NBA Celebrity All-Star Game 2015 Rosters: Team Melo and Spike vs. Mike and Mike
Forget the crazy acrobatics of Saturday night and the game itself Sunday—it's Friday night's NBA Celebrity All-Star Game that becomes the most watchable event of All-Star weekend year in and year out.
And with the festivities coming to New York, this year's edition has a Big Apple-like feel to it.
With the action hitting the hard courts of Madison Square Garden, two of the venue's most recognizable faces will coach up one team, with Knicks star Carmelo Anthony and diehard fan Spike Lee coaching Team Melo and Spike. Their celebrity-studded cast of ballers will go up against ESPN Radio sensations Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg—the hosts of Mike & Mike.
It's not about the coaches, however, but rather players who have become household names in the celebrity game. With plenty of first-timers in the fold, you can bet on big play from the likes of Kevin Hart.
Here's a look at everything you need to know for the Sprint Celebrity Game.
What: 2015 Sprint NBA All-Star Celebrity Game
When: Friday, February 13 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: Madison Square Garden
TV: ESPN
Rosters
NBA.com released the list of 18 celebrities slated to play in the game, but there was no indication as to who would play on which team as of Thursday. Updates likely can be found on the All-Star Game website.
| Kevin Hart | Comedian and actor |
| Ansel Elgort | Actor |
| Anthony Anderson | Actor |
| Common | Musician and actor |
| Mo'ne Davis | Little League World Series star |
| Win Butler | Arcade Fire member |
| Chadwick Boseman | Actor |
| Nick Cannon | America's Got Talent host |
| Allan Houston | Former New York Knicks All-Star |
| Chris Mullin | Basketball Hall of Famer |
| Blake Leeper | Paralympic gold medalist |
| Michael Rapaport | Actor |
| Robert Pera | Memphis Grizzlies owner |
| Kristen Ledlow | NBA TV host |
| Abhishek Bachchan | Bollywood star |
| Shoni Schimmel | Atlanta Dream player (WNBA) |
| Skylar Diggins | Tulsa Shock player (WNBA) |
| Tina Charles | New York Liberty player (WNBA) |
Celebrity All-Star Game Preview
Whether you're talking about the most recognizable face in the Celebrity All-Star Game or just television in general over the last couple of years, the buck stops with Kevin Hart.
The stand-up comedian has been virtually everywhere, dropping movie after movie all while making cameo appearances across the sport. But while he's all over multiple platforms, he doesn't dominate any of them like he does the Celebrity All-Star Game.
Hart is a three-time MVP of the game and headlines this year's field as he looks for a fourth crown, per the All-Star Game Twitter:
The comedian is sure to steal the headlines once more but will yet again have his hands full with a number of star WNBA players in the fold. The Atlanta Dream's Shoni Schimmel got the nod, while local New York Liberty star Tina Charles will represent the Big Apple.
Making her second appearance is popular second-year phenom Skylar Diggins of the Tulsa Shock, who raved about the experience this time last year:
There are always the household names like Hart, NBA Hall of Famer Chris Mullin and musician Common, and some of the WNBA's best are included year after year. But when it comes to this year's most popular player, Hart is doomed to be beaten soundly in that department.
Why, you ask? It's because Little League World Series superstar Mo'ne Davis is crashing the party.
The 13-year-old dominated competition in the LLWS and generated national hype in the process. Such hype hasn't been lost on even the NBA's biggest stars, as MVP frontrunner Steph Curry just had to get her autograph Monday in Philadelphia, per SportsCenter:
As if she has ever done so before, don't expect Davis to back down to the competition despite a massive disadvantage in size. What she lacks in size and life experience she more than makes up for in confidence and moxie.
After all, she did challenge Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw to a pitching duel. Good luck, Clayton.
While some household names across the NBA—like former All-Star Allan Houston and Grizzlies owner Robert Pera—will be in the mix, it's hard to steer this game's biggest storyline away from Davis and Hart. Given the competitiveness of the two and the entertainment value of them going up against one another, one can almost bet that they'll be featured on different teams.
And if Davis has her way like she did in the LLWS, she very well could snatch Hart's fourth MVP trophy right from his grasp.
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