Los Angeles and Brooklyn are considered strong favorites to be awarded the NBA All-Star Game in 2018 and 2019.

Brooklyn shared the event with New York in 2015 and there's some feeling they deserve to host it on their own.

Los Angeles last hosted the All-Star Game in 2011.

The 2017 All-Star Game will be held in Charlotte.

Cleveland has also submitted a bid for 2018.

The 2016 NBA All-Star Game averaged 7.6 million television viewers, up six percent over 2015.

The peak audience was at 8.7 million during the beginning of the telecast, which was on TNT.

Top local market ratings for the contest were San Antonio (12.4), Oklahoma City (9.9), Cleveland (9.7), San Francisco (9.4) and Memphis (8.4).

Zach LaVine defeated Aaron Gordon to win the 2016 Slam Dunk Contest in a marathon final round in which two sudden deaths rounds were needed to determine a winner.

Gordon's dunk grabbing the ball from the Orlando Magic mascot and then passing it underneath both of his legs before finishing a reverse was the clear highlight of the night.

LeBron James is typically the last player to leave the court after the Cleveland Cavaliers' practices, working for an additional 45 minutes to an hour post practice on average.

Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving occasionally join him.

"You have to put in the work if you expect to improve your game," James explained. "That's always been my mindset. I can't cheat the game. You only have so long to play this game at a high level and I want to do my part to make sure I'm still progressing."

Teammates often have to wait on the bus for him to get back to the hotel when they're on the road.

James will be 32 during next year's All-Star Game and could be the oldest player in the game depending on whether Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade make the team again.

"I have not [thought about being the old vet] until you brought it up," James said. "Don't make me feel so damn old, man.

"Nah, it'll be cool. It'll be all right. I'm next. We're next. You're on deck."

Chris Bosh has withdrawn from the All-Star Game with an unspecified injury.

Al Horford will replace Bosh on the Eastern Conference team.

Chris Bosh is treating this All-Star Game as if it will be his last one.

Bosh will return to Toronto where he played from 2003 until 2010. 

"This will be the last year that I'm worried about it," Bosh said. "I figured I've had a pretty good run."

Bosh has made 11 All-Star Games.

"I mean, it's 11 times for me," Bosh said. "It's newer, younger guys coming up. It's getting tougher and tougher to make every year."

Bosh is fifth among active players in All-Star appearances.

"I think any time you don't make it, at least for me, you get disappointed," Bosh said. "I would have gotten over it fast and just utilized that time to do something else because it is work. It's work of the privileged. I get the opportunity to go out there, do some cool stuff, play in a great game. It's the best 24, 25 players in the world."

The NBA announced Pau Gasol will replace Jimmy Butler in the 2016 NBA All-Star Game. For Gasol, it marks the second consecutive season that he has been named an All-Star and his sixth selection overall.

The 35-year old Gasol has appeared in 48 games, where he has averaged 17.0 ppg, 10.9 rpg (third in the East; sixth in the NBA), 3.3 apg, 2.02 bpg (second; fifth) and 0.63 spg in 31.9 mpg. On the year, he is shooting .477 from the floor and .809 from the line. He has also turned in a team-high 29 double-doubles (second; fifth).

A 14-year veteran of the NBA, Gasol has led Chicago in scoring 12 times, in boards 33 times and in assists eight times. He has scored 20 or more points 14 times, including two contests with at least 30 points. The Bulls big man has also grabbed 10 or more rebounds in 31 games. Gasol also joins former Bulls center Artis Gilmore (1978, 1979; 1981, 1982) and Joakim Noah (2013, 2014) as the only big men in team history to garner All-Star accolades in consecutive seasons.

The NBA has set its field for the 2016 Three-Point Contest, headlined by defending champion Stephen Curry.

*Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
James Harden, Houston Rockets
Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors
Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks
Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors
JJ Redick, Los Angeles Clippers
Chris Bosh, Miami Heat
Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns

The NBA has set their four-man field for the 2016 Slam Dunk Contest in Toronto.

Zach LaVine will defend his title against Andre Drummond, Will Barton and Aaron Gordon.

Barton and Gordon have each had a number of impressive dunks this season.

Andrew Wiggins remains uninterested in competing the dunk contest.

The 2016 All-Star Game is in Wiggins' hometown of Toronto and he'll play in the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday.

"My story is, I lost in high school, right when I was in the McDonald's [All-]American Game, so I really don't do ... dunks anymore," Wiggins said during an interview with ESPN.com. "I kind of retired that back, left that in high school, so I don't really do it anymore.

"Right now, you can give it to him [Zach LaVine]. I won't be doing all the surprise dunks. I just keep it simple -- one hand, two hands."

During the interview, Karl-Anthony Towns joked with Wiggins, "They want you in that [dunk] contest bad."

Wiggins shook his head and said, "Me? Nah. I lost. I'm not doing it again. Maybe one day, but right now, I lost in high school and I thought I should've won, so I'm just ..."