"I say that just because I miss my family, but I'm excited for the game, just to experience the whole all-star weekend," Holiday said. "Once the game comes and I'm in the arena and I get the vibe and all of that, it'll be a different situation."
Holiday, who goes to the break averaging 13.8 points and 6.2 assists a game, will play on a team of the NBA's best sophomores, pitted against the NBA's best rookies. The game kicks off the NBA's weekend festivities.
"To me, he's one of the most improved players in the NBA," Sixers coach Doug Collins said of his point guard. "What I love about it is he's going to get a chance to see the guys who are playing on Sunday and be around them and see how they prepare and all that goes with being an all-star. It gives him something to shoot for."
Sixers forward Thaddeus Young represented the sophomores during the 2009 NBA all-star weekend, held in Phoenix.
"When you're there you definitely feel the atmosphere and you want to be in that big game, play on that Sunday night," Young said. "You definitely want to be in the game with all the older all-stars. It's a sign of saying you're one of the best in the league and one of the toughest in the league."
Young also relayed the perks of the weekend: networking, appearances, photo shoots, free gear, and plenty of swag. Young left Phoenix with a brand-new PlayStation.
"PlayStation had this laser machine where they were ID'ing shoes and stuff," Young said, smiling. "It was a great time."
Young is a Nike guy, but Holiday wears Adidas and said he has nothing scheduled with his shoe company. Holiday started naming a few fellow Adidas players - Dwight Howard and Derrick Rose among them - and laughed.
"Yeah, they got the big guys," Holiday said. "I'm not there, yet."
