NBA All-Star Game host city sets up full-length basketball court at airport

The 2024 NBA All-Star Game will take place on Feb. 18 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, home of the Indiana Pacers. The only other time an NBA All-Star Game took place in the city was in 1985 at the Hoosier Dome.

Led by Ralph Sampson, the Western Conference defeated the Eastern Conference 140-129 in that season's contest. The hometown Pacers had no representatives on that season's Eastern Conference All-Star squad.

The 2024 All-Star Game is returning to the Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference format for the first time since 2017 and voting ends on Saturday. The exhibition was originally supposed to be coming back to Indianapolis in 2021, but the league's schedule changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic altered those plans.

Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton led all Eastern Conference backcourt players in the second round of fan returns released last week, was fourth among all players in the conference and had earned the ninth-most votes of all NBA players. Haliburton was the only Indiana player in the top-10 vote-getters in the Eastern Conference frontcourt or backcourt.

The 23-year-old may not be able to suit up for the All-Star contest, however, as he suffered a Grade 1 left hamstring strain in early January.