cuba and Puerto Rico at Santa Cruz.

Another new element in All-Star Weekend is the presence of international influencers, as they will participate in the NBA All-Star International Celebrity-Influencer All Access Program. Participants will be receiving behind-the-scenes access to the weekend's festivities.

Giannis leads NBA All-Star fan vote

The first set of returns are out, and there is a surprise early leader in the NBA All-Star fan vote.

Milwaukee Bucks do-it-all superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo emerged as the leading vote-getter in the race to be named as one of the two captains in the NBA All-Star Game. The "Greek Freak" received 863,416 votes for the top spot in the Eastern Conference, beating out LeBron James by over seven thousand votes. The Cavs superstar is one of two other players with over eight hundred thousand votes, alongside former teammate Kyrie Irving.

For the other captaincy, Kevin Durant is leading his teammate Stephen Curry, 767,402 to 735,115. James Harden is the only other in the Western Conference with over five hundred thousand votes, at 602,040.

The league will next update the tabulations on January 12. Deadline for voting is at 1159pm on January 15 (which is 1259am on January 16). The pool of starters, including the captains, will be announced on NBA Tip-Off on January 19 (Manila time).

The fan vote comprises fifty percent of the computations needed to determine the All-Star Game Starters. One fourth of the computation depends on votes from the media, while the remaining one fourth depends on votes from the players.

The computation to determine the pool of All-Star starters can be seen below:

After all votes are tallied, players will be ranked in each conference by position (guard and frontcourt) within each of the three voting groups – fan votes, player votes and media votes.  Each player’s score will be calculated by averaging his weighted rank from the fan votes, the player votes and the media votes.  The five players (two guards and three frontcourt players) with the best score in each conference will be named NBA All-Star Game starters.  Fan voting will serve as the tiebreaker for players in a position group with the same score.

The leading vote-getters can be seen below.

Eastern Conference

Frontcourt
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) 863,416
2. LeBron James (CLE) 856,080
3. Joel Embiid (PHI) 433,161
4. Kristaps Porzingis (NYK) 359,459
5. Kevin Love (CLE) 221,969
6. Al Horford (BOS) 120,016
7. Jayson Tatum (BOS) 98,586
8. Andre Drummond (DET) 85,374
9. Enes Kanter (NYK) 83,102
10. Dwight Howard (CHA) 57,730

Guards
1. Kyrie Irving (BOS) 802,834
2. DeMar DeRozan (TOR) 259,368
3. Victor Oladipo (IND) 251,886
4. Ben Simmons (PHI) 210,085
5. John Wall (WAS) 175,990
6. Dwyane Wade (CLE) 165,163
7. Isaiah Thomas (CLE) 87,680
8. Kyle Lowry (TOR) 85,070
9. Bradley Beal (WAS) 71,079
10. Jaylen Brown (BOS) 51,562

Western Conference

Frontcourt
1. Kevin Durant (GSW) 767,402
2. Anthony Davis (NOP) 393,000
3. DeMarcus Cousins (NOP) 356,340
4. Draymond Green (GSW) 325,612
5. Paul George (OKC) 291,495
6. Kawhi Leonard (SAS) 212,650
7. Carmelo Anthony (OKC) 194,239
8. Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN) 188,240
9. Kyle Kuzma (LAL) 184,338
10. LaMarcus Aldridge (SAS) 153,599

Guards
1. Stephen Curry (GSW) 735,115
2. James Harden (HOU) 602,040
3. Russell Westbrook (OKC) 438,469
4. Klay Thompson (GSW) 359,442
5. Manu Ginobili (SAS) 231,460
6. Chris Paul (HOU) 174,343
7. Damian Lillard (POR) 148,622
8. Lonzo Ball (LAL) 120,817
9. Devin Booker (PHO) 91,562
10. Jimmy Butler (MIN) 88,009

Fans can vote in a variety of ways, all of which are documented here.

2018 NBA All-STAR Voting Procedures in place

2018 NBA All-Star Weekend

With the NBA deciding to tweak the format of the NBA All-Star Game, starting with this edition that will take place on February 19 (Manila time) at the Staples Center, the league earlier this week has revealed the voting procedure for fans to attempt to get their guy into the game.

Starting on December 21 at 1pm ET (December 22 at 2am Manila time), NBA fans can participate in the early voting period on the NBA app and on NBA.com

NBA All-Star Voting 2018, presented by Verizon, will officially commence on Christmas Day at 11am (or midnight of December 26 in Manila), before the mammoth five-game Christmas matchups that will be shown nationally in the US.

Aside from the tweak of the format, the league has also tweaked fan voting procedures with incorporating a couple of elements:

For the first time, fans that own devices compatible with Amazon Alexa can vote their favorite baller through that option, in the way one uses it for everyday use.

In addition, the NBA is introducing "2-for-1 Voting Days," where votes taking place from midnight ET to 1159pm ET on the NBA app, NBA.com, Sina Weibo, and Tencent will count as two. The league has designated December 31, January 4, January 11, January 12, and January 15 as the "2-for-1" Days.

Here are how fans can cast their vote:

NBA.com: Head to NBA.com/vote, whether through a desktop or via mobile browser. Fill out a full ballot per day by picking up to two guards and three frontcourt players in each conference.

NBA App: available on Android and iOS, one can just go there and pick their preferred players.

Facebook: One can compose a post writing a player's first and last name, accompanied by the hashtag #NBAVOTE. Said post with hashtag should just contain one player. There is a limit of ten unique players per day when conducting one's vote from there.

Twitter: One can compose or replay a tweet that has to include either the NBA player's first and last name or Twitter handle, as well as the hashtag #NBAVOTE. Retweeting also works, provided the original tweet complies with the guidelines. There is a limit of ten unique players per day when conducting one's vote from there.

Google Search: Type in "NBA Vote All-Star" or "NBA Vote *insert team monicker*" (i.e. NBA Vote Warriors). There will be a voting card that would emerge, which allows fans to pick their vote of up to ten unique players daily.

Amazon Alexa: For those who have Alexa-enabled devices, make sure that the "NBA All-Star" skill is enabled. Just say "Alexa, open NBA All-Star," then request to vote for their preferred player/s. Each request could only include just one player. There is a limit of up to ten unique players per Amazon account per day.

Sina Weibo and Tencent: Sina Weibo and Tencent QQ account users need to visit China.NBA.com/vote, then pick up to ten players per day.

Deadline for fan vote is set at 1159pm ET on January 15 (1259pm on January 16 Manila time). Updates will be made public on January 4 and 11.

Fan voting comprises 50 percent of the aggregate total, while player voting and media voting each comprise 25 percent of the aggregate total. The top vote-getter in each conference will be designated as a captain, and will earn the right to pick their preferred player/s to their All-Star squad.

The All-Star Game starters will be announced during the TNT NBA Tip-Off presented by Autotrader on January 18 at 6pm ET (January 19 at 7am Manila time). The All-Star reserves, which are picked by the NBA head coaches, will be announced on January 23 edition of the TNT NBA Tip-Off at 7pm ET (January 24, 8am Manila time).

The two captains, who are composed of the players with the highest vote counts in each conference, would make their respective picks for their own All-Star squads, which would be revealed on January 25 in a special edition of TNT NBA Tip-Off (January 26 Manila time).

Premier Volleyball League set for All-Star Sunday

The PVL All-Star Sunday Schedule

To commemorate the conclusion of the inaugural season of the Premier Volleyball League on S+A, an All-Star Sunday is slated to take place on October 29 at the Filoil Flying V Centre.

The best of the best in both the men and women's division will face off, starting at 4pm for the men and 6pm for the women. The latter will be shown LIVE on S+A, while the former will be telecast on October 30 at 4pm. Both matches will be streamed LIVE on premiervolleyballleague.com.

The women's All-Star Game will feature a Red Team side coached by Roger Gorayeb of BaliPure, while Rico de Guzman of Pocari Sweat is on the other side for White Team.

The Red Team is composed of:

Grethcel Soltones (BaliPure)
Jerrili Malabanan (BaliPure / FEU)
Diana Carlos (UP)
Ces Racracquin (Creamline / San Beda)
Risa Sato (BaliPure / NU)
Kathy Bersola (BanKo Perlas)
Jasmine Nabor (BaliPure / NU)
Jem Ferrer (BanKo Perlas)
Aiko Urdas (BaliPure / NU)
Amy Ahomiro (BanKo Perlas)
Alyssa Eroa (BaliPure)

The White Team is composed of:

Myla Pablo (Pocari Sweat)
Julia Morado (Creamline)
Isa Molde (UP)
Nicole Tiamzon (BanKo Perlas)
Joy Cases (Hair Fairy Air Force)
Jeanette Panaga (Pocari Sweat)
Pau Soriano (Creamline)
Bea de Leon (Ateneo)
Gyzele Sy (Pocari Sweat)
Sue Roces (BanKo Perlas)
Melissa Gohing (Pocari Sweat)

On the men's side. Oliver Almadro will be at the helm for the Blue Team, with Vhyl Verayo handling the Yellow Team.

Blue Team will have:

Marck Espejo (Ateneo)
Mark Alfafara (Cignal)
Saku Capate (Cignal)
Jayvee Sumagaysay (Army / UST)
Rex Intal (Cignal)
Peter Torres (Cignal)
Ish Polvorosa (Ateneo)
Timothy Tajanlangit (Army / UST)
James Natividad (NU)
Ysay Marasigan (Cignal)
Rence Melgar (IEM)

Yellow Team will have:

Edwin Tolentino (Air Force)
Fauzi Ismail (Air Force / Megabuilders / NU)
Alnakran Abdilla (Air Force)
Benjaylo Labide (Army)
Kim Malabunga (Air Force / Megabuilders / NU)
Francis Saura (Megabuilders / NU)
Vince Mangulabnan (Cignal)
Nico Ramirez (Sta. Elena)
Berlin Paglinawan (Sta. Elena)
Rodolfo Labrador (Air Force)
Sandy Montero (Cignal)


Festivities will start off at 1pm with a meet-and-greet session, as well as performances from Star Music artists.