Indianapolis is on the clock for NBA All-Star Weekend 2024 and the host committee will be hold the events on Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The plans were unveiled Wednesday at a press conference held at the home of the Indianapolis Colts, which opened in 2008.
All-Star Saturday night spotlights players from across the league in individual competitions. It’s the skills challenge, 3-point and slam dunk contests in front of about 35,000 fans on the south end of the stadium — plus millions more watching across the globe on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024.
The 73rd NBA All-Star game will be held the following day at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
It will finally be Indy’s time after being postponed three years due to the pandemic.
So why Lucas Oil Stadium?
The ability to engage and host more locals, especially Pacers season-ticket holders, is the real draw here. The Pacers include the slogan “We Grow Basketball Here” on the apron of the court at games.
After just completing $360 million in renovations to the fieldhouse, the newest attendance number for a sellout is 17,274. But with an All-Star game, there’s thousands of media, a big TNT set, stage for performances, plus hospitality. So by holding Saturday night’s evens at Lucas Oil Stadium, they’re more than doubling the capacity.
And thus including more locals.
“State Farm All-Star Saturday Night is one of the most exciting and entertaining nights in all of sports, and holding it at Lucas Oil Stadium, one of football’s most iconic venues which was also thoughtfully designed for basketball events, enables us to make it more accessible than ever to our community,” said Rick Fuson, CEO of Pacers Sports & Entertainment. “This focus on community is one of the ways that will make NBA All-Star 2024 in Indianapolis so special and unique, and I am grateful to our friends and partners at the NBA and the Capital Improvement Board for working with us to make this possible.”
They plan to sell tickets in waves and the first group of 10,500 tickets — with tickets ranging from $24 to $49 and $79 — will go on sale July 24.
“We are thrilled to bring State Farm All-Star Saturday Night to Lucas Oil Stadium, where the event will be enjoyed by more fans than ever before,” added Kelly Flatow, Head of Events for the NBA. “We appreciate the incredible collaboration from the NBA All-Star 2024 Host Committee and the Capital Improvement Board to bring this to life, further helping us realize our vision in building an inclusive and fan-first NBA All-Star 2024.
The committee has big plans in store for Fan Fest at the convention center, which is connected to Lucas Oil Stadium. And the north end of the stadium will be used for concerts and performances.
Salt Lake City had performances by G-Eazy, Saweetie, Pitbull, The Kid LAROI and BIA.
Additionally, rides on IndyGo buses and rentals from Pacers Bike Share will be free Thursday through Sunday of All-Star Weekend.
The beauty of holding a big event in Indy is its walkability — especially without going outside. So if the weather is poor, guests can walk from hotels like the JW Marriott and Westin to the stadium and convention center without going outside.
It’s four blocks from the fieldhouse to the convention center. And another half mile to the stadium. It’s the most-walkable city for a massive event like this.
Everything is right there.
This will be Indy’s second time hosting the event and last time, in 1985, the All-Star game was also held at the Colts’ stadium: The Hoosier Dome.
“We know in our hearts … it’s gonna be the greatest All-Star weekend in history,” Pacers owner Steve Simon said to the group.
Of local interest: After competing in the 3-point contest last year, Pacers All-Star Tyrese Haliburton pledged to compete again for the title in Indy.
“I’ll be in the contest next year,” he said in February after finishing behind Damian Lillard and teammate Buddy Hield. “I’m going to get this back for sure.”
Scott Agness is in his 11th season as a beat writer covering the Indiana Pacers. Click here to read more of his work at FieldhouseFiles.com.
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