New Orleans selected to host NBA All-Star 2017

NEW YORK - New Orleans has been selected to host NBA All-Star 2017, the NBA announced today. The 66th NBA All-Star Game will be played on Sunday, Feb. 19, at Smoothie King Center -- home of the New Orleans Pelicans. The game was previously scheduled to be held in Charlotte, N.C.

In addition to the game, the Smoothie King Center will host the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge on Friday, Feb. 17 and State Farm All-Star Saturday Nighton Saturday, Feb. 18 while the NBA All-Star Practice, NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and NBA Development League All-Star Game presented by Kumho Tire will take place at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. This will mark the third time the "Crescent City" has been the site of the league's annual midseason celebration, having previously hosted the event in 2008 and 2014.

"New Orleans is a world-class destination for sports and entertainment and we are very appreciative that the city is once again hosting our All-Star festivities," said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. "We are grateful to Tom and Gayle Benson and the Pelicans organization and to Governor John Bel Edwards, Mayor Mitch Landrieu and the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation for inviting us back for what promises to be another exciting and memorable celebration of the game."

"We are grateful that the NBA has selected us to host the 2017 NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans," said New Orleans Pelicans Owner Tom Benson. "We have made tremendous upgrades to the Smoothie King Center and know the building will be a first-class venue to host the myriad of events associated with All-Star weekend. New Orleans has hosted the All-Star Game twice in the past nine years, and is a perfect destination for NBA fans. As we know, the NBA will engage thousands of local children and charities during this weekend. On behalf of my wife Gayle and the entire Pelicans organization, we thank Governor Edwards, Mayor Landrieu, the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau, SMG, and all of the others that worked so hard in a short amount of time to bring the All-Star Game to New Orleans."

In addition, in the wake of the devastating floods that have affected tens of thousands of Louisiana residents, the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) have joined the Pelicans and the New Orleans Saints to provide financial and other ongoing support of the flood rescue, relief and rebuilding efforts.

NBA All-Star oncourt festivities tip off Friday, Feb. 17, with the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge, where the league's top rookies and second-year players will compete in a U.S. versus World game format for the third consecutive year. On Saturday, Feb. 18, State Farm All-Star Saturday Night will feature current NBA players showcasing their unique abilities in exciting basketball competitions, including the Taco Bell Skills Challenge, where participants compete head-to-head in a series of passing, shooting and agility drills; the Foot Locker Three-Point Contest; and Verizon Slam Dunk. The weekend concludes on Sunday, Feb. 19, with the NBA All-Star Game.

"Even in the midst of a historic crisis, I am excited that the NBA has recognized how great the City of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana are," said Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards. "In Louisiana, one of the strongest bonds that unites all of us is our passion for sports. Not only will NBA fans be able to participate in the All-Star Game events, they will also be a part of our world-famous Mardi Gras festivities. The fan experience can't get any better than that. While we move into the recovery phase of this disaster, I want to thank the NBA for the vote of confidence in our state to host this event and their support of the relief efforts currently underway. I want to congratulate Mayor Landrieu, the City of New Orleans, and the Pelicans for working in short order to make this all possible."

"The NBA has been a great partner, so we are excited and honored to be selected to host the 2017 NBA All-Star Game," said New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu. "Together with the staff of the GNO Sports Foundation and the hospitality industry, the dedicated members of the New Orleans police, fire, EMS, airport, permitting and sanitation departments, among others, make these major events possible. The combination of NBA All-Star with the first weekend of Mardi Gras will provide our residents, visitors and NBA fans an even more special experience. Having served as Lieutenant Governor and Mayor for the two prior NBA All-Star Games held in New Orleans, I also know the NBA is committed to giving back to our community and providing great learning experiences for our kids. The NBA and the Players Association's generous donations to organizations responding to the devastating flooding across Louisiana is a testament to their commitment to the people of our state."

"The Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation is honored to partner with Tom and Gayle Benson and the Pelicans as the All-Star Host Committee for an unprecedented third time in the past 10 years," said President/CEO of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation Jay Cicero. "The strong relationships with our sports, governmental and hospitality communities allowed for a customary eight-month bid process to be compressed into a mere three weeks. The 2014 All-Star Game generated over $100 million in economic impact for the State of Louisiana and the greater New Orleans area. It's a thrill to welcome our NBA partners back to New Orleans."

"The NBA and New Orleans have a history of producing world-class sporting events, having most recently hosted the All-Star Game in 2014. When we learned that we had an opportunity to host next year's NBA All-Star Game, we went straight to work to lay the groundwork for 2017," said President and CEO of New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau Stephen Perry. "Our tourism industry is second-to-none at planning and accommodating massive events like this. Within three weeks, we were able to ensure the NBA that all the pieces were in place to make the 2017 NBA All-Star Game an unforgettable experience that will combine our world famous Mardi Gras with all the excitement that the NBA All-Star Game delivers."

The NBA will continue to honor its commitment to social responsibility during All-Star 2017 with a full schedule of NBA Cares and Jr. NBA events in and around New Orleans throughout the week. By working with local schools, government agencies and nonprofits, the NBA will engage thousands of children and families and provide important resources to community-based programs.

The 2017 NBA All-Star Game will be televised in prime time on TNT for the 15th consecutive year, marking Turner Sports' 32nd year of NBA All-Star coverage. The game will be broadcast worldwide in 215 countries and territories in 49 languages.

NBA ALL-STAR HISTORY IN NEW ORLEANS

New Orleans last hosted NBA All-Star in 2014, when the Eastern Conference overcame an 18-point deficit to post a 163-155 victory, snapping a three-game losing streak. Kyrie Irving scored 15 of his team-high 31 points in the fourth quarter and handed out a game-high 14 assists on his way to capturing MVP honors. Carmelo Anthony added 30 points for the East, while Kevin Durantand Blake Griffin each finished with 38 points for the West.

The 2008 NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans marked the city's first major sporting event since Hurricane Katrina. In addition to the East's 134-128 victory and LeBron James' MVP performance, more than 2,500 members of the NBA family participated in 10 local service projects across New Orleans as part of the inaugural NBA Cares All-Star Day of Service, now an annual tradition and a highlight of the league's All-Star festivities. 

Defending champ Cavs host Knicks on opening night as 2016-17 schedule unveiled

NEW YORK — The NBA today released its complete game schedule and broadcast schedules for TNT, ESPN, ABC, NBA TV and ESPN Radio for the 2016-17 regular season, which features an opening night with the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers hosting the New York Knicks. The league's 71st season tips off Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016, and concludes Wednesday, April 12, 2017. For the first time ever, each team is scheduled to appear on at least one of the league's national television partners (TNT, ESPN or ABC). 

For the second season in a row, teams will play fewer stretches of four games in five nights and back-to-back games than ever before. Four-in-fives have been cut to 0.7 per team (20 total), a 71 percent reduction from 2.3 per team (70 total) in 2014-15 and a 26 percent reduction from 0.9 per team (27 total) last season. Back-to-backs have been cut to 16.3 per team, a 16 percent reduction from 19.3 per team in 2014-15 and an 8 percent reduction from 17.8 per team last season. 

Kia NBA Tip-Off 2016 

Kia NBA Tip-Off 2016 includes 14 teams playing eight national television games in the first four days of the season. The 2016-17 season begins Oct. 25 with a TNT doubleheader, marking the 21st straight year the network has started with two games on opening night. 

TNT's first game Tuesday features four-time Kia NBA MVP LeBron James and the Cavaliers receiving their championship rings in a nationally televised ceremony before taking on the Knicks, who acquired former Kia NBA MVP Derrick Rose in the offseason and hired Jeff Hornacek as head coach (8 p.m. ET). In the second game, two-time reigning Kia NBA MVP Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, who finished a league-record 73-9 last season, face two-time reigning Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard and the San Antonio Spurs (franchise-record 67-15 last season) in Oakland, Calif., as four-time scoring champion Kevin Durant makes his Warriors debut (10:30 p.m. ET). 

ESPN launches its 15th consecutive year of NBA coverage with two doubleheaders during opening week. On Wednesday, Oct. 26, the top pick of NBA Draft 2016 presented by State Farm, Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers, makes his debut as the Sixers meet 2015-16 All-NBA First Team selection Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder in Philadelphia (8 p.m. ET). In the second game, the No. 2 pick of NBA Draft 2016, Brandon Ingram, and new head coach Luke Walton lead the Los Angeles Lakers against four-time All-Star James Harden, new head coach Mike D'Antoni and the Houston Rockets in L.A. (10:30 p.m. ET). 

Kia NBA Tip-Off 2016 continues Thursday, Oct. 27 with a TNT doubleheader. Newly acquired 12-time All-Star Dwyane Wade and the Chicago Bulls host recently signed four-time All-Star Al Horford and the Boston Celtics (8 p.m. ET), and nine-time All-Star Chris Paul and the LA Clippers visit two-time All-Star Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers (10:30 p.m. ET). ESPN's second opening-week doubleheader takes place Friday, Oct. 28 and begins with Cleveland visiting two-time All-Stars DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry and the Toronto Raptors in a rematch of the 2016 Eastern Conference Finals (7 p.m. ET). The second game features three-time All-Star Anthony Davisand the New Orleans Pelicans hosting the Warriors (9:30 p.m. ET).

NBA TV starts its 18th year of NBA coverage with four games during opening week. The network's live game coverage tips off with a doubleheader Saturday, Oct. 29, when the Pelicans visit the Spurs (8 p.m. ET) before two-time All-Star DeMarcus Cousins goes head-to-head against 2015-16 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Karl-Anthony Towns as the Sacramento Kings welcome the Minnesota Timberwolves to the new Golden 1 Center (10:30 p.m. ET). On Sunday, Oct. 30, three-time All-Star John Wall and the Washington Wizards visit the Memphis Grizzlies, who have made the playoffs six consecutive seasons (7 p.m. ET). NBA TV's opening week of games concludes with the Raptors hosting the Denver Nuggets, whose young nucleus includes 2015-16 NBA All-Rookie Team selections Nikola Jokic and Emmanuel Mudiay (7:30 p.m. ET). 

Christmas Day 

The NBA's five-game showcase on Christmas Day (Sunday, Dec. 25) is headlined by a Finals 2016 rematch between the Cavaliers and Warriors in Cleveland at 2:30 p.m. ET on ABC. That game is followed on ABC by the Spurs facing the Bulls in San Antonio at 5 p.m. ET. 

Christmas Day action begins at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN with Boston visiting New York. In the network's other two Dec. 25 games, the Thunder and Timberwolves match up in Oklahoma City (8 p.m. ET), and the Clippers and Lakers meet at Staples Center (10:30 p.m. ET). 

Martin Luther King Jr. Day 

Four nationally televised games are part of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 16. TNT's doubleheader opens with Cleveland facing Golden State in the Cavaliers' first game at Oracle Arena since completing a historic comeback in Game 7 of The Finals 2016 (8 p.m. ET). The late game pits the Thunder against the Clippers in Los Angeles (10:30 p.m. ET). 

NBA TV also has a doubleheader. The opener features newly signed eight-time All-Star Dwight Howard leading the Atlanta Hawks against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden (1 p.m. ET), and the late game showcases the Pelicans visiting three-time All-Star Paul George and the Indiana Pacers (4 p.m. ET). 

TNT Debuts Regular Monday Telecasts

In a new feature as part of Turner Sports' 33rd year of NBA coverage, TNT presents 10 Monday doubleheaders. The series begins on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. 

NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC Returns 

The 2016-17 schedule also includes the return of NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC, the second season for the series. Nine of the network's 18 regular-season broadcasts are set for Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET. The first installment comes Jan. 21, when San Antonio visits Cleveland. 

More Highly Anticipated Matchups

• NBA TV Fan Night (Tuesday, Nov. 1): Fan Night's season debut is a doubleheader -- Rockets at Cavaliers (7 p.m. ET) and Warriors at Trail Blazers (10 p.m. ET). 

• Knicks at Bulls (Friday, Nov. 4, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN): Rose, the 2010-11 Kia NBA MVP with the Bulls, returns to Chicago as a member of the Knicks. 

• Bulls at Miami Heat (Thursday, Nov. 10, 8 p.m. ET, TNT): Wade, Miami's all-time leader in scoring, assists and steals, faces his former team for the first time. 

• Lakers at 76ers (Friday, Dec. 16, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN): Simmons and the 76ers host Ingram and the Lakers in a matchup between the top two picks in NBA Draft 2016 presented by State Farm. 

• NBA Global Games (Jan. 12 and 14): Thursday, Jan. 12 includes NBA Global Games London 2017, a matchup between the Pacers and Nuggets (3 p.m. ET, NBA TV), and NBA Global Games Mexico City 2017, a contest between 2015-16 NBA All-Rookie First Team selection Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns and 13-time All-Star Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks. The Suns also play the Spurs in Mexico City on Saturday, Jan. 14, marking the first consecutive regular-season games in Mexico. 

• Warriors at Thunder (Saturday, Feb. 11, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC): Durant, the 2013-14 Kia NBA MVP with the Thunder, makes his first regular-season visit to Oklahoma City. 

• Timberwolves at Trail Blazers (Thursday, April 6, 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT): Three of the last four Kia NBA Rookie of the Year winners -- Portland's Lillard (2012-13) and Minnesota's Andrew Wiggins (2014-15) and Towns (2015-16) -- headline the matchup. 

Additional 2016-17 Schedule Highlights 

TNT will televise 20 Thursday doubleheaders. The network will also air NBA All-Star 2017 festivities from Feb. 17-19, culminating with the NBA's 66th All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 19. 

ESPN's schedule includes 41 games on Wednesdays and 29 on Fridays. The network's telecasts will be available via WatchESPN. ESPN Deportes (ESPN's Spanish-language U.S. sports network) will also televise a full slate of regular-season games. 

The NBA on TNT, ESPN, ABC and NBA TV will present flexible scheduling throughout the regular season in order to provide the most compelling matchups to a national audience. 

ESPN Radio will air 28 games live throughout the season, including Cavaliers-Knicks on opening night as well as Cavaliers-Warriors and Spurs-Bulls on Christmas Day. It will also air events from NBA All-Star 2017 and broadcast The Finals 2017.

For the 15th straight season, ABC will exclusively broadcast The Finals, which tips off in June 2017. TNT is the exclusive home of the 2017 Eastern Conference Finals, and ESPN will exclusively televise the 2017 Western Conference Finals. 

Once again, NBA LEAGUE PASS will offer up to 40 live, out-of-market games each week through television, broadband and mobile for fans who want to watch their favorite teams, players and matchups from outside their local markets (blackout restrictions apply). Games included in NBA LEAGUE PASS will be in addition to those available on TNT, ESPN, ABC and NBA TV as well as local networks (such as a regional sports network and/or over-the-air station). For more information about NBA LEAGUE PASS options, visit www.nba.com/leaguepass/. 

NBA.com and the NBA App will provide day-by-day and team-by-team schedules as well as regular-season telecast schedules of the league's domestic broadcast partners -- TNT, ESPN, ABC, NBA TV and ESPN Radio. Last season, NBA programming and games were seen in 215 countries and territories in 49 languages.

LeBron James to sign 3-year, $100 million deal with Cavs

LeBron James on Thursday announced that he will re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers in what will be a three-year, $100 million deal that will make him the highest-paid player in today's NBA for the first time in his career.

James reportedly has a player option for the third year.

The announcement was made when James joined ESPN's 'Uninterrupted' and announced the deal.

"I just want to let y'all know I'm re-signing back with the Cleveland Cavaliers, my hometown team," James said on Uninterrupted. "I can't be more excited than this opportunity once again, man, to defend our crown, defend our title. We all know last year as a magical, inspiring -- all the words you can come up with -- it was an unbelievable season. I just can't wait to get the group back together -- the team, the franchise, more importantly, get everybody together, the fans. Without you guys, without your passion and commitment, we wouldn't have been able to do what we did this past season. I'm ecstatic. I can't wait to see my guys. I can't wait to get back out there in the wine and gold and just get the band back together. Lastly, let's get J.R. (Smith) done. It's that time."

Smith is a free agent.

The deal will pay James $31 million in the first year and more than $33 million in the second year, which will top the $33 million that NBA great Michael Jordan earned with the Chicago Bulls in 1997-98.

US men's basketball blasts Venezuela 113-69 after slow start

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Red, white and blase for one quarter, the U.S. Olympic team woke up and won with ease.

Shaking off a sluggish, sloppy start and maybe some Brazilian boredom, the Americans regrouped in the second quarter and romped over Venezuela 113-69 on Monday, taking another step toward a possible third straight gold medal.

Kevin Durant scored 16 points and Carmelo Anthony 14 for the U.S. squad, which may have grown a touch overconfident following a 57-point blowout of China in its tournament opener.

The Americans were tied at 18-all after one quarter, but stopped turning the ball over and fouling, unleashed their defense and outscored Venezuela 30-8 in the second period. They cruised from there, improving to 82-1 under coach Mike Krzyzewski and reminding everyone it's going to take a special performance for 40 minutes to deny them another Olympic title.

"Everything's not going to be easy," Durant said. "We know that, even with this great team."

It was similar to the meeting between the teams in Chicago on July 29, when the U.S. shot poorly and still won by 35 on their pre-Rio exhibition tour. Maybe this was a reminder that no team can be taken lightly — and there is little margin for error — once the Olympic flame is ignited.

"Once we settled down, made our adjustments to the way they were calling the game, the way that Venezuela wanted to play the game, that second quarter we picked it up defensively and turned it around," Anthony said.

The Americans continue pool play on Wednesday against unbeaten Australia. The Aussies, featuring five NBA players, four of them league champions, improved to 2-0 on Monday with an impressive 95-80 win over Serbia. Australia has never won an Olympic medal in men's basketball, but Krzyzewski knows the team from Down Under will be up for the Americans.

"I don't think they've gone back to their boat or apartment or wherever they're staying thinking they can't beat us," the coach said. "They feel like they can beat us and we understand that."

Anthony, the four-team Olympian and two-time gold medalist playing in his record 25th game for the United States, provided a much-needed spark in the second quarter.

With the Americans leading just 28-22 and looking anything but golden, Anthony came across the lane and stripped the ball away from Venezuelan center Gregory Echenique and passed it to Kyrie Irving. Anthony followed Irving up the floor, accepted a feed on the wing and knocked down a 3-pointer that lifted some of the pressure — and fog — off Team USA.

"That changed the game," said Paul George, who led the U.S. with 20 points. "Melo made that three and it gave us all confidence."

Anthony moved past Michael Jordan on the career scoring list and now only trails LeBron James and David Robinson for the most points by an American Olympian.

"I never even knew that," Anthony said. "Anytime you can break a record or make history or pass somebody like Michael Jordan, it's an honor. We still have more games to go so hopefully we can break more records."

Jimmy Butler scored 17 — most of them coming in extended garbage time — and DeAndre Jordan added 14 and nine rebounds in the first Olympic matchup between the nations.

Venezuela's John Cox, a cousin of American superstar Kobe Bryant, scored 19 and Echenique 18.

Although this may not be the best made-in-America team as James, Stephen Curry and others chose to skip the first games held in South America for a variety of reasons, the U.S. squad that came to Brazil appears to be in a class by itself. There will likely be tougher games ahead, but they haven't had one yet.

Venezuela, which doesn't have an NBA player on its roster, didn't figure to be a threat but the FIBA Americas champion wasn't intimidated by the U.S. roster of household names and with their fans doing all they could to push the heavy underdogs, they outworked the Americans in the first quarter, which ended with the U.S. committing six turnovers.

It was a very different story in the second, when the Americans flexed their muscle at both ends, reeled off 13 straight points in one stretch and took complete control.

"They have a lot of shooters, no?" Venezuela coach Nestor Garcia said with a smile.

They have a lot of everything.