Lucas Oil Stadium to host NBA’s All-Star Saturday night festivities

NBA All-Star Weekend organizers announced Wednesday the popular Saturday night skills challenges will be held Feb. 17 at Lucas Oil Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts.

The league’s 73rd All-Star Game will be played the next day on the Indiana Pacers home court.

Splitting the venues nearly doubles the seating capacity, from approximately 17,200 for NBA games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, to 35,000 for the slam dunk and 3-point contests among other events. And because the skills challenges will take place in the south end of Lucas Oil Stadium, it opens the north end of the stadium for concerts.

Organizers have not yet announced the entertainment lineup for All-Star Weekend.

The host committee said it will buy 2,400 tickets to distribute to local organizations.

Indianapolis has hosted eight NCAA men’s Final Fours with Lucas Oil Stadium hosting the event three times since it opened in 2008, most recently in 2021 when the entire NCAA Tournament was played in front of limited capacity in Indiana during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“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,” Pacers Sports & Entertainment CEO Rick Fuson said.

IndyGo bus rides also will be free from Feb. 15-18 with extended nightly service, the host committee announced.

Indianapolis was initially selected to host the 2021 All-Star game, which was played in Atlanta in March because of COVID-19 protocols. This marks the second time the city has hosted the NBA’s All-Star Game — the first since it was held in 1985 at the then RCA Dome.

Tickets for the skills challenge festivities go on sale July 24.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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