Why NBA Legends Still Run All-Star Weekend
As NBA All-Star Weekend approaches, former players continue to shape the game, the culture and how fans experience it.
Basketball: NBA Slam Dunk Contest, Former players and Hall of Famers Michael Jordan (L) and Julius Dr, J Erving (R) as contest judges during All Star Weekend, Las Vegas, NV 2/17/2007.
Photo by John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images.
Legends aren’t history, they’re the infrastructure. Across fields, genres of music and spaces they’ve shaped, they remain the foundation that culture continues to build on.
In basketball, legacy isn’t defined by highlight reels or jerseys hung from the rafters. While these add depth to the timeline, legacy lives in the way the game is played, discussed and understood across generations. It shows up in how players like Jaylen Brown move, how veterans like Carmelo Anthony carry themselves and how influence travels through locker rooms, front offices and culture at large. Legends don’t vanish when the spotlight shifts — they become the framework that makes what comes next possible.
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That idea sits at the heart of All-Star Weekend, a moment that’s often positioned around the future of the NBA, but is shaped by its past. That’s why NBA legends and Hall of Famers — including Dominique Wilkins, Julius “Dr. J” Erving, George Gervin, Michael Jordan, Kevin Garnett and Tracy McGrady — continue to judge moments like the All-Star Dunk Contest.
Every February, the NBA’s present gathers in one major city, alongside those who helped etch the indelible mark the sport has made — long before social media, player empowerment or global fandom entered the conversation. These are the voices and skills that built the playbook current stars run through — even when their names aren’t always front and center.
It’s why the National Basketball Retired Players Association’s recent rebrand to The Legends of Basketball feels less like a name change and more like an assertion. The NBRPA — now known as Legends — represents former NBA players whose influence extends far beyond their playing days. The title reflects what’s always been true: retired doesn’t mean removed. These athletes still have a hand in shaping the game and its entire ecosystem. Their influence isn’t archival, it’s active and in go-mode.
That overlap — between past and present, between influence and access — is where culture actually lives and thrives. It’s also where Okayplayer focuses its attention.
Okayplayer House, taking place during All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles, is an extension of that belief. Created in partnership with Legends, the space reflects how legacy operates in real time. Not as a glimpse at the past, but as a living exchange where basketball, music and culture meet.
Tickets for Okayplayer House are available now.
Friday, February 13, 2026 | Los Angeles
Use code OKAY PLAYER at checkout.
Purchase your Okayplayer House Tickets Here!
