No disrespect to your schooling, but...

Anon#384571....I actually think the Adelaide Arena represents well on tv and not just to spite you but I dont think the Crocs or Hawks venues are as aesthetically appealing to the viewer. Horses for courses I guess...

Who is likely for the dunk comp?

Mitch Creek
Lucas Walker
Lance Hurdle

And...the 3 point shoot out?

Oscar Forman
Clint Steindl
Cam Gliddon
Steven Weigh
Todd Blanchfield

Anon, being Saturday b4 Christmas is clever
I could not imagine anywhere worse to be than a shopping centre (crowded)

Besides I do my shop on Christmas eve

Dunk Comp

Walker, Bartlett, Creek, Hurdle, Abercrombie?

3 point Comp

Lisch, Crawford, Bruton, Foreman, Gibson?

Benny Lewis is the most exciting dunker in the NBL right now.

Those who bag the 36ers court are clueless. It is one of if not the best arena in Australia !. I have been to Woolongong and its not that great. Its good but please ! . The Kings have the best and we (36ers) are 2nd.

What's the point of this game ?

Hope no Wildcat players get injured playing a nothing game, i'd rather have them right for a game that counts.

Full NBL release:

The National Basketball League will stage the highly-anticipated return of the NBL All-Star Game at Adelaide Arena in South Australia on Saturday 22 December 2012 - bringing together the league's 20 best players in a battle of north versus south.

Players from the Cairns Taipans, Townsville Crocodiles, Sydney Kings and Wollongong Hawks will be eligible for the North All-Stars team – while players from the New Zealand Breakers, Melbourne Tigers, Perth Wildcats and Adelaide 36ers will represent the South.

Fans will play a central role in selecting the teams, having the opportunity to pick the starting five for both teams through an online voting system. The reserves will be selected by the league.

Basketball Australia Chief Executive Officer Kristina Keneally said the Adelaide Arena was a perfect venue to hold the first NBL All-Star Game since 2007.

"Adelaide Arena will provide a fantastic setting for the stars of our league on what is sure to be one of the NBL’s night of nights," Ms Keneally said.

“Adelaide Arena is an iconic Australian sporting venue, and South Australian fans are among our most passionate basketball supporters in the country.”

Basketball SA Chief Executive Officer Mark Hubbard said: “We’re thrilled to have the NBL All-Stars returning to our city.

“The Arena successfully hosted the NBL All-Star Game in 2006 – which was a hit with fans – so it’s no surprise that the 36ers once again actively lobbied for our venue to host the match.

“The combination of our great arena and the enthusiasm for basketball among fans in Adelaide makes it a perfect place to host the all new, All-Stars Game.”

Adelaide 36ers Chief Executive Officer Leeanne Grantham said: “Holding the NBL All-Star Game in Adelaide will be a significant boost for the Adelaide 36ers so we’re delighted that Adelaide Arena has been chosen as the venue. The All-Star Game is the NBL’s showcase event and having it here will help capitalise on the excitement already surrounding the Sixers.”

The 2012 All-Star Game will feature the return of the popular Slam Dunk Competition and Three-Point Shoot-out, as well as the introduction of a Celebrity and Legends 3x3 game.

It will be broadcast nationally in Australia on TEN at 2.00pm in all markets, live in New Zealand on Sky Sports, and live on NBL.TV for mobile and tablets and simulcast on PCs.

The highest ranked head coach on the NBL ladder from the four teams making up the South at the end of Round Nine will lead the South All-Stars, with the same criteria used to select the coach of the North. The league will also select legends of the game to act as Assistant Coaches.

Tickets for the 2012 NBL All-Star Game go on-sale exclusively for Adelaide 36ers and Adelaide Lightning Members on Thursday, October 25 at 9:00am.

General public tickets will go on-sale on Monday, October 29 at 9:00am.

To purchase tickets fans can contact Proticket (1300 12 10 12 or www.proticket.com.au). Corporate hospitality packages are also available and email enquiries can be made at [email protected].

Voting details for team composition will be released shortly.

Pure Silk, I wouldn't say Sydney has the best basketball stadium since they don't even show the scorers. Also one end of the stadium is blocked off with a wall instead of the seating going right around.

Perth will shortly take over as the best stadium in Australia. Perhaps it would have been more fitting to have the All-Star game in Perth to help celebrate the new stadium.

Hisense would of been perfect!

Vector Arena in Auckland would def sellout for an Allstar Game. Congrats to Adelaide on pulling finger and getting it done

Not sure they should bother with the 'dunk comp' the last one in Adelaide was pretty embarrassing.

Carlos Powell won the dunk comp in Adelaide against Farley in the final.

As mentioned Carter and Broom and one other were involved as well.

Abercrombie, as athletic as he is, doesn't have big hands to palm the ball so he can't do the one handed windmills etc. Not sure about Creek and Walker's dunk repertoire.

3 point comp would be cool, there is enough decent perimeter shooters in the NBL to warrant one.

I like the idea of the 3 on 3 legends game - though it would have been better to go with a full 5 on 5 game instead. If there is anything that might get some old fans from the 80s and 90s who stopped following the NBL in later years, this might generate interest again seeing their old "heroes" again.

Plus all the household names of the NBL are from the 90s anyway. So a good idea there - hope that part of the event (the legends game) is a significant one.

Mystro....youtube Mitch Creek for a bit of a look at his repertoire - not sure about Walker though?

ANon u say u have bought tickets.. where how? i been trying to!!!

Casey Frank was the other one who missed most of his dunks from memory

Hurls:

General public tickets will go on-sale on Monday, October 29 at 9:00am

I wonder if having it in Adelaide is trying to give a boost to efforts to keep the Arena for basketball/NBL games beyond this season? NBL saying to any potential purchasers - "look at the sort of event basketball/NBL can bring to this stadium".

Isaac it says season members can buy thm as of today though and i am one..

I was the anon above who bought tickets. Got a e-mail. Wasn't 36ers branded (had the all-star game branding) but said because I'm a season ticket holder I getfirst dibs and a 15% discount.

Page I went to hadheaps of options (discounted tickets for player families). The link is at work so will look at it again tomorrow and post any info.

Good choice really. The Adelaide Arena is the biggest and best basketball specific stadium in Australia, and this is the All-Star basketball game after all. I know there is potential for a larger crowd in Sydney (the Ent Cent or being ambitious, Allphones Arena), Melbourne (Hisense) and even Auckland (Vector Arena). And of those, I think Auckland is probably the best bet to draw a capacity crowd. A case could also be made for the new 14,846 seat Perth Arena which opens in 3 weeks (ironically, Perth v Adelaide), though I think the NBL want to see what size crowds the Wildcats can draw there before committing something like the ASG there.

I think, as the article alludes to, that Adelaide is being rewarded for the fact that despite the recent lack of success of the 36ers, our average attendances have been on or near the top in the league for years now.

Anon#384571.....are your observations about the Adelaide Arena based on your personal experiences there or are you talking from watching it on TV only?? There is nothing wrong with the arena and it shows up very well on the box IMO.

South should dominate this game.
The predicted top 3 teams all together.

I'd go with:
Jackson
Lisch
Abercrombie
Redhage
Johnson

Martin
Gibson
Vukona
Knight
Schenscher/Pledger

Vs

Wilson
Ervin
Crawford
Lazare
Tragardh

Henry
Deleon
Saville
Forman
Loughton

South win pretty much every positional match-up. You never know with these types of games, but South is stronger offensively and defensively.

Ehh, i'm so sick of this need for the NBL to play a night sport in the afternoon. People will be busy working and shopping for x-mas 3 days later. Old man bought me a ticket as a surprise but i'm busy in the afternoon, if it was at night I could go. I understand its for the live tv audience but surely they have to consider those attending. I'm sure it will get great support but its just frustrating.

^^ agree with above post. I'm also getting frustrated at the ever increasing number of early afternoon games in the last few years. Obviously it's for TV, but basketball is traditionally a night sport. The ASG could have at least been on at night, but then it wouldn't have been broadcast.

HoldenV8, I think Perth Arenas capacity for basketball will be 12,500, with the option to make it smaller if necessary.

^^ agree with above post. I'm also getting frustrated at the ever increasing number of early afternoon games in the last few years. Obviously it's for TV, but basketball is traditionally a night sport. The ASG could have at least been on at night, but then it wouldn't have been broadcast.

HoldenV8, I think Perth Arenas capacity for basketball will be 12,500, with the option to make it smaller if necessary.

Wildcat fan, check out the official Venues West website. Capacity for basketball will be 14,846

http://www.venueswest.wa.gov.au/cproot/947/3/Perth%20Arena%20Seating%20Plan_Basketball.pdf

That's right, but I've also heard a lot of talk that they will consider reducing capacity to 12,500. The 14,846 capacity is the official capacity with the maximum amount of seats possible. There's always the opportunity to reduce that if they want.

all you clowns complaining about the 22nd of December being a pain because of christmas shopping, here is a tip START SHOPPING NOW !!!!!!