Before LeBron James and the rest of the NBA honors Kobe Bryant with the 2020 All-Star Game, some of the biggest stars like Quavo, Common and Jidenna will hit the court for the All-Star Celebrity Game. Check out all the rosters!
In the wake of Kobe Bryant’s tragic death, the 2020 NBA All-Star Weekend will be one major celebration of the life and career of “Black Mamba.” Days before LeBron James, Ben Simmons, Russel Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard and the rest of this year’s All-Star class pay tribute to Kobe, some of the biggest celebrities will get a chance to live out their own Kobe-style fantasy. The 2020 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, presented by Ruffles, will take place on February 14 at the Wintrust Arena – home of the WNBA Chicago Sky – in Chicago, Illinois. This year, ESPN commentators Michael Wilbon and (living meme machine) Stephen A. Smith are the celebrity coaches this year, with Grey’s Anatomy’s Jesse Williams assisting Michael while Guy Fieri will serve as Stephen A. Smith’s assistant coach.
So, who’s playing this year? On Team Stephen, Chance The Rapper – who will perform during Halftime at the All-Star game – will serve as team captain. He’ll be joined by Quavo (rapper), Raylor Bennett (rapper), LaRoyce Hawkins (Chicago PD star), Anthony “Spice” Adams (former NFL star and television personality), Marc Lasry (co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks), Ronnie 2K (marketing director of 2K Sports), Katelyn Ohashi (gymnast), Lil Rel Howery (actor/comedian), A’ja Wilson (current WNBA Las Vegas Aces star) and Darius Miles (former NBA star).
On the opposite court, Team Wilbon will be captained by rapper Common. He’ll be joined by Bad Bunny (recording artist, fresh off his Super Bowl LIV Halftime show), Hannibal Buress (actor/comedian), Kane Brown (musician), Jon Batiste (musician/Late Show bandleader), Alex Moffat (actor/SNL comedian), Chef José Andrés (chef), Famous Los (comedian), Jidenna (rapper), Chelsea Gray (current WNBA Los Angeles Sparks star), Quentin Richardson (former NBA star.)
Rapper Quavo lifts up his MVP trophy after his team’s win in 2018.
Like previous NBA All-Star Celebrity Games, there is a major charity aspect to the event. During this game, Ruffles – the Official Chip of the NBA – will bring back “The RIDGE,” a 4-point line resembling the ridges in Ruffles potato chips. For every shot made from “The RIDGE” during the game, Ruffles and the NBA will donate $4,000 to Special Olympics to help foster environments of acceptance and inclusion (with a minimum donation of $40,000.)
While all the players will compete for charity, one will be named the NBA Celebrity All-Star Game MVP. In 2019, Famous Los — who scored 22 points, made 2 rebounds, and 3 assists – took home the title. 2018 saw Quavo take home the MVP. Will either of these ballers claim their second MVP, or will someone else step up and take it home? There’s only one way to find out: tune into ESPN on Feb. 17 at 7pm ET to watch.
Sourse: hollywoodlife.com
