It’s nearly time for basketball’s showcase event: the 2021 NBA All Star Game on TNT. 24 of the best basketball players in the world are set to compete in the league’s yearly marquee exhibition game.
But, how can you watch this basketball extravaganza? If your country doesn’t have the rights to show the game, you will need to use a VPN to bypass the geo-restrictions. Read on for everything you need to know.
2021 NBA All Star event information:
| Date | 2021 Sunday, March 7 |
| Time | 6:30 p.m. ET |
| Location | State Farm Arena in Atlanta |
| Watch online | Hulu with Live TV YouTube TV Sling TV AT&T TV Now Kodi |
Quick guide on how to watch NBA All Star Game with a VPN
Looking forward to watching the 2021 All Star Game? Make sure you don’t miss a minute of action by following these basic steps:
- Pick a VPN that suits your needs. We recommend NordVPN, as it has a wide selection of servers for you to choose from.
- Install the VPN.
- Connect to a server in the US.
- Choose a streaming service that broadcasts the NBA All Star Game. We recommend TNT. You can sign up for the free trial, but don’t forget to cancel the trial before you get charged.
- Sit back and enjoy the game.
Why do you need a VPN to stream the NBA All Star Game?
The rights to show the NBA All Star game belong to US TV channel TNT. It owns the exclusive rights to broadcast the game on its channel and website in the US. TNT isn’t available outside the US, so you will need a VPN to access it if you are anywhere else in the world.
A VPN will bypass geo-restrictions by shielding your IP address and letting you connect to a server in the US. This will trick US streaming platforms into believing you are in the country, and you will then be able to stream the game live.
We recommend using NordVPN, as it has a huge number of servers to choose from. It is also extremely fast and reliable, which means you are far less likely to encounter slow load times or buffering while watching sport events like formula 1, MLB and other. It is very easy to use, and it offers excellent security to keep your data safe.
Who is going to stream the NBA All Star Game in 2021?
TNT is the main broadcaster showing the NBA All Star Game. If it is included in your cable plan, you can simply log into the website and start watching without any additional charges. Alternatively, you can watch it on NBA League Pass or TBS.
You can also access the TNT feed on Sling TV, Hulu with Live TV, and YouTube TV. Each of these offer a free trial, so you can watch the game, and then cancel the trial without having to pay.
How can I stream the All Star Game?
You can catch the TNT Feed of the game on:
- Hulu with Live TV
- YouTube TV
- Sling TV
- AT&T TV Now
- Kodi
How to watch the NBA All Star Game stream from your location
If you live in the US, you can access TNT through your cable subscription. You can also watch it on the TNT app and NBA League Pass app, which is available on iOS and Android devices.
Alternatively, you can access it on a smart TV, Amazon Fire stick, Apple TV or Roku device, so you can watch it with all the family.
How to watch the NBA All Star Game in Canada
You can watch the game on TSN on Canadian cable TV. If you don’t have cable TV, you can use a VPN and sign up to a free trial of YouTube TV or Sling TV.
How to watch the NBA All Star Game in Australia
It is expected that the NBA All Star game will air on Foxtel and Kayo Sports, but this hasn’t been confirmed yet. Therefore, the simplest way of watching the All Star Game is to use a VPN and connect to a US server. Then, you can sign up for a free trial of YouTube TV or Sling TV and access the game.
How to watch the NBA All Star Game in Europe
Here are some of the European countries that have the rights to broadcast the NBA All Star Game:
- UK: Sky Sports has the exclusive rights to air the game and will likely show it on Sky Sports USA and Sky Sports Main Event.
- Greece: Cosmote has the rights to show the NBA All Star Game in Greece, so fans can watch their countryman Giannis Antetokounmpo play in his 5th All Star game.
- Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Croatia and North Macedonia: The game will be available on Arena Sport. This means fans of Serbian-born Nikola Jokic, Slovenian player Luka Doncic, and Montenegrin Nikola Vucevic, can watch the game on Arena Sport.
- France: BeIN Sports is expected to air the game, so fans of French two-time All Star Rudy Gobert will be able to watch.
- Lithuania: The game is set to air on TV3 Sport, so fans can cheer on Lithuanian-American Domantas Sabonis, an injury replacement for Kevin Durant.
Can’t access NBA All Star Game with a VPN?
If you are having trouble accessing the game with your VPN, the first thing to do is clear your cache, as it might be preventing you from bypassing geo-restrictions. Once you have done that, restart your VPN and try reconnecting.
If that doesn’t work, it’s worth checking to see if you are connected to a decent server. If you are connected to a bad server, simply disconnect and select a different server. This should resolve the problem.
Alternatively, you might have selected a VPN that doesn’t have servers in the US. If that is the case, you could try connecting to a Canadian server instead. Or, you could switch to a different VPN provider. We recommend to check best VPN services, as they have largest selection of servers across the globe.
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NBA All Star overview
For the fourth year running, the NBA All Star Game will be made up of two mixed conference teams. Each team is led by the player in each conference with the most fan votes. For the fourth year in a row, Lebron James will go up against Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant.
Durant will not be participating in the game due to injury. We don’t yet know if he will still draft his team, or if the honors will go to the runner-up, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The contestants in the Dunk Contest, Three Point Contest, and Skills challenge are still unknown. And the players in Team Lebron and Team Durant are yet to be announced. All information should be confirmed at the All Star draft on March 4. Keep an eye on the NBA Twitter feed for all the latest news:
Event information
The format of Sunday’s All Star evening will be as follows:
- 5 pm ET– TNT’s award-winning Inside the NBA coverage begins with Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal.
- 6:30 pm ET– The Taco Bell Skills Challenge and MTN Dew 3-Point contest will take place. No details of the Skills Challenge participants have been announced at the time of writing, but Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell is set to take part in the 3-point contest.
- 8 pm ET- The 70th NBA All Star Game tips off.
- Halftime– The AT&T Dunk Contest will take place. The only participant that has been confirmed at the moment is New York Knicks rookie Obi Toppin. But it is expected that last year’s champion Derrick Jones Jnr will try to defend his title. Sophomore superstar and first-time All-Star, Zion Williamson, is also rumored to take part.
For more information, check out the NBA website.
This year’s team
The draft for Team Lebron and Team Durant took place on TNT on Thursday March 4 2021. After receiving the most votes, Lebron James chooses first among the fan-voted starting players and Kevin Durant got first choice when picking the bench units.
Here is the starting unit for Team Lebron:
- Lebron James (Los Angeles Lakers)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
- Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)
- Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)
- Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)
On the bench for Team Lebron, James selected:
- Damian Lillard (Portland Trails Blazers)
- Ben Simmons (Philadelphia 76ers)
- Chris Paul (Phoenix Suns)
- Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics)
- Paul George (Los Angeles Clippers)
- Domantas Sabonis (Indiana Pacers)
- Rudy Gobert (Utah Jazz)
Kevin Durant will be missing the game due to a hamstring strain, but the 32 year old forward still selected his team on Thursday night. Here is his starting five:
- Kyrie Irving (Brooklyn Nets)
- Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers)
- Kawhi Leonard (Los Angeles Clippers)
- Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards)
- Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)
These are the stars set to come off the bench for Team Durant on Sunday night:
- James Harden (Brooklyn Nets)
- Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns)
- Zion Williamson (New Orleans Pelicans)
- Zach Lavine (Chicago Bulls)
- Julius Randle (New York Knicks)
- Nikola Vucevic (Orlando Magic)
- Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz)
Anthony Davis was originally selected but was forced to withdraw due to injury and was replaced with Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker, while Pacers forward Domantas Sabonis has been selected to replace Kevin Durant. Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum is set to take Kevin Durant’s spot in the starting 5.
Team Lebron is set to be coached by the Utah Jazz’s coaching staff, headed up by Head Coach Quin Snyder. Meanwhile, Doc Rivers and the Philadelphia 76ers’ coaching staff will take charge of Team Durant.
Last year’s team
Last year was acknowledged to have been the best All Star Game in years, as Team Lebron came back to beat Team Giannis 157-155. This was largely down to changes to the format that made the game more competitive.
Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard won the first NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant Most Valuable Player. This award was named after LA Lakers great Kobe Bryant, who had died in a helicopter crash just weeks before the game.
FAQs
How can I watch NBA Games for free?
You can sign up for a free trial of YouTube TV or Sling TV and connect to a US server using a VPN. Alternatively, you can catch a highlights package of each game on the NBA YouTube page.
What TV channel will air the NBA All Star Game?
The game will be broadcast on TNT in the US, it will air on Sky Sports in the UK, and it will be shown on TSN in Canada.
What is the best VPN to stream the NBA All Star Game?
We would recommend NordVPN, as it is fast and reliable, offers excellent security, and it gives you lots of servers to choose from.
