They may not be basketball stars, but they are stars in their own right. At the NBA 2017 Celebrity All-Star game in New Orleans, recognizable names from all walks of life took the court.
The Celebrity All-Star game has been a staple of the annual festivities since it debuted in 2003. Since it’s not exactly the highlight of the weekend, the game didn’t take place in Smoothie King Arena – home of the New Orleans Pelicans. Instead, it all went down at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Friday at 7 p.m. Eastern.
The game aired on ESPN, and featured East and West teams made up of celebrities you may recognize, and some you probably won’t.
NBA 2017 Celebrity All-Star East Squad:
- Nick Cannon
- Caleb McLaughlin
- Jason Williams
- Brandon Armstrong
- Win Butler
- Rachel DeMita
- Ansel Elgort
- Marc Lasry
- Peter Rosenberg
- Oscar Schmidt
- Lindsay Whalen
- Kris Wu
- Jemele Hill (coach)
- Kyle Lowry (coach)
- Fat Joe (coach)
NBA 2017 Celebrity All-Star West Squad:
Mark Cuban
More from Thunderous Intentions
- Stealing one player from every Southwest Division team for the OKC Thunder
- Should the OKC Thunder chase after a disgruntled hometown hero?
- 3 OKC Thunder players who can step up in Aleksej Pokusevski’s absence
- Aleksej Pokusevski sidelined approximately 6 weeks with ankle injury
- Damian Lillard does not fit with the OKC Thunder
Tom Cavanagh
Baron Davis
Andy Grammer
Miles Brown
Master P
Jiang Jinfu
Aarón Sánchez
Anthony Mackie
Romeo Miller
Candace Parker
Hasan Minhaj
Michael Smith (coach)
Draymond Green (coach)
Rocsi Diaz (coach)
It went political:
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who played for the West team, wore a number 46 jersey. On the surface, it’s just a number 46 jersey. But, many speculate it is a response to a recent tweet from President Donald Trump. In the tweet, Trump said: “I know Mark Cuban well. He backed me big-time, but I wasn’t interested in taking all of his calls. He’s not smart enough to run for president!” Remember, Trump is the 45th president of the United States. Is Cuban the 46th?
It had cringe-worthy moments:
After Romeo Miller (you may remember him as Lil’ Romeo) missed a wide-open shot, he froze. In fact, everyone froze because it was the mannequin challenge. You heard that right: the mannequin challenge. On a basketball court. On ESPN.
Your TV is not broken, just the mannequin challenge...#NBACelebGame @ESPNNBA pic.twitter.com/HB9nexHAg0
— NBA (@NBA) February 18, 2017
It featured a memorable shot:
Have you noticed Jarrius Robertson, or Little JJ, hanging around the All-Star events? He’s 14 years old, and is known as a New Orleans Saints Superfan. He also has a rare liver disease that has affected his height. Even though he only stands waist high, he didn’t let that stop him. When Little JJ took the court for a chance to play in the celebrity game, he shot… and scored.
Jarrius Robertson is the front-runner for celebrity game MVP #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/AkQmyKOgy5
— Hedging Screens Podcast (@hedgingscreens) February 18, 2017
Final score:
It was far from a close game. The East took home the victory with a final score of 88-59. Brandon Armstrong who registered 16 points and 15 rebounds was named MVP.
Check Thunderous Intentions later for the review of the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge that OKC Thunder rookies – Domantas Sabonis and Alex Abrines participated in. And check out the itinerary for the weekend which will no doubt feature much more of Russell Westbrook in action.