Orlando Travel Blog

The most magical week in sports is returning to Orlando for the second time, as the city has been selected to host NBA All-Star 2012. Orlando also hosted the 1992 All-Star Game.

The 61st NBA All-Star Game will be played on Sunday, Feb. 26, at the Amway Center, which will also host the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam and NBA All-Star Saturday Night presented by State Farm. NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas, the hugely successful interactive basketball celebration, will be held at the Orange County Convention Center.

Few All-Star Games have rivaled the one Orlando hosted in 1992 in which the West defeated the East, 153-113, at Orlando Arena. The game is best remembered for the return of Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson, who had retired in November 1991 after contracting HIV. By the time the final buzzer sounded, Johnson had gone one-on-one with both Isiah Thomas and Michael Jordan, and turned in a vintage performance, recording game highs of 25 points and nine assists to lead the West and win his second All-Star MVP award. Golden State guard Tim Hardaway, who had allowed Johnson to replace him in the starting lineup, contributed 14 points and seven assists.

The 2011-12 season will mark the 28th year that Turner Sports will provide NBA All-Star coverage, and the 10th consecutive year the All-Star Game will be televised in primetime on TNT. The All-Star Game will be seen by a worldwide television audience in more than 200 countries and territories and in more than 40 languages.

NBA All-Star competitions will get underway on Friday, Feb. 24, as the league’s top rookies and second-year players square off in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam. The following day’s festivities will feature NBA All-Star Saturday Night presented by State Farm, an all-inclusive skills showcase comprised of Haier Shooting Stars, a competition featuring NBA and WNBA players, and NBA legends; Taco Bell Skills Challenge, a contest of top guards working against the clock to complete a series of passes, free throws, layups and agility drills; the Foot Locker Three-Point Contest, a long-standing staple of the evening; and the ever-entertaining Sprite Slam Dunk contest.

During NBA All-Star 2012, the NBA will continue to celebrate its tradition and commitment to social responsibility with a schedule of NBA Cares events. NBA Cares will partner with schools, government, and local nonprofit organizations in Orlando and surrounding areas to highlight the league’s grassroots and community initiatives that reach millions of young people and their parents while providing critical resources to community-based programs.

One of the event’s most popular attractions is NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas, which will be held at the Orange County Convention Center. At Jam Session, fans can have the once-in-a-lifetime experience of participating in the NBA All-Star excitement, with the chance to meet and collect free autographs from NBA players and legends. Jam Session is nonstop basketball action, as fans can shoot, slam, dribble and drive all day; compete against their friends in skills challenges; or get basketball tips from NBA players and legends. Young fans can hang out at Kids Zone – with hoops and interactive activities that are the perfect size for kids’ slam dunks, three-pointers and jump shots. For fans who want NBA entertainment, Jam Session features the NBA’s favorite players, mascots, dance teams and celebrities as they hit Center Court in a variety of basketball competitions, including the NBA All-Star Practice and the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game.

The Orlando Magic is the developer of the Amway Center, which will compete to host major national events, concerts and family shows. Opening in the fall of 2010, the facility will be operated by the city of Orlando and owned by the Central Florida community. The Amway Center was designed to reflect the character of the community, meet the goals of the users and build on the legacy of sports and entertainment in Orlando. The building’s exterior will feature a modern blend of glass and metal materials, along with ever-changing graphics via a monumental wall along one façade. A 120-foot tall tower will serve as a beacon amid the downtown skyline. At 875,000 square feet, the new arena is almost triple the size of the current Amway Arena (367,000 square feet). The building features a sustainable, environmentally-friendly design, unmatched technology, featuring 1,100 digital monitors and the largest, high-definition scoreboard in an NBA venue, and multiple premium amenities available to all patrons in the building. Every level of ticket buyer will have access to: the Everyfan’s Bar and Food Court, Club Restaurant, Nutrilite Magic Fan Experience and Orlando Info Garden, Kid’s Zone, and multiple indoor-outdoor spaces which celebrate Florida’s climate.