NBA announces Sting will headline 2016 All-Star Game halftime show

Grammy-award winner Sting will headline the halftime show of the 2016 NBA All-Star Game. 
NBA announces Sting will headline 2016 All-Star Game halftime show
NBA announces Sting will headline 2016 All-Star Game halftime show /

Grammy-award winner and former The Police frontman Sting will headline the 2016 NBA All-Star Game halftime show in Toronto.

You may be thinking—wait, that Sting? Did the NBA confuse Toronto with London for its first international All-Star Weekend?

While Sting may not be the most currentchoice for a halftime performer, let’s not forget the music legend is, if anything, an overqualified choice. Anyone who is honest will tell you they felt something when they heard “Message in a Bottle” for the first time. And “Roxanne” is just begging to become our country’s next club banger. There is no doubting Sting has some classics in his arsenal. His varied musical styles and laundry list of accomplishments can compete with anyone else.

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And Sting is certainly no stranger to big performances, having played the Super Bowl with a little help from Shania Twain and and No Doubt back in 2003. A worldly man with international fame is an inspired choice for an All-Star game halftime show, especially when choices such as Drake or Justin Bieber may have been a little too obvious. (And who’s to say Biebs and Drake couldn’t join Sting for an incredible team-up?)

So buckle in for what should be an interesting change of pace at halftime of the All-Star Game this year. At the very least, the live tweets will be outstanding.

The 65th NBA All-Star Game will take place on Sunday, Feb. 14 at 8 p.m., which means you still have a couple weeks to brush up on Sting’s discography.

GALLERY: NBA ALL-STAR GAME MUSICAL PERFORMANCES

NBA All-Star Game Musical Performances

Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj

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Frank Franklin II/AP

2015 in New York City

Christina Aguilera

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Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

2015 in New York City

Nas

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Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

2015 in New York City

Sean Combs, Pharrell Williams, Busta Rhymes, Nelly and Snoop Dogg

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Christian Petersen/Getty Images

2014 in New Orleans

Alicia Keys

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Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images

2013 in Houston

Ke$ha

Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images

2013 in Houston

Ne-Yo

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Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images

2013 in Houston

Ludacris

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Gregory Shamus/NBAE via Getty Images

2013 in Houston

B.o.B

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Gregory Shamus/NBAE via Getty Images

2013 in Houston

Nicki Minaj

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Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images

2012 in Orlando

Pitbull

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Chris O'Meara/AP

2012 in Orlando

Chris Brown

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Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

2012 in Orlando

Ne-Yo

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Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

2012 in Orlando

Rihanna and Kanye West

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Jason Merritt/Getty Images

2011 in Los Angeles

Rihanna and Drake

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Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images

2011 in Los Angeles

Lenny Kravitz

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Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

2011 in Los Angeles

Usher

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Greg Nelson/SI

2010 in Arlington, Texas

Shakira

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Eric Gay/AP

2010 in Arlington, Texas

Alicia Keys

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Jason Merritt/Getty Images

2010 in Arlington, Texas

Juanes and John Legend

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Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images

2009 in Phoenix

Harry Connick, Jr. and Ellis Marsalis

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Bryan Bedder/Getty Images

2008 in New Orleans

Ian and Art Neville

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Bryan Bedder/Getty Images

2008 in New Orleans

Davell Crawford and Dr. John

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Bryan Bedder/Getty Images

2008 in New Orleans

Allen Toussaint

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Noah Graham/NBAE/Getty Images

2008 in New Orleans

Christina Aguilera

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Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

2007 in Las Vegas

Toni Braxton

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Mark J. Terrill/AP

2007 in Las Vegas

Wayne Newton

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Kevork Djansezian/AP

2007 in Las Vegas

Carrie Underwood

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Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images

2006 in Houston

John Legend

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Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

2006 in Houston

Destiny's Child

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Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images

2005 in Denver

LeAnn Rimes

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Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

2005 in Denver

Big & Rich and Cowboy Troy

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Frank Micelotta/Getty Images

2005 in Denver

Beyoncé

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Frank Micelotta/Getty Images

2004 in Los Angeles

Outkast

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Kevork Djansezian/AP

2004 in Los Angeles

Michael MacDonald

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Jeff Gross/Getty Images

2004 in Los Angeles

Mariah Carey

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Scott Cunningham/NBAE/Getty Images

2003 in Atlanta

Elton John

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Andy Lyons/Getty Images

2002 in Philadelphia

Harry Connick, Jr.

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Heather Hall/AFP/Getty Images

2001 in Washington, D.C.


Published
Rohan Nadkarni
ROHAN NADKARNI

Rohan Nadkarni covers the NBA for SI.com. The Mumbai native and resident fashion critic has written for GQ.com, Miami Herald and Deadspin.