Suns, Phoenix mayor start 2027 NBA All-Star Weekend countdown at airport

The 2027 NBA Phoenix All-Star Weekend countdown officially began during a press conference at the city's Sky Harbor Airport on Friday, Oct. 16. The Feb. 19-21, 2027, All-Star festivities will be held at Phoenix Convention Center, with the Feb. 21 All-Star Game at the Phoenix Suns ' Mortgage Matchup Center. Longtime Suns broadcaster Tom Leander, Suns CEO Josh Bartelstein and Phoenix mayor Kate Gallego addressed the media. The last time that an All-Star weekend was held in Phoenix was the WNBA's in 2024. Before then, the NBA's previous three Phoenix All-Star weekends were in 2009, 1995 and 1975. "The women's All-Star Game had an incredible economic impact and we learned from that," Gallego said. "We're going to only do better, so the goal is to have the best All-Star Game ever." Bartelstein spoke on how the Suns will differentiate the festivities from the WNBA's event and the previous NBA All-Star celebrations in Phoenix. "There are such iconic All-Star Games here," Bartelstein said. "You kind of remember them as a kid growing up watching them. So for us is to learn those lessons. (We've) gone every year the last five years and taken notes, seen what they've done. "The All-Star Game's a great celebration so it's had so much success, then we put our own flavor into it, how to make it authentically Phoenix, do things bigger and better and we learned a lot." The NBA season opens Tuesday, Oct. 20, with three games. The Suns begin their season the following day in Portland against the Trail Blazers.