Story time with Uncle Neef… I remember for years upon years, All Star Weekend was the highlight of the sports world for me. WWF/WWE, the Super Bowl and NBA All Star Weekend was big in any of my many homes!
I must say, it’s loss it’s luster and I don’t think it’s because I’m older. I think the product just isn’t as entertaining. And the biggest culprit for that is the Slam Dunk contest (we’ll unpack that in day 2).
This year, the 3 day event is in Salt Lake City, Utah. The weekend kicks off tonight with the Celebrity Game followed by the Rising Stars game. Utah Jazz team governor Ryan Smith and three-time NBA Champion and Jazz minority owner Dwyane Wade will serve as honorary captains.
Let’s start with the celebrity game. Even this little silly game I use to watch from start to finish. It was cool seeing some of your favorite famous faces try their luck at scoring a basket. Most of the celebs were absolute trash including MVPs Justin Bieber and Kevin Hart. However, a few actual hoopers have come through Friday night like: Nelly, Arne Duncan, Myles Garrett, J Cole, Quavo and Terrell Owens.
Tonight, if I had to guess who takes home the MVP I’ll guess either DK Metcalf, Calvin Johnson or last years MVP, Alex Toussaint.
Below is the list of the full roster for both teams:
Team Ryan
Ryan Smith (Utah Jazz governor and honorary captain)
Kane Brown (5-time American Music Award winner)
Cordae (rapper, recording artist)
Diamond DeShields (WNBA All-Star; Phoenix Mercury)
Calvin Johnson (former NFL player)
Marcos Mion (TV host)
The Miz (WWE Superstar)
Albert Pujols (MLB Player)
Everett Osborne (actor)
Ozuna (rapper, recording artist)
Guillermo Rodriguez (ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live correspondent)
Sinqua Walls (actor)
Team Dwyane
Dwyane Wade (NBA champion, Utah Jazz minority owner and honorary captain)
Nicky Jam (Latin global music icon and actor)
Jesser (content creator)
Simu Liu (actor)
Hasan Minhaj (comedian)
DK Metcalf (NFL player)
Janelle Monáe (actress, singer, songwriter)
Arike Ogunbowale (WNBA All-Star; Dallas Wings)
21 Savage (rapper, recording artist)
Ranveer Singh (actor and NBA Brand Ambassador for India)
Frances Tiafoe (tennis player)
Alex Toussaint (Peloton coach and Puma athlete)
After that game, don’t forget to turn over to TNT to catch the Rising Stars Game. For the second straight season, the game will feature a three-game mini-tournament among four teams comprised of NBA rookies, sophomores and NBA G League Players.
A couple players I have my eye on tonight to try and still the show are: Paolo Banchero (Magic), Josh Giddey (Thunder) and Scoot Henderson, G League Ignite.
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