MAIN Recreation Sports Basketball 2012 NBA All Star Game

Time once again for the NBA All Star Game!

It all begins in Orlando, Florida as the Orlando Magic serve as hosts for the historic 61st edition of the NBA All Star Game scheduled taking place on Sunday, February 26, 2012.

Kicking off on Friday night, February 24, 2012 is the Rookie Challenge and Youth Jam at the Amway Center, followed by the highly popular NBA All-Star Saturday Night — with nonstop basketball action as fans got professional basketball tips from NBA players and legends, not to mention the always entertaining NBA Slam Dunk contest.

It's the place to be for basketball fans to learn shooting and dribbling like the pro's do, or else rub elbows with celebrity NBA basketball players -- followed by only the biggest game of the year!

All the festivities, of course, ultimately lead up to Sunday night's championship NBA All-Star game on February 26, 2012 at the Amway Center at 8PM ET, televised on cable TV channel TNT.

2012 All Star starting lineup

The 2012 lineup of all star NBA players runs the gamut from host Miami's Dwight Howard, Lebron James, and Dwyane Wade to Derrick Rose of Chicago and New York's Carmelo Anthony. From the West coast, Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul join both Blake Griffin and Andrew Bynum in their first-ever appearance in an NBA All Star starting lineup:

2012 All Star Game tickets & TV schedule

One of the hottest events of the season, NBA All Star tickets go fast, but there are always a few stray tickets floating around (for those lucky enough to find them).

All Jam Session tickets traditionally go on sale in October with tickets for the All-Star Celebrity Game, the All-Star Practice, the Rookie Game, and more on sale in December and January of 2012.

2011 NBA All Star game highlights

20121 All Star Game recap

The winner? To hardly anyone's surprise, superstar Kobe Bryant returned to the game after a year's absence to score 37 points and tie a record with his fourth MVP award, leading the Western Conference to a 148-143 victory over the East.

More about the 2012 All Star Game around the Web:

Around the Web, check out more information about this year's big extravaganza including past scores and winners, individual and team records, and a bit of history and trivia about the annual NBA All Star Game...

NBA.com - The official site featuring the complete schedule, news and updates, video clips, pictures and feature stories, balloting information, NBA All-Star history and a guide to the 2012 Jam Session.

2012 NBA All Star Orlando - Keep up to date with schedules, updates, slam dunk videos and other highlights as All Star Weekend draws near.

NBA All-Star Game - Complete Wikipedia overview with All Star Game history, trivia, scores, stats and winners dating back to 1951.

Also see -> March Madness | NBA playoffs | NBA draft

also see in Sports Idols -> Shaquille O'Neal

Dwyane Wade | Lebron James