Knicks Fan's Viewing Guide to All-Star Weekend

The New York Knicks will be well-represented at the NBA's annual hardwood showcase.

Feb 18, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Western Conference center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) of the Minnesota Timberwolves shoots the ball during the second half of the 73rd NBA All Star game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Hey now, the New York Knicks are All-Stars.

With great power comes exhibition responsibility, as the streaking Knicks will be well-represented at NBA All-Star Weekend in the Bay Area.

The Knicks' delegation is, of course, headlined by Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, who will each partake in Sunday's main event at Chase Center, home of the Golden State Warriors. Though attention will no doubt center upon their activities, there's plenty more to excited about from a tri-state area perspective.

Keep track of all the metropolitan happenings below:

---

Friday, February 14

Dec 25, 2011; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amare Stoudemire (1) and small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) during the first quarter against the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-Imagn Images / Anthony Gruppuso-Imagn Images

Hall of Fame Finalists Announced

The weekend will open with an announcement from Springfield, which will reveal the finalists for the 2025 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class. It should be the continuation of an inevitable trek for former Knick Carmelo Anthony, who is one of the most notable new entrants on the ballot alongside fellow ex-Manhattan star Amar'e Stoudemire and Long Island native/Christ the King alum Sue Bird.

Anthony's induction feels inevitable: as it stands, he is the only retired player on the Association's 75th Anniversary Team that has yet to get the call from Springfield, as he is hindered by eligibility restrictions enforced after a candidate's retirement.

Metropolitan hoops fans will also keep an eye on the eligibility of the late Willie Nauls and Dick Van Arsdale, former Knicks stars who are eligible on the Veteran category. Former Knick reserves Billy Donovan and Doc Rivers are eligible as coaches for the first time and Liberty fans have several causes to back.

Taj McWilliams-Franklin and former head coach Bill Laimbeer are both eligible as players while Yolanda Laney, the mother of current Brooklyn star Betnijah, is on the Women's Veteran ballot along with her 1981-82 Cheyney State basketball team that an improbable to the inaugural NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament's title game. Anthony's American Olympic gold medal squad from the 2008 Games, commonly referred to as the "Redeem Team," is likewise eligible.

The 2025 Hall of Fame class will be officially revealed during the weekend of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament's Final Four in early April.

Watch It: 6 p.m. ET, NBA TV

Brandon Todd, NY Liberty

First Ride of the Valkyrie

While Sabrina Ionescu's chance at revenge against fellow Bay Area hoops hero Stephen Curry has been denied, Liberty fans still have a little something to root for.

Kayla Thornton is no longer listed on the Liberty roster but she forever goes down as one of the dozen women that guided New York to its first postseason championship in franchise history. Thornton will partake in the All-Star Celebrity Game held at Oakland Arena, repping a team coached by NFL/San Francisco 49ers legend Jerry Rice. It will serve as Thornton's first unofficial appearance as a Golden State Valkyrie after she was one of 11 players chosen by the WNBA's newest in December's expansion draft.

Fellow WNBA standout Allisha Gray will also partake, as will Baron Davis, a two-time NBA All-Star and brief Knicks. Davis and fellow participant Matt Barnes each partook in the Warriors' improbable run in the 2006-07 Western Conference playoffs, which saw them take down the heavily favored Dallas Mavericks in the opening round. Thornton's team, which also features another Bay Area aerial standout in Terrell Owens, will face on led by former San Francisco Giants slugger/all-time MLB home run leader Barry Bonds.

Watch It: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN

Mar 21, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin (17) during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. The Knicks defeated the Sixers 82-79. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-Imagn Images / Howard Smith-Imagn Images

Linsanity Returns

This time of year always brings back metropolitan memories of "Linsanity," Jeremy Lin's fleeting takeover of the NBA scene in a Knick uniform. Before his time in New York, Lin began his pro basketball journey with the Warriors as an undrafted rookie out of Harvard in 2010 and later played for their G League club in Santa Cruz over a decade later.

Though no active Knicks are partaking in the Rising Stars showcase, Lin will be leading a squad of the G League's finest into action as an honorary coach. Notable names in action under Lin's watch will include Reed Sheppard, the third overall pick from June's draft, and two-time defending Slam Dunk Contest champion Mac McClung.

Lin's team will go up against groups led by fellow Golden State alumni Chris Mullin, Mitch Richmond, and former Knicks nemesis Tim Hardaway. The winner of the four-team competition will advance to Sunday's main event, where NBA on TNT personality Candace Parker will take over.

Watch It: 9 p.m. ET, TNT

---

Saturday, February 15

Feb 17, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (7) lines up a shot during the three-point contest during NBA All Star Saturday Night at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Brunson Burner

Like Michael Jordan before him, Jalen Brunson is prepared to take that personally.

Brunson will rep the Knicks on All-Star Saturday, as he'll compete in the 3-Point Contest for the second straight season. The Knicks captain will be one of seven seeking to dethrone Damian Lillard, who has won each of the last two long distance shootouts. No Knick has ever prevailed in the 3-Point Contest but Brunson is hoping to use the exhibition to pave the way to success both now and later, all while atoning for last year's sixth place posting.

"A couple of things," Brunson said when asked about what inspired a return trip, per video from SNY. "I lost it last year [and] there's limited gym time so I can get some shots up."

Knicks fans may also want to keep an eye on the Slam Dunk Contest: should he take home a third consecutive title, McClung will join former Knicks fan favorite Nate Robinson as the only man to take home three victories in the event.

Watch It: 8 p.m. ET, TNT

---

Sunday, February 16

Apr 14, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Portland Trail Blazers center Moses Brown (10) holds onto a rebound against the Sacramento Kings in the first quarter at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Brown Reps White Plains

The die-hard viewers of the Knicks' transactional affairs are somewhat spoiled, as there will be plenty of Westchester Knicks representation for the G League's Up Next Game at Moscone Center.

Leading the way is local product Moses Brown, an NYC native and Archbishop Molloy alum who has brilliantly handled the Westchester interior this season, which has featured a brief call-up to the NBA with the Indiana Pacers. Brown was among the first picks in the game's draft, as he'll star for Team Swish Cultures under the watch of Westchester head coach DeSagana Diop. Staten Island native and Washington prospect Justin Champagnie is also on the team, as is the University of Connecticut's two-time national champion Adama Sanogo.

Diop's associate head coach Devan Blair will likewise partake, heading up Team Strictly BBall in the four-team tournament led by hardwood influencers.

Watch It: 3:30 p.m. ET, Tubi

Dec 5, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) and New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) react during the second half against the Charlotte Hornets at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images / John Jones-Imagn Images

Knicks Civil War

The Murphy's Law nature of rooting for the Knicks hasn't manifested itself often this season, but those in charge of the All-Star procedures just had to provide a callous reminder of the sacrifices once makes when pulling for Manhattan's finest.

New York will have two men among the 2025 All-Star Game's 10 starters but, of course, fans have to choose a side: Brunson's return trip has him situated on "Kenny's Young Stars," a group that features his fellow future faces of the NBA. Among those also assembled by Kenny "The Jet" Smith are Anthony Edwards, Darius Garland, and Cade Cunningham and they will face a team of "Chuck's Global Stars" chosen by Charles Barkley.

Towns, never one to hide his Dominican descent, is joined by international-born talents such as Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Victor Wembanyama as he seeks to build on last year's All-Star effort. In Indianapolis, Towns scored 50 points for the Western Conference while repping the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Sunday's exhibition will be the first with two New Yorkers in the starting five since the 1975 game in Phoenix. Joined by Earl "The Pearl" Monroe, Walt "Clyde" Frazier put up 30 points in a 108-102 win for the Eastern Conference at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum. To date, Frazier is one of two Knicks (along with Willis Reed) to win the game's MVP Award since named after the late Kobe Bryant.

This year's main event is perhaps the most anticipated in quite some time: the showcase has switched to a four-team tournament format with the quartet, also featuring teams led by Parker and Shaquille O'Neal, playing to a target score of 40.

Watch It: 8 p.m. ET, TNT

Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns as and so much more!

• Carmelo Anthony Joins NBA on NBC Revival (Report)
• Sabrina Ionescu Denied Stephen Curry Rematch
• Karl-Anthony Towns Joins Rare Knicks Company
• Knicks Survive Hawks Thanks to Jalen Brunson Heroics
• Jeremy Lin Celebrates 13 Years of "Linsanity"