NBA All-Star Weekend kicks off Friday with the Ruffles All-Star Celebrity Game.
Between the wildest trade deadline in NBA history and the Super Bowl, sports fans haven’t had much time lately to make Valentine’s Day plans. Luckily, for the procrastinators among us, NBA All-Star Weekend kicks off Friday with the Ruffles All-Star Celebrity Game.
Because really, what could be more romantic than watching a bunch of celebrities attempt to play basketball?
In case you and your loved one are in the mood to watch some hoops on Friday after the Eagles’ Super Bowl parade, here’s all you need to know about the All-Star Celebrity Game.
Date: Friday, Feb. 14
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Network: ESPN
Wondering who’ll be suiting up? For anyone who isn’t in Gen Z, prepare to feel ancient.
The 2025 #RufflesCelebGame rosters!
Friday, 2/14 at 7:00pm/et on ESPN pic.twitter.com/ERbhAo7s9n
— NBA (@NBA) February 4, 2025
Each team has one former NBA player and one WNBA player — Baron Davis and Allisha Gray for Team Bonds and Matt Barnes and Kayla Thornton for Team Rice — but it’s a grab bag beyond that when it comes to basketball acumen.
Former star wide receiver Terrell Owens did also play basketball in college at Chattanooga, although he averaged only 1.5 points in 6.2 minutes per game across three seasons. Still, the 6-foot-3 Pro Football Hall of Famer has put his basketball skills on display over the years, so he should be an asset for Team Rice.
T.O. isn’t the only former college hooper who’ll be suiting up on Friday, though. Tucker Halpern of SOFI TUKKER (a music group, apparently?) played three seasons at Brown, where he averaged 10.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 27.2 minutes per game. (An autoimmune disease wound up ending his basketball career.)
Halpern shot only 38.5 percent from the field in college, but he did knock down 35.4 percent of his 407 career three-point attempts. That might make him the Steph Curry of the Celebrity Game.
Kai Cenat, a person whom I’ve definitely heard of prior to writing this, also appears to be a hooper when he isn’t busy streaming. However, the Celebrity Game could be more of a challenge for him than the last time he suited up.
Noah Kahan, a Grammy-nominated artist whom I’ve likewise definitely heard of before, seems to share Cenat’s appreciation for dunking on little kids. We’ll see how his loose dribble holds up against current and former pro athletes, though.
Fellow Grammy nominee Shaboozey might want to leave the Uggs at home this time.
Indian rapper AP Dhillon apparently wanted to become an NBA star before pivoting into music, according to Vogue India, so he’ll get a chance to live his childhood dream on Friday. Meanwhile, actor Rome Flynn has suited up in the Drew League before.
Big congratulations to anyone who’s heard of more than five people playing in this game. You are officially less washed than I am.