Well folks, now that the dust seems to be settling from the incredible show we saw on February 7th (brought to you by the Saints), and now that all of the Super Bowl commercial hoopla seems to have died down, and now that the parties have have died down (except in New Orleans), we can now show appreciation to the “other” sport…the sport that seems to be gaining much leverage as we edge closer and closer into the playoffs.
Yes, that’s right folks: the NBA.
Oh, and if you haven’t heard, the NBA All-Star game is this weekend, and I’m going to give you loads of reasons as to why it’s a weekend you can’t miss.
Heck, just ask the 100,000+ fans who are going to attend the All Star game in Dallas.
Here is Part 1 of our three-part series breaking down the schedule for the 2010 NBA All Star Weekend and previewing the events. Today’s post will highlight the the Friday activities and one of Saturday’s events.
NBA Celebrity All-Star Game
- NBA Celebrity All-Star Game Date: Friday, February 2nd
- NBA Celebrity All-Star Game TV: ESPN
- NBA Celebrity All-Star Game Time: 7:00 ET
Okay, what’s better than hearing the names of Pitbull, Mark Cuban, and Chris Tucker in the same sentence? Nothing, that’s what!
Ahh..the good old Celebrity All-Star Game, which has featured numerous faces such as Lil Wayne, Lil Bow-Wow, Ludacris, Terrell Owens, Ne-Yo, etc.
Let’s get this straight, the Celebrity game isn’t the most competitive or skilled game of ball you’ve ever seen, but it sure as hell is a load of fun. Who knew T.O. actually knew how to handle the rock?
Who knew Lil Wayne was good at something other than rapping, drinking “syrup” out of a foam cup, and getting a$$? I didn’t, but thanks to the Celebrity All-Star game, I do!
Not only will this be an “LOL” moment for everybody, but the money for the game is also donated for better causes.
Now that you know of the game, let’s take a peek at who is playing.
NBA Celebrity All-Star Game Participants
| Doctor Oz (Host, The Dr. Oz Show) | Common (Musician/Actor) |
| Chris Tucker (Actor/Comedian) | Mark Cuban (Dallas Mavericks Owner) |
| Anthony Anderson (NBCs Law & Order) | Robert Horry (Seven-time NBA Champion) |
| Joel Moore (Avatar) | Rick Fox (Three-time NBA Champion) |
| Anthony Kim (PGA Tour Pro) | Chris Mullin (Five-time NBA All-Star) |
| Pitbull (Musician, I Know You Want Me) | Nancy Lieberman (Basketball Hall of Famer) |
| Scooter Christensen (Harlem Globetrotters) | Coach: Magic Johnson (Basketball Hall of Famer, ESPN analyst) |
| Special K Daley (Harlem Globetrotters) | Coach: Alonzo Mourning (Five-time NBA All-Star) |
| Flight Time Lang (Harlem Globetrotters) | Assistant Coach: Mario Lopez |
| Big Easy Lofton (Harlem Globetrotters) | |
Not a bad cast huh? Just make sure to tune in to ESPN on Friday, 7PM ET!
T-Mobile Rookie/Sophomore Challenge & Youth Jam
- T-Mobile Rookie/Sophomore Challenge Date: Friday, February 12th
- T-Mobile Rookie/Sophomore Challenge TV: TNT
- T-Mobile Rookie/Sophomore Challenge Time: 9:00 ET
![nba all star weekend preview - rookie/sophomore challenge, celebrity all star game, horse]( "kevin-durant-all-star")
Now this is when things begin to get (more) serious.
The Rookie/Sophomore Challenge is actually a great game to watch, especially for those of you who remember last year’s, when Kevin Durant was literally “in the zone”. I mean, the kid dropped a record 46 points for the event. Seriously, it’s either this kid was a ball hog, or he was just simply on FIRE (I pick the second one).
Let’s not forget the year previous to that one, when Cavs guard Daniel Gibson broke the record for most 3’s made in the event (11 for 20 from 3), which totaled up to a big 33 points. So I’m sure this year will bring something special for us all (again).
I now would like to present to you, the rosters for this years T-Mobile Rookie/Sophomore Challenge:
Rookie Roster
| Omri Casspi (Kings) | F | 6-9/225 | Israel |
| DeJuan Blair (Spurs) | F-C | 6-7/265 | Pittsburgh |
| Stephen Curry (Warriors) | G | 6-3/185 | Davidson |
| Tyreke Evans (Kings) | G | 6-6/220 | Memphis |
| Jonny Flynn (Timberwolves) | G | 6-0/186 | Syracuse |
| Taj Gibson (Bulls) | F | 6-9/225 | USC |
| James Harden (Thunder) | G | 6-5/220 | Arizona State |
| Brandon Jennings (Bucks) | G | 6-1/169 | Lottomatica Virtus Roma (Italy) |
| Jonas Jerebko (Pistons) | F | 6-10/231 | Sweden |
Sophomore Roster
| Michael Beasley (Heat) | F | 6-9/245 | Kansas State |
| Marc Gasol (Grizzlies) | C | 7-1/265 | Spain |
| Danilo Gallinari (Knicks) | G-F | 6-10/225 | Italy |
| Eric Gordon (Clippers) | G | 6-3/222 | Indiana |
| Brook Lopez (Nets) | C | 7-0/260 | Stanford |
| Kevin Love (Timberwolves) | F-C | 6-10/260 | UCLA |
| O.J. Mayo (Grizzlies) | G | 6-4/210 | USC |
| Anthony Morrow (Warriors) | G | 6-3/190 | Georgia Tech |
| Russell Westbrook (Thunder) | G | 6-5/210 | UCLA |
Should be one heck of a game, but note that Friday is just a warmup of what is to come!
H.O.R.S.E.
- NBA All Star Weekend HORSE Date: Saturday, February 13th
- NBA All Star Weekend HORSE TV: TNT
- NBA All Star Weekend HORSE Time: 7:00 ET
I’m sure everyone who is human, has played the game of H.O.R.S.E. once in their life. If you haven’t, here’s to you:
Anyways, last year’s NBA All-Star version of H.O.R.S.E. was the first ever during All-Star weekend, with Thunder F Kevin Durant taking out Hawks G Joe Johnson, who took out Grizz G O.J. Mayo.
For those of you who want to laugh a little, have a snack, and just kick back for a while and watch good ‘ol basketball fun, this is for you! Here are this year’s contestants:
- Kings F Omri Casspi
- Celtics G Rajon Rondo
- Thunder F Kevin Durant
Enjoy!
Look out later in the week for our previews of the 3-Point Contest, the Slam Dunk Contest, and the 2010 NBA All-Star Game.
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* – Kevin Durant photo credit: iSportsWeb
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