NBA Celebrity All-Star Game 2016: TV Info and Analysis for Celebrity Showdown
The NBA Celebrity All-Star Game can be boring.
There, it's been said.
Compared to the rest of the weekend, watching celebrities (try to) play competitive hoops often doesn’t compare to dunk shows or three-point fireworks.
This year should be much more fun, though.
Drake will helm Team Canada with a star-studded coaching staff—NBA legend Steve Nash and MLB superstar Jose Bautista. Kevin Hart will man the opposing sidelines for Team USA.
If you took 20 fans, separated them into two teams and sent them onto the hardwood, this would still be a riot because of Drizzy and Hart. But this year, there’s some serious talent.
Take a look at these rosters:
| Stephan James | "Race" | Jason Sudeikis | "Race" |
| Win Butler | Arcade Fire | Anthony Anderson | ABC's "blackish" |
| Drew Scott | HGTV's "Property Brothers" | Joel David Moore | Actor |
| Jonathan Scott | HGTV's "Property Brothers" | Nick Cannon | TV personality |
| Milos Raonic | Tennis player | Chauncey Billups | NBA All-Star |
| Kris Wu | Singer, actor | Muggsy Bogues | NBA legend |
| Tracy McGrady | NBA legend | Marc Lasry | Bucks owner |
| Rick Fox | NBA TV analyst, former Laker | Elena Delle Donne | WNBA MVP |
| Tammy Sutton-Brown | WNBA Player |
Don’t act like you’re not impressed.
T-Mac and Mr. Big Shot? Let’s go.
Chauncey Billups is 39, and was in the league as little as two years ago. He’ll have 2015 WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne on his team, too. Throw 51-year-old Muggsy Bogues in there, and Cananda is looking shaky against a stacked American squad.
Tracy McGrady is only 36, though, and recently contemplated making an NBA comeback. There’s no doubt he can still play. If Aubrey Graham and Co. are going to pull this out, they’ll have to hope for some vintage T-Mac, who will be aided by former Los Angeles Laker Rick Fox.
On paper, this still looks like a victory for the Americans. But several questions remain:
- How will Kevin Hart transition from "star" player to coach?
It didn't go well for Derek Fisher.
- Will T-Mac go as hard as he can?
If so, queue up the Canadian national anthem.
- Does Marc Lasry, partial owner of the Milwaukee Bucks, have any game?
He's worth nearly $2 billion, so who cares?
- Could Nash check in for the Canadians?
Billups vs. Nash would either be (1) a fun throwback between two greats or (2) terribly sad to see how they've aged.
Oh, and in case you were wondering, Hart really has been a star of this event. He's won four MVP awards:
It's not hard to see why:
Luckily for the rest of the competition, Hart retired from playing last year.
Here’s some other must-have info about the Celebrity Game:
| Friday, Feb. 12 | ESPN | 7 p.m. | WatchESPN app | Ricoh Coliseum, Toronto |
Before we go any further, something needs to be said: Nick Cannon has played eight times? Somebody in the league office has to cut him off. Only the big dogs and MVPs—like Hart and Justin Bieber—should get that type of treatment.
Cannon better show up for Coach Kevin. Otherwise his yearly invitation needs to be introduced to the shredder.
(Deep breath.)
One intriguing aspect of this whole event is Drake’s much-desired album, Views from the 6. The Canadian rapper is a huge basketball fan and will be a frequent face all weekend when Toronto hosts the All-Star festivities.
It’d be smart to drop the album then, right?
You’d think so.
Alas, the “Summer Sixteen” rapper announced during Jan. 30’s episode of his OVO Sound Radio on Apple’s Beats 1 that the album would be coming in April.
April.
Fans shouldn’t necessarily expect the album this weekend, because maybe there still is work to be done on it. But Drake’s last major release, If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, was released out of thin air on February 13, 2013.
There’s some serious overlap between the NBA and hip-hop worlds. If Drake were to pull another IYRTITL—perhaps after he coaches the Celebrity Game—fans would go into a frenzy.
Again, don’t expect it.
Just keep an eye on Drizzy, and don’t count him out.
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