The NBA is embracing a Final Four-type model for part of its 2024 All-Star Game showcase in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The league will hold its All-Star Saturday Night on Feb. 17 at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts.
By moving the event from the Indiana Pacers’ Gainbridge Fieldhouse, attendance for All-Star Saturday Night will more than double from about 17,200 to around 35,000 — a shift similar to that of the NCAA, which now holds the Final Four in domed football stadiums.
All-Star Saturday Night features the Skills Challenge and the 3-Point and Dunk Contests, and the fan energy for those events often surpasses that of the NBA All-Star Game itself, something also reflected in sagging All-Star Game television ratings.
The basketball court will be set up at the south end of the stadium, while the north end will feature a stage for concerts and other performances.
“All-Star Saturday is one of the most exciting and entertaining nights in all of sports, and holding it at Lucas Oil Stadium, one of football’s most iconic venues which was also thoughtfully designed for basketball events, enables us to make it more accessible than ever,” said Rick Fuson, CEO of Pacers Sports & Entertainment.
Lucas Oil Stadium has hosted three Final Fours since its 2008 opening and will do so again in 2026 and 2029. The NBA will still hold the 2024 All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Feb. 18.
