NEW YORK – Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer and his staff will coach Team Giannis in the 2019 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 17 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C.

The 68^th NBA All-Star Game, featuring Team LeBron vs. Team Giannis, will air live at 8 p.m. ET on TNT and ESPN Radio in the United States.  NBA All-Star 2019 will reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages.

With tonight’s 105-92 victory over the Toronto Raptors, the Bucks (37-13, .740) clinched the best record in the Eastern Conference through games played on Sunday, Feb. 3.  As a result, Budenholzer earned the spot to coach Team Giannis over the 13 other eligible Eastern Conference head coaches.  The Detroit Pistons’ Dwane Casey was ineligible because he coached Team LeBron in the 2018 NBA All-Star Game as head coach of the Raptors.

Each NBA All-Star Game head coach will lead the team that includes the captain from the same conference.  Budenholzer and his staff will coach the All-Star team captained by their own player, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The head coach of the team with the Western Conference’s best record through games of Feb. 3 will coach the All-Star team captained by the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James.  Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni is ineligible because he led Team Stephen in last year’s All-Star Game.

This marks the second NBA All-Star Game head coaching honor for Budenholzer, who led the Eastern Conference in 2015 as head coach of the Atlanta Hawks.  Budenholzer is the Bucks’ second All-Star Game head coach, joining Larry Costello (1971 and 1974).

Budenholzer is in his first season with the Bucks after spending the previous five seasons as the Hawks’ head coach.  He guided Atlanta to a 213-197 (.520) record and four playoff appearances, including a trip to the 2015 Eastern Conference Finals.  Budenholzer was named the 2014-15 NBA Coach of the Year after leading the Hawks to a franchise-best 60-22 record.