2008 NBA All-Star Weekend is February 15-17 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Below is various All-Star Weekend numbers stats and info, of interest to those who enjoy knowing the big picture behind the whole production:

2008 NBA All-Star weekend by the numbers:

Global Reach:

More than 1,000 media will cover events, including nearly 300 international reporters from 33 countries and territories.

All-Star events will be broadcast by a record 123 international telecasters in 215 countries and territories.

The All-Star Game will be broadcast in 44 languages, including, among others, Armenian, Dutch, Hebrew, Hungarian, Mandarin, Swedish, and Tagalog 64 international TV and radio networks will be on-site including 8 providing coverage for the first time from countries such as Bosnia, China, Germany, Romania and Turkey.

19 broadcasters will air the All-Star Game for the first time including those from Africa, Aruba, Bulgaria, Columbia, China, Curacao, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Latvia, Latin America, Slovenia, Suriname, and the U.K.

NBA TV’s coverage will be seen in all-time high 80 countries.

12 Chinese television stations, radio stations and websites will be on-site to cover events.

9 international telecasters will broadcast events in high definition including from Belgium, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia and Spain.

NBA Entertainment Video and Production:

280,000 feet in video and high-definition tape will be shot by camera crews.

300 hours of coverage will be available to fans on NBA TV and NBA.com.

30 camera crews will cover the event including 12 in high-definition.

18 NBAE-produced shows include, among others, NBA All-Star Special with Ahmad Rashad, NBA Action, NBA TV Game Night Live, McDonald's NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, T-Mobile Rookie Challenge and Youth Jam, D-League All-Star Game, All-Star Saturday Night, All-Star Introductions and Halftime.

NBA TV will offer a 12-Day Free Preview Feb. 9-20 to all of its U.S. distributors.

NBA Photos:

More than 10,000 photographic images will be generated during All-Star.

3,000 print and Internet media outlets will receive real-time digital photos.

25 NBA Entertainment still photographers will be on-site.

NBA on TNT:

32 high-definition cameras will be utilized by TNT to cover All-Star Saturday Night and the All-Star Game, along with 22 high-definition video servers.

This is the 23rd year Turner Sports has featured All-Star coverage and the sixth consecutive year that the All-Star Game will be shown in prime time. TNT will employ 10 TV trucks, 122 flat-screen monitors and 66 miles of fiber optics.

Marketing:

More than 30 marketing and merchandise partners will be conducting All-Star activities this year.

As presenting partner of the All-Star Balloting program, T-Mobile is donating $1 for every ballot cast through T-Mobile channels to the New Orleans Recovery School District. With more than 10,000 t-zones votes and nearly 40,000 votes cast at T-Mobile retail locations, fans raised a grand total of $50,000.

Merchandise:

More than 1,500 NBA-licensed products are available to fans at The NBA Store inside Jam Session.

5,000 NBA Cares All-Star Rebuilding Gloves distributed for Day of Service. The gloves are available at NBAStore.com and the NBA Store on Fifth Avenue with proceeds donated to NBA Cares Community Partners in New Orleans.

NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas:

Up to 100,000 fans are expected to come through the doors at the Ernest M. Morial Convention Center.

More than 400,000 square-feet of interactive basketball activities and games will be featured.

The NBA Store at NBA All-Star Jam Session will cover 10,000 square-feet of retail space.

NBA D-League:

20 of the league’s top players will participate in the second annual D-League All-Star Game presented by Spalding, airing live on NBA TV on Saturday, Feb. 16. NBA Legends Rick Barry and Lenny Wilkens will serve as honorary captains.

A record 13 players with NBA experience highlight the D-League All-Star teams.

2 former D-Leaguers -- Jamario Moon (Toronto Raptors) and Gerald Green (Minnesota Timberwolves) --will compete in the Sprite Slam Dunk competition on Saturday Night.

NBA Players and Legends:

NBA players, legends, WNBA and D-League players will make more than 350 appearances. NBA Legends Magic Johnson, Julius Erving, Karl Malone, and Dominique Wilkins will serve as judges in the Sprite Slam Dunk contest.

10 international players will take part in All-Star: Yao Ming (China), Tim Duncan (U.S. Virgin Islands), Dirk Nowitzki (Germany), Steve Nash (Canada), Yi Jianlian (China), Juan Carlos Navarro (Spain), Luis Scola (Argentina), Al Horford (Dominican Republic), Andrea Bargnani (Italy), and Peja Stojakovic (Serbia).

Nash, Nowitzki, Duncan and Yao represent the 4 international players competing in the All-Star Game.

Six 2008 All-Stars have previously won Game MVP. Kobe Bryant (2007, '02), Allen Iverson (2001, '05) each won the honor twice. In the previous 56 All-Star Games, 16 players from the host city’s team have been named MVP. The last player to achieve this honor was the Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal in 2004.

The player with the longest consecutive streak of All-Star Game appearances on this year’s roster is Kevin Garnett, with 11. Three players are competing for the first time -- Chris Paul (Hornets), David West (Hornets), and Brandon Roy (Trail Blazers).

All-Star Entertainment:

More than 40 musicians, most born and raised in Louisiana, will perform during All-Star events at the New Orleans Arena.

A combined 6 Grammy™ Awards have been won by All-Star Game headline entertainers Harry Connick Jr. and Branford Marsalis.

During All-Star Saturday Night, legendary multi-instrumentalist Dr. John will pay tribute to NBA Cares with one special performance of Louis Armstrong’s "What a Wonderful World." Footage from hundreds of NBA Cares events around the world will be thread into the performance.


SOME PAST ALL STAR INFO:
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2006 All-Star game starters as voted by fans
2006 All-Star game reserves as picked by coaches
2005 all-star weekend