The 2015 NBA All-Star weekend will be split between two New York arenas, with Madison Square Garden to host the game, two people with knowledge of the plans said Tuesday.
Barclays Center in Brooklyn will host the Saturday skills events, the people confirmed to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the plans were to be announced at a press conference Wednesday, which will be streamed on NBA.com and televised on NBA TV.
Commissioner David Stern, Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg will attend the press conference, along with officials from Madison Square Garden and Barclays Center.
The league has been working with the Knicks and Nets for months on the plan to split the events. The New York Post first reported that MSG would host the Sunday night game.
The league last split sites for its midseason showcase in 2010, when the Saturday events were in the Dallas Mavericks’ arena and the game was held at the Cowboys’ stadium.
The slam dunk and 3-point contests are the highlights of the Saturday night events.
The game last came to Madison Square Garden in 1998 and has gone exclusively to warm-weather cities in recent years. Now it will come back to New York a year after the city hosts the Super Bowl and show off two top arenas.
MSG is one of the most famous arenas in sports and has undergone a three-year renovation project. The $1 billion Barclays Center opened a year ago and has quickly landed many top entertainment events.
The 2014 All-Star game is set for New Orleans.
