<Tr> <Th> Participants </Th> <Td> Eastern Conference and Western Conference All - Stars </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Organized by </Th> <Td> National Basketball Association </Td> </Tr> <P> The National Basketball Association All - Star Game is a basketball exhibition game hosted every February by the National Basketball Association (NBA), matching a mix of the league's star players, who are drafted by the two players with the most votes . Each team consists of 12 players, making it 24 in total . It is the featured event of NBA All - Star Weekend . NBA All - Star Weekend is a three - day event which goes from Friday to Sunday . The All - Star Game was first played at the Boston Garden on March 2, 1951 . </P> <P> The starting lineup for each squad is selected by a combination of fan, player, and media voting, while the reserves are chosen by a vote among the head coaches from each squad's respective conference . Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own players . If a selected player is injured and cannot participate, the NBA commissioner selects a replacement . The vote leaders for each conferences are assigned as captains and can choose from a pool of players named as all - stars to form their teams . The newly formed teams will also play for a charity of choice to help the games remain competitive . On January 25, 2018, LeBron James and Stephen Curry became the first players to form their own teams according to the new selection format for the 2018 All - Star Game . </P>

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