TORONTO – The National Basketball Association (NBA) today unveiled the logo for NBA All-Star 2016 in Toronto – the first NBA All-Star to be held outside of the United States.  The logo design pays tribute to the iconic CN Tower, the tallest free-standing structure in the Western Hemisphere and the crown jewel of Toronto’s skyline.

The announcement was made earlier today at the CN Tower by Toronto Deputy Mayor Denzil Minnan-Wong, Toronto Tourism Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Andrew Weir, NBA Canada Vice President and Managing Director Dan MacKenzie, CN Tower Chief Operating Officer Jack Robinson, and 2014-15 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Andrew Wiggins, the first Canadian-born player to win Rookie of the Year.  The 65^th NBA All-Star Game tips off on Sunday, Feb. 14, at Air Canada Centre, home of the Toronto Raptors.

NBA All-Star 2016 will celebrate the 125^th anniversary of the birth of basketball.  Dr. James Naismith, a Canadian, invented the game in 1891, beginning the nation’s rich history with the sport.  Toronto also hosted the first game in NBA history on Nov. 1, 1946, at Maple Leaf Gardens.

The logo, designed in collaboration with the Raptors, integrates the CN Tower silhouette with the team’s red, white and black colors.  Additional secondary logos include a signature NBA “star” logo inside a dynamic maple leaf and an All-Star toque logo, featuring a clawed star, which pays tribute to the popular accessory worn during Canada’s winter months.

At 2:00 p.m. ET today, the All-Star 2016 logo was unveiled on the @NBACanada Twitter account using the hashtag #NBAAllStarTO.  Fans can purchase adidas NBA All-Star 2016 logo T-shirts now on NBAStore.com.  The T-shirts are available in both men’s and women’s sizes and retail for US$23.95 and up.

Additional details on tickets, schedule and other All-Star information will be released at a later date.  Follow @NBACanada on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest All-Star news.