BlackNLA Press Release

BlackNLA Community News

What to Expect during the 2004 NBA All-Star Weekend
by: Maisha Brown

The 53rd Annual NBA All-Star game and festivities will take over Los Angeles the weekend of Feb. 13-15. This major sporting event brings athletes, entertainers and travelers from all over the country to LA for a weekend of sports, parties and excitement.

The LA Convention Center will be the home of the NBA All-Star Jam Session Thursday Feb. 12 through Monday Feb. 16. The Jam Session will provide entertainment for basketball fans of all ages. There will an area set up for player and celebrity autographs, places to purchase NBA memorabilia and 2004 All-Star souvenirs, slam-dunk contests for kids and much more. In addition, the Jam Session features Club NBA, the stage for some of today's hottest musical talent. Performers scheduled to appear include Fabolous, Nelly, Sean Paul, Redman and Method Man.

On Thursday Feb. 12, American Express will celebrate the life of Earvin Magic Johnson at the Shrine Auditorium. Special musical guests are scheduled to perform and NBA players and legends will also be in attendance. The celebration will air on Saturday Feb. 14 at 3 p.m. on TNT.

On Friday, Feb. 13 the got milk? Rookie Challenge will take place at the Staples Center at 6 p.m. and air live on TNT. The Rookie roster includes Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James and Chris Kaman.

The NBA All-Star Saturday Night presented by America Online at the Staples Center will include the Sprite Rising Stars Slam Dunk contest, RadioShack Shooting Stars, the Foot-Locker 3-pt. Shootout and the 989 Sports Skills Challenge and will air live on TNT.

Finally, the hot ticket of the weekend is the 53rd Annual NBA All-Star Game at the Staples Center airing at 5 p.m. on TNT. Eastern Conference starters include Vince Carter and Allen Iverson. Western Conference starters include Kevin Garnett and LA's own Kobe Bryant.

So what does all this mean for the city and its visitors? Although, the weekend will be full of excitement there a few specifics that need to be addressed.

LAX is going to be extremely busy over this weekend. Not only is it All-Star weekend but Monday is also a National holiday, Presidents Day. Nancy Castles of the LAX media relations department said that the airport has plenty staff to handle the additional visitors. "There are 80 LAX ambassadors, 100 or so travel aides and 100 plus visitor info reps to assist travelers." In addition, Aviation officials and NBA staff will be wearing official NBA shirts welcoming and assisting passengers.

Harold Johnson of the LAX Public Relations Bureau is also confident that operations will run smoothly over the All-Star weekend. "LA is approaching this event at a high stage of alert. We've been on Orange Alert since the busy holiday season and will be able to handle crowds and any issues that may arise."

Traffic, enough said. It is widely known that LA has the worst traffic in the country. Angelinos struggle regularly to get from point A to B. With a major event bringing in an excessive amount of travelers, traffic delays are to be expected. Plan on being in traffic anywhere from one to three hours in or around the vicinities of events. Anywhere near the Staples Center is going to be virtually impossible. Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard are going to be just as chaotic because of all the nightclubs. The Los Angeles Police Department is aware of the high-traffic areas and will be in full force.

In regards to traffic concerns, LAPD Officer Jason Lee stated that the LAPD, LA County Sheriffs and Highway Patrol will all work together and have ample forces to deal with excessive traffic. Unlike last year's NBA All-Star host city Atlanta, Officer Lee noted that, "LA is known for having wider streets than any other city in the U.S. and this alone should assist with many of the proposed traffic issues."

Although not giving any specific details on police plans, Officer Lee said, "The department plans to deploy additional officers around the areas of the festivities and game location to ensure the safety of the public."

With any event bringing in this magnitude of people there are bound to be numerous parties. That said, a few notes for partygoers to remember.

Leave the house early. This is not the weekend to be lollygagging. As said before, traffic is going to be a hot mess. Making a schedule and sticking to it will prove to be beneficial. Do not wait until the last minute to leave because you just might not make it to the club.

Word of advice, have a backup plan, that way if traffic or tardiness keeps you from getting to your first party choice in a timely manner, you already have a second one lined up.

Long lines and high-priced clubs are to be expected. Do not be surprised if you get to the club at 8 p.m. and there are already 500 people in line. If you have no guest list hook-ups, be prepared to pay. Many party tickets are available for advanced purchase. Otherwise, expect to pay anywhere from $50 on up. Many promoters will start at a specific price and go up every hour on the hour. Towards the middle of the night, a $200 admission fee is very common. If you want to party with the players and celebrities you are going to have to spend some cash.

The highlight of the weekend is of course the All-Star game on Sunday. The majority of the people visiting LA will not have tickets to the game. Find a sports bar or restaurant with big screens to watch the game. Great sports bars are Dublin's, the Grand Avenue Sports Bar or the Hollywood Billiards. If you do not have tickets to the game please do those a favor that do and stay away from the Staples Center. There is no need to contribute to the traffic delays for those who are actually trying to get to the game.

Most of all remember that the last time the NBA All-Star game was in LA was 1983. It might be another 21 years before it comes back. So enjoy it. Have fun and be safe. For more information on NBA sponsored events check out www.nba.com/allstar2004.

Maisha Brown

If you would like to re-print this story, you can do so by providing an intro and a link to this page or you can contact me at info@blacknla.com. If you do link this page can you please send us a notification e-mail.




			BlackNLA Community News What to Expect during the 2004 NBA All-Star Weekend by: Maisha Brown The 53rd Annual NBA All-Star game and festivities will take over Los Angeles the weekend of Feb. 13-15. This major sporting event brings athletes, entertainers and travelers from all over the country to LA for a weekend of sports, parties and excitement. The LA Convention Center will be the home of the NBA All-Star Jam Session Thursday Feb. 12 through Monday Feb. 16. The Jam Session will provide entertainment for basketball fans of all ages. There will an area set up for player and celebrity autographs, places to purchase NBA memorabilia and 2004 All-Star souvenirs, slam-dunk contests for kids and much more. In addition, the Jam Session features Club NBA, the stage for some of today's hottest musical talent. Performers scheduled to appear include Fabolous, Nelly, Sean Paul, Redman and Method Man. On Thursday Feb. 12, American Express will celebrate the life of Earvin Magic Johnson at the Shrine Auditorium. Special musical guests are scheduled to perform and NBA players and legends will also be in attendance. The celebration will air on Saturday Feb. 14 at 3 p.m. on TNT. On Friday, Feb. 13 the got milk? Rookie Challenge will take place at the Staples Center at 6 p.m. and air live on TNT. The Rookie roster includes Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James and Chris Kaman. The NBA All-Star Saturday Night presented by America Online at the Staples Center will include the Sprite Rising Stars Slam Dunk contest, RadioShack Shooting Stars, the Foot-Locker 3-pt. Shootout and the 989 Sports Skills Challenge and will air live on TNT. Finally, the hot ticket of the weekend is the 53rd Annual NBA All-Star Game at the Staples Center airing at 5 p.m. on TNT. Eastern Conference starters include Vince Carter and Allen Iverson. Western Conference starters include Kevin Garnett and LA's own Kobe Bryant. So what does all this mean for the city and its visitors? Although, the weekend will be full of excitement there a few specifics that need to be addressed. LAX is going to be extremely busy over this weekend. Not only is it All-Star weekend but Monday is also a National holiday, Presidents Day. Nancy Castles of the LAX media relations department said that the airport has plenty staff to handle the additional visitors. "There are 80 LAX ambassadors, 100 or so travel aides and 100 plus visitor info reps to assist travelers." In addition, Aviation officials and NBA staff will be wearing official NBA shirts welcoming and assisting passengers. Harold Johnson of the LAX Public Relations Bureau is also confident that operations will run smoothly over the All-Star weekend. "LA is approaching this event at a high stage of alert. We've been on Orange Alert since the busy holiday season and will be able to handle crowds and any issues that may arise." Traffic, enough said. It is widely known that LA has the worst traffic in the country. Angelinos struggle regularly to get from point A to B. With a major event bringing in an excessive amount of travelers, traffic delays are to be expected. Plan on being in traffic anywhere from one to three hours in or around the vicinities of events. Anywhere near the Staples Center is going to be virtually impossible. Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard are going to be just as chaotic because of all the nightclubs. The Los Angeles Police Department is aware of the high-traffic areas and will be in full force. In regards to traffic concerns, LAPD Officer Jason Lee stated that the LAPD, LA County Sheriffs and Highway Patrol will all work together and have ample forces to deal with excessive traffic. Unlike last year's NBA All-Star host city Atlanta, Officer Lee noted that, "LA is known for having wider streets than any other city in the U.S. and this alone should assist with many of the proposed traffic issues." Although not giving any specific details on police plans, Officer Lee said, "The department plans to deploy additional officers around the areas of the festivities and game location to ensure the safety of the public." With any event bringing in this magnitude of people there are bound to be numerous parties. That said, a few notes for partygoers to remember. Leave the house early. This is not the weekend to be lollygagging. As said before, traffic is going to be a hot mess. Making a schedule and sticking to it will prove to be beneficial. Do not wait until the last minute to leave because you just might not make it to the club. Word of advice, have a backup plan, that way if traffic or tardiness keeps you from getting to your first party choice in a timely manner, you already have a second one lined up. Long lines and high-priced clubs are to be expected. Do not be surprised if you get to the club at 8 p.m. and there are already 500 people in line. If you have no guest list hook-ups, be prepared to pay. Many party tickets are available for advanced purchase. Otherwise, expect to pay anywhere from $50 on up. Many promoters will start at a specific price and go up every hour on the hour. Towards the middle of the night, a $200 admission fee is very common. If you want to party with the players and celebrities you are going to have to spend some cash. The highlight of the weekend is of course the All-Star game on Sunday. The majority of the people visiting LA will not have tickets to the game. Find a sports bar or restaurant with big screens to watch the game. Great sports bars are Dublin's, the Grand Avenue Sports Bar or the Hollywood Billiards. If you do not have tickets to the game please do those a favor that do and stay away from the Staples Center. There is no need to contribute to the traffic delays for those who are actually trying to get to the game. Most of all remember that the last time the NBA All-Star game was in LA was 1983. It might be another 21 years before it comes back. So enjoy it. Have fun and be safe. For more information on NBA sponsored events check out www.nba.com/allstar2004. Maisha Brown If you would like to re-print this story, you can do so by providing an intro and a link to this page or you can contact me at info@blacknla.com. If you do link this page can you please send us a notification e-mail.