CultureMap Video
Behind the scenes at NBA All-Star Game weekend: How sports' ultimate playland comes together
It takes roughly 73 hours to set up for the NBA All-Star Jam Session, and crews were right in the midst of the process when CultureMap stopped by the George R. Brown Convention Center for a behind-the-scenes look on Tuesday morning.
The 500,000-square-foot interactive space will open to the public on Thursday at 4 p.m. as a sort of home base for those fans who couldn't score seats at the Toyota Center for the NBA All-Star Game itself.
At the GRB, fans can dribble, shoot and dunk in skills challenges, get autographs, participate in social media zones, buy official NBA gear, get a photo snapped with cardboard cutouts of the Houston Rockets roster or tune in to big game. In one of six languages.
Two makeshift courts that bookend the event space — Center Court and Sprint Arena — will set the scene for the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and a Sprite Uncontainable Game (where street ballers from around the world will be coached by Kobe Bryant and LeBron James) on Friday, the NBA All-Star Practice on Saturday, plus dance team performances and much more throughout the week.
Find the full weekend lineup here, and watch the video above for a sneak peek of the space.
Admission on Thursday and Friday costs $20 for adults and $12 for children (ages 3 to 12), seniors and military; on Saturday and Sunday, adults get in for $30, and admission for children, seniors and military costs $20. Children under 2 get in free. Tickets are available here.