The 2023 NBA All Star Game is a highly anticipated annual exhibition game that the National Basketball Association hosts. The annual event has been in existence since 1951, and this year will mark its 72th edition. As you may already know, the All Star Game is the climax of what is termed: “NBA All Star Weekend.” This year’s events will start from February 17-19, 2023.
Just as the previous editions, the 2023 edition of the event will bring together the best players from both Eastern and Western Conferences of the NBA. These players are selected though voting which fans, players, and media personnel did. The amazing performances of the selected players are what make the NBA All Star Game memorable for fans.
In this article, however, we will talk about the importance of this annual event to fans of the sports. In addition, we will talk about how one can watch the game online without paying a dime. So, if you are thinking about how to watch the 2023 NBA All Star Game for free, just relax and read this article to the end.
To start, let us discuss the importance of the event, and why fans are so eager to watch it, even if they do not have money to pay subscription fees.
Importance of the NBA All Star Game to Fans
Basketball as a sport in the United States has millions of fans. All these fans are scattered across the globe but most are concentrated in the US.
However, during normal seasons where teams compete for the championship title, these fans often do not get to see jaw-dropping skills of their favorite stars. This is because the players focus on winning matches, and so they avoid flashy displays.
But during All Star Game events, these players get the time to showcase their skills, flashy displays, dunking prowess in slam dunk contest, and many more on the court.
Therefore, the 2023 NBA All Star Game, just as the past ones, will give basketball fans the opportunity to see the best players in the league. It also gives them the chance to see their favorite players compete in skills challenge, the three-point, and the slam-dunk contests.
Where is the NBA All Star Game 2023?
The game will be held inside the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. The arena is home to the Utah Jazz.
How to watch the 2023 NBA All Star Game for free
There are so many channels or online streaming services that will broadcast the event live. These channels or streaming services buy exclusive broadcasting rights from the NBA to show the game. For this reason, channels or streaming services charge subscription fees to anyone who wants to livestream the game. This helps the streaming services make up for the money used to buy the exclusive broadcast rights from the league.
Check below the subscription fee of some streaming services
TSN (Canada) | $19.99/month |
Sky Sports (UK) | $22.30/month |
NBA League Pass (Global) | $14.99/month |
Sling TV (US) | $35.00/month |
YouTube TV (US) | $64.99/month |
Hulu + Live TV (US, Japan) | $69.99/month |
ESPN (Mostly global) | $9.99/month |
However, among these streaming services, only few offer free trials. But the free trial-offering services are country-limited, except the NBA League Pass which you can stream everywhere.
For those in the United Kingdom, the best way to watch the game for free is to use use the Sky Sports streaming service. And for those in the US, the best way to watch the game without paying a dime, is to use the YouTube TV streaming service. Finally, people who live outside the US and the UK, can watch the game free of charge using the NBA League Pass service.
Now, let us talk about how you can get access to the aforementioned streaming services to watch the All Star Game for free.
How to Watch Game for Free in UK
For NBA fans in the UK, Sky Sports’ NOW Broadband is the medium to use.
The NOW Broadband offers a 7-day free trial. This streaming service also provides users with a full HD view with a good sound.
Free trials on NOW incurs no upfront charges even though the service requires that you input your payment details. Providing the payment details only helps to finalize the signup process.
However, to avoid being charged, one needs to cancel the subscription few hours to the end of the free trial.
Also, it is advisable to signup unto the NOW Broadband at least, three days to the game. This will enable the subscriber to watch other activities that precede the ultimate event.
To start, visit the sports purchase webpage of the NowTV streaming service and follow the simple steps to unlock your free 7-day trial.
Here’s how to watch the game for free on YouTube TV (US Fans only)
YouTube TV offers 2-week free trials to newly registered users. Within the trial period, new users will have access to various channels including NBA TV. This will help basketball fans in the US to stream the All Star game on Sunday for free via the NBA TV channel on YouTube TV.
But before one gets access to the free trial, he or she must register with a new email address.
To sign up for the YouTube TV free trial, visit the YouTube TV website or download the android mobile application. After that, do the following to access the 2-week free trial;
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Select the “free trial” option.
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Sign in to your Google account and verify your home address.
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Go through the networks included in your subscription, and then click “Next.”
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Tick the boxes next to any premium networks you want to add to your membership.
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Enter and confirm payment information.
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Click “Buy” to complete the transaction to gain access.
However, to avoid being charged $69.99, you need to cancel the subscription even before the free trial ends.
With all these steps well followed, you can watch the upcoming game within the free trial period. All you need is a fast internet connection and a mobile device.
Watch the All Star Game for free on NBA League Pass
For all NBA fans living outside of the UK and the US, there is a way to watch the event live at the comfort of your homes. Thanks to the 7-day free trial that NBA League Pass offers.
There are currently two League Pass services that the NBA offers. These include; League Pass access for Bermuda, Guam, Puerto Rico, the United States and its minor islands. The other service is the International League Pass which is available in all countries across the globe.
However, the following African countries are exempted:
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Central African Republic
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Congo
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Cote D’Ivoire
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Liberia
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Libya
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Somalia
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Sudan
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Zimbabwe
The other exempted countries are; North Korea, Cuba, Iran, Iraq and Syria.
NBA League Pass is now available on Amazon Prime Video Channel. Therefore, to access the free trial, you need to register on Amazon by using this link. Click on the “League Pass $14.99/month” button on the new page that opened.
The signup process will be completed after you provide payment details. That scares you right? No, don’t be scared because no money will be deducted from your account unless the free trial period is over. So, to avoid the charge, just ensure you cancel the subscription hours before it ends.
Other ways to watch the NBA All Star Weekend events
Meanwhile, there are few other ways to watch the 2023 NBA All Star Game for free. These ways include the use of crackstreams websites.
There are hundreds of websites that stream NBA games at the blunt side of the league authorities. Though the move is illegal, many still find ways and means to stream the games to hundreds of thousands of basketball lovers.
However, the use of these websites is not advisable. This is because of the problems that are likely to emerge as a result of using them.
Most of the crackstreams sites that offer free NBA streams are not safe. Therefore, using them can potentially harm your device with malware, viruses, or other malicious software. The use of these sites involves clicking of streaming links, and when these links are laced with malware or viruses, devices that are used to click on them get infected.
Other All Star Weekend events you can watch for free
The 2023 NBA All Star Weekend comprises of other basketball events, and not only the ultimate All Star game. These other events also see basketball stars in action on the court.
But one thing you may not know is that all these events can also be streamed live during the free trial periods. It is not only the climax game that you can watch for free, but other events too.
One may ask: what are these other events? The answer is clear and very simple. Check the other events below;
Friday, February 17, 2023
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Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game – 7:00 PM ET
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NBA Jordan Rising Stars Game – 9:00 PM ET
Saturday, February 18, 2023
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NBA All-Star Practice – 1:00 PM ET
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NBA x HBCU Classic – 2:00 PM ET
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State Farm All-Star Saturday Night – 8:00 PM ET
Sunday, February 19, 2023
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NBA Legends Awards – 1:00 PM ET
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NBA G League Next Up Game – 3:00 PM ET
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All-Star Draft – 7:30 PM ET
After all the events on Sunday, the most highly anticipated NBA All Star Game will start at 8:00 PM ET.
The game will be played between Team LeBron from the Western Conference and Team Giannis from the Eastern Conference.
Below is the roster for the All Star game as announced by commissioner Adam Silver
Western Conference
LeBron James is the captain of the Western Conference team.
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Stephen Curry – Golden States Warriors
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Luka Dončić – Dallas Mavericks
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Nikola Jokić – Denver Nuggets
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LeBron James – Los Angeles Lakers
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Zion Williamson – New Orleans Pelicans
Eastern Conference
Antetokounmpo is the leader of the Eastern Conference.
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Kyrie Irving – Dallas Mavericks (left the Nets recently)
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Donovan Mitchell – Cleveland Cavaliers
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Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks
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Kevin Durant – Phoenix Suns (left Brooklyn Nets recently)
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Jayson Tatum – Boston Celtics
Conclusion
The NBA All Star Game is a must-watch event for all fans of basketball. There are many ways to watch the game for free as discussed in this article.
However, it is important to note that using unofficial streaming websites come with certain risks. In addition, streaming NBA games on these crackstreams website provide no good viewing experience.
By taking advantage of free trials offered by the streaming services discussed in the article, fans can enjoy the game without spending any money.
So, if you are a fan of the sports, this is the time to decide which of the streaming services to use to watch the 2023 NBA All Star Game for free.