The halftime show at the 2023 NBA All-Star Game will feature Afrobeats artistes from Nigeria like Burna Boy, Tems and Rema.
Per a press release provided to The Root, halftime will have an Afrobeats theme.
Tems, the outlet reports, is particularly having a beautiful moment right now having recently won a Grammy and is nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song for “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. While it’s nowhere near the audience for the Super Bowl, this is still a very big platform for Afrobeats that will allow the genre to pick up a lot of new fans.
In addition to featuring the best basketball players in the world, NBA All-Star Weekend also brings some of the most interesting entertainment. This year’s event will include a diverse mix of musicians and movie stars, as the NBA is taking a page out of the NFL’s playbook and giving fans a big, splashy halftime show.
One of the best parts of the All-Star Game, according to The Root, is how much fun players have with their introductions. It will be all about family when Fast X star Vin Diesel does player introductions. How many car references will he get in? Will he sneak in an “I am Groot?”
The Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James and the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo are the All-Star captains and they will choose their teams in a draft that takes place at 7:30 p.m ET/4:30 p.m. PT on TNT and TBS.
With the game being held in Utah, local stars like Jewel and Post Malone will also perform during the festivities. Grammy-nominee Jewel is singing the U.S. national anthem, while Juno-winner Jully Black will sing the Canadian anthem.
The 2023 NBA All-Star Game airs live Sunday, Feb. 19 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on TNT and TBS.
