Though over-the-top, sports-themed inflatables aren't exactly an uncommon sight (surely you witnessed the larger-than-life linebacker installed on the roof of Saint Dane's Bar & Grille throughout football season), a colossal basketball in downtown gave me a startle on my morning commute.

Houston is preparing for the 2013 NBA All-Star weekend in a big way, and nowhere is that more clear than the entrance to Wells Fargo Plaza, where a gigantic blow-up basketball hangs suspended in a net above the pedestrian walkway.

The big dollar All-Star Game on Sunday at 7 p.m. will pit star players from the Eastern and Western conferences against one another on the court, but the days leading up to the big game are jam-packed with events. Find the full schedule here.

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