After "years of performing only in warm-weather cities in the South and West," the NBA All-Star Game has come back to "bitterly cold" N.Y. with tonight's All-Star Game at MSG. While players "love being" in N.Y., the big city's bright lights "aren't doing anything to help the teeth-chattering chilly temperatures down below" (AP, 2/13). Meanwhile, some "unlikely teams have risen from obscurity to populate the top of the standings, and their best players will be showcased" tonight. The shift marks the "new age of the NBA" (MIAMI HERALD, 2/15).

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver during yesterday's state-of-the-league address said that the NBA "would consider starting the season a couple of weeks earlier in October to spread the 82 regular season games over a longer time period." He added that the league "would 'take a fresh look' at tweaking the draft lottery" (REUTERS, 2/14). The league's new $24B broadcasting rights contract is "set to kick in after next season." To "avoid seeing a dramatic jump in team payrolls in 2016, Silver has proposed gradually 'smoothing' the salary cap to help with the adjustment" (WASHINGTON POST, 2/15).

T'Wolves G Zach LaVine was "an instant crowd favorite" during last night's Sprite Slam Dunk contest at Barclays Center, "showing off an ability to seemingly jump out of the building" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/15). The show that LaVine put on "in front of a sold-out crowd ... will never be forgotten." Just when "you thought the dunk contest was dead, LaVine brought it back to life, soaring through the air with ease" (ESPNNY.com, 2/14). It was "a command performance, perhaps a star-making turn" that might have "resurrected the at-times moribund competition" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 2/14).

Warriors G Stephen Curry bested teammate G Klay Thompson and six others to "win his first 3-point contest" during a "memorable All-Star Saturday night" (AP, 2/15). The three-point contest turned into a "rare shootout that actually upstaged the Slam Dunk Contest." Curry "got it done despite having two pairs of Under Armour shoes he planned to wear swiped beforehand" (N.Y. POST, 2/15). The three-point shooters "may be the warmup act on All-Star Saturday, schedule-wise, but they are by now the real stars" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 2/15).

TNT's coverage of NBA All-Star Saturday Night drew a 4.4 overnight rating, up 14% from last year, the second-highest in the event's history. The event drew a 7.2 local rating in N.Y, the host city, the highest for the market on record and up 36% from a year ago. The telecast peaked with a 5.3 from 10:45pm-11:00pm ET during the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest. NBA All-Star Saturday Night also garnered an 86% increase in live streams over '14 (THE DAILY).

MLS expansion club Orlando City SC on Friday announced that it "has sold more than 40,000 tickets for the home opener" against fellow expansion team NYC FC on March 8. Orlando City Owner & President Phil Rawlins said that the 40,000 figure "includes tickets reserved for season tickets and group sales that have not yet been purchased, but are expected to be sold in the coming weeks." The lower bowl and plaza level of the Citrus Bowl "is nearly sold out, and the club has now opened portions of the upper sections for sales" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 2/14).

Negotations for a Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao bout "are almost over, and the boxing world should know this week whether the two will meet May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden or face different opponents." A source yesterday said that the two sides "are close to a deal and only a few items remained to be negotiated." Top Rank Chair Bob Arum yesterday confirmed that the negotiations "are in their final stages." Arum: "I’m very optimistic. We’re waiting to hear from Floyd. But from everyone’s perspective, it needs to get resolved this week" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 2/15).

The Nationals on Friday released their '15 promotional schedule, which is "highlighted by the franchise’s first Star Wars day, an Anthony Rendon gnome, a tribute to Frank Robinson and a Jayson Werth Chia Pet whose face will sprout actual green chia-stuff." The schedule "includes more than 20 giveaway dates, an increase from past years based in part on the franchise’s 10th anniversary celebrations, which will include 13 10th-anniversary themed collectibles." Nationals Chief Revenue & Marketing Officer Valerie Camillo said to accommodate the ramped-up giveaways schedule, the team “had to draw down some spending in other areas,” including postgame concerts (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 2/13).

Rhonda Glenn, the first female anchor on ESPN who "became a USGA historian and tireless promoter of women's golf," died after a long illness on Thursday at the age of 68 in a Gainesville, Fla., hospital. Glenn, who "sat behind the desk at SportsCenter in 1981 just two years after the 24-hour sports network was launched," was "a golf commentator for ABC Sports for 16 years, and she spent 17 years at the USGA" (AP, 2/13).

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced that the NBA "will play an exhibition game" in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Aug. 1 (WASHINGTON POST, 2/15).

Final approval for the proposed concussion deal between the NFL and retired players "moved closer Friday, as the parties amended the agreement to include five changes requested by a federal judge" (L.A. TIMES, 2/14).

The Embraer 145 twin-engine jet chartered by the Mississippi State Univ. men's basketball team last night "had to make an emergency landing in St. Louis after losing power in its right engine, 20 minutes after takeoff" from Columbia, Mo. The landing "was smooth," but everyone aboard "was shaken up a bit" (ESPN.com, 2/14).

The SMU men's basketball team drew a "post-redo record crowd" of 7,395 to Moody Coliseum for last night's game against UConn, "capping their first ESPN GameDay with a resounding 73-55 victory" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 2/15).

SEC Commissioner Mike Slive has been named recipient of the Football Bowl Association's Champions Award, which he will be presented with at the organization's annual meeting in Nashville on April 14 (FBA).

The Miami-Boston College men's college basketball game scheduled for today has been postponed due to snow and travel conditions. The game will be made up tomorrow (AP, 2/15).

An estimated crowd of 35,000 attended the NASCAR Sprint Unlimited yesterday at Daytona Int'l Speedway (Daytona Beach NEWS-JOURNAL, 2/15).

"He’s hooked on baseball. You can say we gambled on him. We expected a lot of energy, a lot of excitement, and we got it -- quicker than we thought" — Padres Exec Chair Ron Fowler, on headline-grabbing team GM A.J. Preller (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 2/14).

"Oh, my favorite paper" — Knicks and Rangers Owner James Dolan, when apprised of the fact that a reporter questioning him was from the N.Y. Daily News (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 2/15).

"Some days are good. Some days are bad. I signed up for this when, I guess, I started playing football so many years ago. ... But, obviously, not knowing that the end was going to be like this" — Pro Football HOFer Tony Dorsett, on dealing with CTE (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 2/13).

"You would probably make more money on the playoff games in December than you would with the conference championship games" — TCU football coach Gary Patterson, on the notion of eliminating conference championship games (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 2/14).

"I didn't leave the 49ers, I felt like the 49er hierarchy left me" — Univ. of Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh, on his unceremonious departure from the NFL organization (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 2/14).

"To be honest, man, I’m only here talking to y’all because I have to. So I really don’t care. Y’all not my friends. You’re going to write what you want to write. You’re going to love us one day and hate us the next. That’s a part of it. So I just learn how to deal with y’all" — Thunder F Kevin Durant, on the media asking about his coach's job security (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 2/15).

"Sometimes we hear that the kids are getting screwed. I couldn't disagree with that more" — Univ. of Arizona AD Greg Byrnes, on the question of whether to pay collegiate athletes (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 2/15).

GRANTLAND's Brian Phillips wrote under the header, "Inside FIFA’s Sinister (And Pretty Entertaining!) Presidential Race." Incumbent Sepp Blatter "is never going to lose a FIFA presidential election," as he has "spent his entire career transforming FIFA, at the structural level, into a giant machine for reelecting" himself. But UEFA President Michel Platini, who helped spark bids for three "puppet candidates in an attempt to weaken Blatter's position," has emerged as "an enemy worthy" of Blatter.

ESPN.com's Bob Pockrass reported NASCAR this season will "employ an officiating system where the primary officials will not roam the field of play but instead huddle in a transporter that will travel from track to track." NASCAR will "go way beyond" instant replay, "using a combination of video and a computer software program that determines penalties followed by an automatic review by a human." The racing body "virtually guarantees more accuracy with the new system."

Elsewhere:

• An excerpt from “The Only Game,” the latest book for young readers by Mike Lupica.
• How driver Jeff Gordon "brought NASCAR into mainstream."
• Rick Gosselin's plan to keep "sub-.500 teams" out of the playoffs in pro sports.
• Videogaming's appeal as spectator sport "can be bewildering," but it's "hugely popular."
• MLB.com reflects on the best baseball moments from the first 40 years of "SNL."

@NBA Entertainment has outdone themselves again. Truly the best entertainment group in all the leagues #AllStarWeekend

— Lisa Baird (@lisainog) February 15, 2015

USA-Mexico reaches 65,000-ticket sellout for their April 15 match in San Antonio.

— Don Ruiz (@donruiztnt) February 15, 2015

The #NBA (Adam Silver) wants to raise age floor to 20 but at #NBAAllStarNYC dunk contest it's pimpin' 19 yr old @ZachLaVine So disingenuous

— Kevin B. Blackistone (@ProfBlackistone) February 15, 2015

Drivers are ripping NASCAR over the system. This is getting bad. A lot of piling on coming, and they're right.

— jeffowensSN (@jeffowens_SN) February 15, 2015

Sweatin my tail off next to #Nets CEO @BrettYormark at inaugural @NBA All-Star Ride. Barclays Center's hoppin! #NBAAllStarNYC #OneBodyOneLife

A video posted by Bonnie Bernstein (@bonniebernstein) on Feb 14, 2015 at 6:35am PST