Latest news with #TeamCandace
Boston Globe
18-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Court Sense: An unwatchable All-Star
I don't know about you all, but I really was willing to give the NBA's new All-Star format a chance. Unfortunately, the execution was an absolute disaster . Here are, in no particular order, my four biggest complaints from Sunday's All-Star Game: 1. My God, the number of ad breaks. Advertisement 2. What was with all the random asides? Why did we spend several minutes on watching MrBeast — who, if you are not either a.) the parent or grandparent of a child under the age of 12, or b.) yourself a child under the age of 12, you may not know is the most subscribed-to creator on YouTube — host a $100,000 contest between games? Why does YouTube's most famous man have no idea how to host said contest, Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 3. Speaking of asides, whose idea was it to do a in the middle of the championship game? The championship was off to an 11-1 start for Team Shaq over Team Candace before we cut to commercial, wasted 10 minutes on whatever that nonsense was, went back to commercial, and Advertisement Please keep Kevin Hart away from my All-Star Game (and away from my TV, and away from me, in general, please). Jed Jacobsohn/Associated Press 4. I said no particular order, but this is absolutely my biggest: for reasons unknown, the NBA allowed Kevin Hart, a man whose comedic relevance expired when his general schtick got old sometime around 2014, to hijack the All-Star Game to an extremely uncomfortable degree. Hart was on the microphone, with his words broadcast through the in-arena PA system — that is, the players could hear him — just openly criticizing the All-Stars. I'm sure it was supposed to be funny, but seeing as this was a basketball game and not a roast on Comedy Central, it fell spectacularly flat. The lowlight of the entire evening came It was, even relative to recent years of the NBA All-Star Game, unwatchable. The players share some blame in the game's decline over the years, but after being asked over and over to take it seriously, their participation turned into a joke, Anyway, my personal highlight of the night: With his team a point away from sealing the championship, Stephen Curry slowly walked the ball up the court, taking in the applause of a standing ovation at his home arena in San Francisco, the All-Star Game MVP in the bag and ready to close the game out, and ... Incredible hater behavior from the refs. Joe Mazzulla would be proud. Advertisement Okay, enough complaining. Let's get into it. ICYMI 🗞️ The Intuit Dome has been a hit with players and fans. Harry How/Getty The Clippers' Intuit Dome is a spectacular creation and fan experience. Could that happen in Boston for the Celtics? By Gary Washburn When opposing players are asked about the Intuit Dome, often they take deep breaths and offer a laundry list of what they admire about the NBA's sparkling new venue. The visiting locker room is considered the league's most spacious and accommodating, and that's intentional. One of Clippers owner Steve Ballmer's visions for this jewel was to make a lasting impression on players in the league, perhaps thinking if the visiting locker room is this lavish, then what about that home locker room? It took 10 years for the Intuit Dome to transform from an idea to a reality and it's the league's model facility. The 915,000-square-foot arena that cost $2 billion could have an impact on the long-term residence of the Celtics. Continue reading Other top stories we're watching ... Oh, in case you were wondering, Team Shaq's 'OGs' featuring Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown took home the All-Star crown on Sunday. As the Celtics return from the break this week, Tatum and Brown's All-Star (and former Celtics) teammate Kyrie Irving seems to finding his way in Dallas. Trivia Tuesday 🧠 Each week, we'll be asking a piece of Celtics trivia to test your knowledge on the 18-time champions. Congratulations to Steve Markman of Needham, the first person to correctly answer last week's question. As a refresher, we asked you to name which current NBA franchise has a winning all-time head-to-head record against the Celtics. The answer is the San Antonio Spurs , who have an all-time record of 58-46 against Boston since joining the NBA in the 1976 merger. Every other current NBA franchise has a losing record against the Celtics, with the Timberwolves posting the worst mark at 22-47. Boston's best mark against any team is a 2-0 record against the Anderson Packers, an extremely short-lived outfit that played just one NBA season in 1949-50. On the opposite end are the Chicago Stags, who went 20-3 against the Celtics before acquiring the rights to Bob Cousy and promptly folding, allowing Cousy to head to Boston in the resulting dispersal draft. Advertisement I think Red Auerbach got over those losses to the Stags, considering what they gifted him in the end. Gregg Popovich (left) and the Spurs have had plenty of success against the Celtics. Darren Abate/Associated Press Anyway, here's this week's question. The Celtics' 23 retired jersey numbers can make it tricky for new players to snag a number they want. What is the lowest Celtics jersey number that is not either retired by the franchise or currently in use by a player? (Answer will be as of this writing on Tuesday, Feb. 18, in case the Celtics, I don't know, trade Jayson Tatum and suddenly free up No. 0 or something.) Know the answer? Send us an email at This week in basketball Okay, since I was very negative about the NBA All-Star Game earlier, I will be very positive about one aspect of it, even though nothing about it reflected well on the NBA. Spurs star and Now, those of you familiar with Paul's work over the years know that he's a man to leverage the rulebook to his advantage, whether through Advertisement So should we really have been surprised when a team involving Paul tried to bend the rules to win a meaningless Skills Challenge? In case you don't know (which, why would you?), the NBA's Skills Challenge is the first event on All-Star Saturday night where teams of two run through a timed obstacle course involving dribbling, passing, and shooting. But what the Spurs duo worked out was that the shooting portion didn't actually require you to make the shots. So when Wembanyama and Paul approached the racks with three balls apiece, they just tossed the balls in the general direction of the basket instead of actually trying to shoot, saving several precious seconds. Chris Paul and Victor Wembanyama were disqualified from the Skills Challenge at NBA All-Star Weekend on Saturday. Godofredo A. Vásquez/Associated Press Was it cheating? Was it smart strategy? Was it the sort of rule-bending that Bill Belichick would have been proud of? Anyway, funny as it was, the NBA took a rather dim view of the tactic, and the two were promptly disqualified. Now, in their defense, Wembanyama supposedly asked several folks from the NBA if this particular strategy was allowed, and was told that it was (keep in mind, this account is coming from But, nope, they were out, and frankly were sort of chastised by some random NBA staffer, Leave it to the NBA to take one of the only fun moments of the weekend (far funnier than anything Kevin Hart offered up, it must be said), take themselves far too seriously, and make it a little awkward instead. Also, So, All-Star Weekend wasn't all bad. It was mostly bad, but not all. Up next 🏀 After that horrid All-Star Weekend, the Celtics are mercifully back to basketball on Thursday against the 76ers (7:00 p.m., TNT). This story first appeared in Court Sense, a biweekly Celtics newsletter from Boston Globe Sports. Amin Touri can be reached at
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
NBA All-Star Game: Team Shaq cruises to victory as new tournament format comes under fire
In an All-Star tournament that was met with pushback for its format and its coverage, Team Shaq prevailed on Sunday when the basketball was all said and done. In the three-team mini-tournament, Team Shaq's squad of All-Star veterans defeated Team Candace's roster of non All-Stars in the semifinal round. It then rolled past Team Chuck's squad of international All-Stars via a 41-25 victory in the final to secure the title of 2025 All-Star champions. Each player on Team Shaq secured a $125,000 prize for the victory. Team Chuck's runners-up earned $50,000, while the semifinal losers secured $25,000 each just for making it to Sunday. After facing a challenge from Team Candace's Rising Stars team in the semifinals, Team Shaq started the final on fire with an 11-0 lead, sparked by eight early points from Jayson Tatum. Team Chuck never challenged as Team Shaq cruised to a 41-25 win. Tatum led the way with 15 points, including the game-winning bucket. Warriors star Stephen Curry added 12 points in front of a San Francisco crowd. In between and sometimes during the games, the broadcast featured commentary and banter from comedian Kevin Hart that distracted from the basketball and was met with vocal criticism on social media. The tournament format itself, meanwhile, was the subject of harsh criticism on the TNT broadcast from Draymond Green. Playing without an injured LeBron James, Team Shaq averted disaster in the second semifinal of Sunday's All-Star mini tournament. Led by nine points from Damian Lillard, Team Shaq scored a 42-35 win over Team Candace's roster of Rising Stars. In the first-to-40 format, Team Candace kept pace with Team Shaq for much of the game that was tied at 28-28. But Team Shaq pulled away with a 14-7 run to secure the win and avoid losing to a team of non-All-Stars. Team Shaq missed a bunch of shots down the stretch as they tried to end the game on a 3-pointer while sitting on 37 points. Officials then ignored an obvious foul of Kevin Durant as Team Shaq sat on 39 points in an apparent effort to avoid having the game end on the free-throw line. The refs might have missed one here. — TSN (@TSN_Sports) February 17, 2025 Damian Lillard eventually put the game to bed with a deep 3 to secure the win. DAME TIME FROM DEEP FOR THE WIN 🚨The Oakland native puts on the finishing OGs will face Chuck's Global Stars in the #NBAAllStar Championship on TNT! 🌟 — NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2025 Team Shaq advances to face Team Chuck in the final. Behind an outburst from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and some actual All-Star Game defense from Victor Wembanyama, Charles Barkley's team of international stars struck first Sunday night. Team Chuck cruised to a 42-31 win over Team Kenny in the first semifinal, which featured a lineup of young stars headlined by Jalen Brunson and Evan Mobley. Anthony Edwards was a DNP with a lingering groin injury. Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 12 points, including the game-winning bucket. Gilgeous-Alexander beat Jaren Jackson Jr. off the dribble and put Team Chuck over 40 points with a two-handed dunk. The first team to 40 points in the semifinal round wins. SGA WINS IT FOR CHUCK'S GLOBAL STARS 🚨Scoring the final 5 advance to the #NBAAllStar Championship on TNT! — NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2025 Gilgeous-Alexander's easy path to the bucket with the game on the line won't assuage critics tired of the lack of defense in the All-Star game. But Victor Wembanyama at least made an effort in his first All-Star game debut. He finished with six points, four rebounds, one steal and this block of Cade Cunningham in the winning effort for Team Chuck. WEMBY BLOCKS CADE CUNNINGHAMHE ISN'T MESSING AROUND — WembyMuse (@Wemby_Muse) February 17, 2025 Similar to the Rising Stars challenge, the NBA All-Stars will competed in a three-game tournament. The All-Stars were split into three teams — through an All-Star Draft conducted by TNT analysts Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal and Kenny Smith. The first two matchups were Team Shaq vs. Team Candace Parker, and Team Chuck vs. Team Kenny. Parker's team qualified Friday as the winner of the Rising Stars Challenge when it was coached by Chris Mullin, and it features Stephon Castle, Dalton Knecht, Jaylen Wells, Zach Edey and others. For each game in Sunday's tournament, the winner will be the first team to reach or surpass 40 points. As for prize money, each player on the championship-winning team will receive $125,000; each player on the second-place team will receive $50,000; and each player on the third- and fourth-place teams will receive $25,000. The All-Star teams are comprised of the East and West starters (voted by fans, players and media members) and reserves (voted by coaches). Trae Young and Kyrie Irving were named as injury replacements for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis, respectively. Here's a breakdown of the rosters (listed in order of how each team was drafted). Shaq's OGs LeBron James, Lakers* Stephen Curry, Warriors Anthony Davis, Mavericks* Jayson Tatum, Celtics Kevin Durant, Suns Damian Lillard, Bucks James Harden, Clippers Jaylen Brown, Celtics Kyrie Irving, Mavericks Kenny's Young Stars Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves Jalen Brunson, Knicks Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies Jalen Williams, Thunder Darius Garland, Cavaliers Evan Mobley, Cavaliers Cade Cunningham, Pistons Tyler Herro, Heat Chuck's Global Stars Nikola Jokić, Nuggets Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks* Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder Victor Wembanyama, Spurs Pascal Siakam, Pacers Alperen Şengün, Rockets Karl-Anthony Towns, Knicks Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers Trae Young, Hawks*injured Team Candace Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs Ryan Dunn, Phoenix Suns Zach Edey, Memphis Grizzlies Keyonte George, Utah Jazz Trayce Jackson-Davis, Golden State Warriors Dalton Knecht, Los Angeles Lakers Jaylen Wells, Memphis Grizzlies Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets (added by Parker after Friday's games) Team Shaq defeated Team Chuck, 41-25, to win the inaugural NBA All-Star tournament. The final of the NBA ASG tournament came back from commercial break and an insane gift ceremony occurred to honor the TNT crew of Ernie Johnson, Shaq, Chuck and Kenny. I repeat: A live game — with Team Shaq leading Team Chuck, 11-3 — was stopped and billion of dollars worth of All-Stars sat around and got cold so they could watch the TNT studio show hosts get a bunch of gifts to honor their roles in the promotion of the game. Oh yeah, and Kevin Hart was once again the host of it. Like most the evening, it went over like a lead zeppelin: The extended breaks in these games are really tough. We're now on to honoring the end of Inside the NBA on TNT when everyone knows its headed to ESPN next season. — Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) February 17, 2025 Worst All-Star 'Game' EVER — Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) February 17, 2025 LMAOOOOO WHY DIDNT THEY DO THIS CEREMONY NOT WHEN THE GAME WAS GOING ON — Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) February 17, 2025 If Steph and KD walked out during that 30 minute tv time out, I would not have blamed them — Josh Eberley 🇨🇦 (@JoshEberley) February 17, 2025 The amount of sitting Chuck's team has had to do throughout the night is bonkers. — Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey) February 17, 2025 It's hilarious watching these players try and warm up every 35 minutes dude You can tell they're even bewildered by all this — Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) February 17, 2025 It's almost 11pm on a Sunday night. What are you doing @NBA? — Ed. (@DepressedDETN) February 17, 2025 STEPH RUNNING 3 OFF ONE LEG 😤😤He opens the scoring in the #NBAAllStar Championship Game on TNT! 🌟 — NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2025 Team Shaq's OGs defeated Team Candace's Rising Stars, 42-35, but it wasn't easy. Team Shaq had numerous opportunities to put the game away, but needing just three points with a 37-31 lead, the veterans opted to take a lot of 3s — and missed them. Finally, Damian Lillard, who led his club with nine points on 3-of-4 shooting from long distance, hit a 3 to give Team Shaq the victory and a ticket to face Team Chuck in the final. For those into such things, Team Candace spent most of the day at BetMGM as a 7.5-point underdog, but went off as only a 6.5-point dog as the game tipped. Landing on seven had major ramifications, once again illustrating the importance of getting the best of the number. Steph splashes for THREE 💦(via @NBA) — Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) February 17, 2025 The NBA making its All-Star game less and less about basketball while complaining about NBA players not taking it seriously is about all you need to know about the state of NBA discourse in 2025. — Micah Adams (@MAdamsStatGuy) February 17, 2025 Oh God. Now it's the comedy sketch again. F me, man. This used to be one of the best weekends of the sporting calendar. I used to LOVE it. Invite my friends over. Watch the game again. Blow this up. It's over. Praying NBC fixes this next year. — Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) February 17, 2025 Can the sandman come out with the hook? This is cooked — Vincent Goodwill (@VinceGoodwill) February 17, 2025 Lebron knows this format sucks lol — Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) February 17, 2025 The new format is good. The first game was good. Don't ever give Kevin Hart or Draymond a mic again. — Heath Cummings (@heathcummingssr) February 17, 2025 I get what Draymond is saying about the disservice guys like SGA and Wemby will see with this new format. He can say this format sucks but let's not ignore how we got here, the guys just didn't care. The games have been awful. — Mo Dakhil (@MoDakhil_NBA) February 17, 2025 with all due respect they gotta cut Kevin Hart's mic — Jake (@SuperiorNBA) February 17, 2025 Been about 10 minutes of basketball and 50 minutes of not-basketball — Omari Sankofa II (@omarisankofa) February 17, 2025 Start the damn game! Doing too damn much. Jesus Christ — Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) February 17, 2025 I swear I'm not trying to be cynical but everything outside of the actual games tonight — which have been great — has varied from terrifying to cringe. — Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) February 17, 2025 Why does it take 78 minutes for the next game to start?! — James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) February 17, 2025 Worst All-Star 'Game' EVER — Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) February 17, 2025 Now they getting present with gifts. During the Allstar game. This couldn't be on the post show? They aren't going off air anyway bruh they just won't have the all star game 😂 — Jay (@1jreezy) February 17, 2025 LMAOOOOO WHY DIDNT THEY DO THIS CEREMONY NOT WHEN THE GAME WAS GOING ON — Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) February 17, 2025 The extended breaks in these games are really tough. We're now on to honoring the end of Inside the NBA on TNT when everyone knows its headed to ESPN next season. — Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) February 17, 2025 Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards did not participate for Team Kenny in the opening game of All-Star Sunday's new format due to a groin injury, he said afterwards. There was no indication in the lead-up to the game that Edwards would not participate. Edwards played his usual 36 points in a 15-point victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday, compiling 23 points (5-of-18 shooting), seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Mr. Beast, the YouTube sensation, hosted a shooting contest between Damian Lillard and a fan for $100,000. The fan had to make one shot from the logo near halfcourt before Lillard made three. Lillard made two, but before he could sink his third the fan banked in the winning shot. 🚨🚨THIS FAN JUST WON $100,000🚨🚨 — Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) February 17, 2025 The All-Star players, just as hyped as the fans, showered the fan with congratulations. Team Chuck topped Team Kenny in Game 1, 41-32, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander icing the contest with a dunk. SGA shot 5-of-5 for 12 points in a game in which Anthony Edwards curiously did not play for Team Kenny. The TNT broadcast said The Athletic reported Edwards had groin soreness. SGA ICES GAME 1 😤Chuck's Global Stars move on to the Final Rd of the #NBAAllStar Mini-Tournament ⭐️ — NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 17, 2025 The NBA and commissioner Adam Silver want the All-Star event to be taken more seriously, with players actually competing. But the four-man booth for Game 1 — Shaq, Candace Parker, Reggie Miller and Brian Anderson — was all about jokes and topics other than the game during the early going. The broadcast also gave time during the game to Ernie Johnson and Kevin Hart, who were sitting with coaches Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith. Hart screamed a lot about whatever as action on the court took place. I have wondered for a very long time who the Kevin Hart fans are? Where they are? Why does Adam think he's an ambassador lol. — Josh Eberley 🇨🇦 (@JoshEberley) February 17, 2025 When the broadcast went back to the actual broadcast booth, it was Anderson trying to give updates on the action, while his broadcast mates wanted to talk about anything except the action on the court. The issue: If the action isn't interesting enough for the folks calling the game, why should anyone else care? Then after the first game, Draymond Green ripped the new format, trashing everything about it. The NBA continues to lead American sports in giving monster platforms to voices who continue to tear apart, ridicule and denigrate its game. Some would say that isn't an optimal strategy when so much money and time are involved in "promoting" the game. The NBA needs to take a hard look at this game presentation. Led by Victor Wembanayama, the NBA's young stars are injecting some energy into the All-Star Game for the first time in years. In a back-and-forth battle, Wembanyama has wreaked havoc on both ends, inspiring everyone to compete. WEMBY'S FIRST #NBAAllStar POINTS 👽Hops into the lane and stuffs it with the left!Chuck's Global Stars 14 PTS away from 40 on TNT 👀 — NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2025 VICTOR WEMBANYAMA NíO QUER SABER DE RELAXAR NO ALL-STARJÁ TEM 2 TOCOS NO JOGO — Matchup Brasil 🇧🇷🏀 (@MatchupBR) February 17, 2025 The All-Stars are actually trying Victor Wembanyama is here to play some All-Star game defense: WEMBY BLOCKS CADE CUNNINGHAMHE ISN'T MESSING AROUND — WembyMuse (@Wemby_Muse) February 17, 2025 Tyler Herro and Karl-Anthony Towns trading ridiculous 3s: HERRO DRAINS THE 3. 👀KAT FOLLOWS UP FROM THE LOGO. 🎯First to 40 advances... #NBAAllStar on TNT — NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2025 In the first NBA All-Star tournament game, featuring Team Chuck vs. Team Kenny, it was Evan Mobley of Team Kenny who scored the first points of the new format. In transition, the Cavs big man was on the receiving end of an alley-oop from Oklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams. Mobley added another bucket as Team Chuck led 17-12 at the first timeout of the contest, which will be decided by the first to 40. And we're underway. There's no game clock in these games. First team to 40 points in the semifinals wins. Here are the rosters for the opening game: Team Kenny Anthony Edwards, Minnesota TimberwolvesJalen Brunson, New York KnicksJaren Jackson Jr., Memphis GrizzliesJalen Williams, Oklahoma City ThunderDarius Garland, Cleveland CavaliersEvan Mobley, Cleveland CavaliersCade Cunningham, Detroit PistonsTyler Herro, Miami Heat vs. Team Chuck Nikola Jokić, Denver NuggetsTrae Young, Atlanta Hawks (replacing Giannis Antetokounmpo)Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City ThunderVictor Wembanyama, San Antonio SpursPascal Siakam, Indiana PacersAlperen Şengün, Houston RocketsKarl-Anthony Towns, New York KnicksDonovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star intros full of pomp and circumstance are over. Team Kenny vs. Team Chuck is up next. Introducing Chuck's Global Stars!🌟 #NBAAllStar is LIVE on TNT — NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2025 Introducing Kenny's Young Stars!🌟 #NBAAllStar is LIVE on TNT — NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2025 Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, speaking before the All-Star Game, pledged to participate in a 1-on-1 battle next season, if the NBA decides to add the event to its festivities. "If I had the chance to play 1-on-1 with anybody, I would love to do it," he said. "Anything that can make the weekend more exciting, more fun for the viewers, for the fans and for the players, I would love to participate. ... If it's a 1-on-1 competition, I would love to participate." He gives himself a pretty good shot, too. "I think sometimes you forget, to be a good 1-on-1 player, you've got to be able to play both ways," he said. "You've got to get a stop to get the ball. You don't get a stop, you're not getting the ball. It's kind of hard, say, if Kyrie Irving is going against [Victor Wembanyama]. He's got to get a stop. But it would be fun. It would be fun. I would love to participate if next year there's a 1-on-1 tournament. I would love to participate." Is he sure? "I can't make no promises," he said, "but if I'm healthy, I'd probably do it. Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James will be sidelined for the All-Star Game on Sunday night, as he manages the ankle soreness that has plagued him for the past few seasons, ending his record-setting streak of 20 consecutive All-Star Game starts. "I was hoping that it would feel a lot better this morning, but it's just not where I wanted it to be," said James. "With 30 games left and us trying to make a playoff push in the wild, wild West, I feel like it's very important for me to take care of myself and understand what was coming on. "It is maintenance, but at the same time I have to look out for myself when it comes to this injury I've been dealing with for years." James flew from Los Angeles to San Francisco on Sunday and will return later in the night. "There will be no vacation for me," he said. "I head back to L.A. tonight and back to the rehab tomorrow and getting ready for practice on Tuesday." His availability for Wednesday's home game against the Charlotte Hornets is questionable. More on James' absence. SAN FRANCISCO — NBA commissioner Adam Silver sees all and hears all: the praise of where his game is or, most importantly, the constant critique the NBA is subject to, almost on a daily basis. The never-ending 3-point discussion, one that even he has chimed in on at times. The money element, the financial decisions that have played a big part in trades involving Luka Dončić, Anthony Davis and Karl-Anthony Towns, and the standoff with Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat. The officiating, the challenges with a million camera angles and a million more opinions on social media and in NBA locker rooms. And he's even contributed to it in ways, jokingly throwing gasoline onto the discourse by suggesting 10-minute quarters instead of the usual 12 — a suggestion that earned a decent amount of criticism. 'I try to read it all, frankly, and we try to absorb it at the league office,' Silver said during his annual news conference at All-Star Weekend inside Chase Center. 'I think the state of the game is excellent. I think it's the media's role, the fans' role, it's perfectly appropriate to be critical of the game, and I find it very helpful. I'm not one of those people who said I don't read criticism.' How Silver is trying to shape the league. Nobody was beating Mac McClung in his three-peat bid. The Magic G Leaguer was once again the runaway slam dunk contest winner for his third-straight title Saturday night in a performance for the ages. He started things with a dunk worthy of a closer and continued to wow with each successive dunk. Each of McClung's dunks earned a perfect 50 score. Catch up on all of NBA All-Star Saturday night. Team Shaq defeated Team Chuck, 41-25, to win the inaugural NBA All-Star tournament. The final of the NBA ASG tournament came back from commercial break and an insane gift ceremony occurred to honor the TNT crew of Ernie Johnson, Shaq, Chuck and Kenny. I repeat: A live game — with Team Shaq leading Team Chuck, 11-3 — was stopped and billion of dollars worth of All-Stars sat around and got cold so they could watch the TNT studio show hosts get a bunch of gifts to honor their roles in the promotion of the game. Oh yeah, and Kevin Hart was once again the host of it. Like most the evening, it went over like a lead zeppelin: The extended breaks in these games are really tough. We're now on to honoring the end of Inside the NBA on TNT when everyone knows its headed to ESPN next season. — Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) February 17, 2025 Worst All-Star 'Game' EVER — Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) February 17, 2025 LMAOOOOO WHY DIDNT THEY DO THIS CEREMONY NOT WHEN THE GAME WAS GOING ON — Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) February 17, 2025 If Steph and KD walked out during that 30 minute tv time out, I would not have blamed them — Josh Eberley 🇨🇦 (@JoshEberley) February 17, 2025 The amount of sitting Chuck's team has had to do throughout the night is bonkers. — Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey) February 17, 2025 It's hilarious watching these players try and warm up every 35 minutes dude You can tell they're even bewildered by all this — Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) February 17, 2025 It's almost 11pm on a Sunday night. What are you doing @NBA? — Ed. (@DepressedDETN) February 17, 2025 STEPH RUNNING 3 OFF ONE LEG 😤😤He opens the scoring in the #NBAAllStar Championship Game on TNT! 🌟 — NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2025 Team Shaq's OGs defeated Team Candace's Rising Stars, 42-35, but it wasn't easy. Team Shaq had numerous opportunities to put the game away, but needing just three points with a 37-31 lead, the veterans opted to take a lot of 3s — and missed them. Finally, Damian Lillard, who led his club with nine points on 3-of-4 shooting from long distance, hit a 3 to give Team Shaq the victory and a ticket to face Team Chuck in the final. For those into such things, Team Candace spent most of the day at BetMGM as a 7.5-point underdog, but went off as only a 6.5-point dog as the game tipped. Landing on seven had major ramifications, once again illustrating the importance of getting the best of the number. Steph splashes for THREE 💦(via @NBA) — Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) February 17, 2025 The NBA making its All-Star game less and less about basketball while complaining about NBA players not taking it seriously is about all you need to know about the state of NBA discourse in 2025. — Micah Adams (@MAdamsStatGuy) February 17, 2025 Oh God. Now it's the comedy sketch again. F me, man. This used to be one of the best weekends of the sporting calendar. I used to LOVE it. Invite my friends over. Watch the game again. Blow this up. It's over. Praying NBC fixes this next year. — Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) February 17, 2025 Can the sandman come out with the hook? This is cooked — Vincent Goodwill (@VinceGoodwill) February 17, 2025 Lebron knows this format sucks lol — Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) February 17, 2025 The new format is good. The first game was good. Don't ever give Kevin Hart or Draymond a mic again. — Heath Cummings (@heathcummingssr) February 17, 2025 I get what Draymond is saying about the disservice guys like SGA and Wemby will see with this new format. He can say this format sucks but let's not ignore how we got here, the guys just didn't care. The games have been awful. — Mo Dakhil (@MoDakhil_NBA) February 17, 2025 with all due respect they gotta cut Kevin Hart's mic — Jake (@SuperiorNBA) February 17, 2025 Been about 10 minutes of basketball and 50 minutes of not-basketball — Omari Sankofa II (@omarisankofa) February 17, 2025 Start the damn game! Doing too damn much. Jesus Christ — Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) February 17, 2025 I swear I'm not trying to be cynical but everything outside of the actual games tonight — which have been great — has varied from terrifying to cringe. — Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) February 17, 2025 Why does it take 78 minutes for the next game to start?! — James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) February 17, 2025 Worst All-Star 'Game' EVER — Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) February 17, 2025 Now they getting present with gifts. During the Allstar game. This couldn't be on the post show? They aren't going off air anyway bruh they just won't have the all star game 😂 — Jay (@1jreezy) February 17, 2025 LMAOOOOO WHY DIDNT THEY DO THIS CEREMONY NOT WHEN THE GAME WAS GOING ON — Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) February 17, 2025 The extended breaks in these games are really tough. We're now on to honoring the end of Inside the NBA on TNT when everyone knows its headed to ESPN next season. — Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) February 17, 2025 Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards did not participate for Team Kenny in the opening game of All-Star Sunday's new format due to a groin injury, he said afterwards. There was no indication in the lead-up to the game that Edwards would not participate. Edwards played his usual 36 points in a 15-point victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday, compiling 23 points (5-of-18 shooting), seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Mr. Beast, the YouTube sensation, hosted a shooting contest between Damian Lillard and a fan for $100,000. The fan had to make one shot from the logo near halfcourt before Lillard made three. Lillard made two, but before he could sink his third the fan banked in the winning shot. 🚨🚨THIS FAN JUST WON $100,000🚨🚨 — Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) February 17, 2025 The All-Star players, just as hyped as the fans, showered the fan with congratulations. Team Chuck topped Team Kenny in Game 1, 41-32, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander icing the contest with a dunk. SGA shot 5-of-5 for 12 points in a game in which Anthony Edwards curiously did not play for Team Kenny. The TNT broadcast said The Athletic reported Edwards had groin soreness. SGA ICES GAME 1 😤Chuck's Global Stars move on to the Final Rd of the #NBAAllStar Mini-Tournament ⭐️ — NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 17, 2025 The NBA and commissioner Adam Silver want the All-Star event to be taken more seriously, with players actually competing. But the four-man booth for Game 1 — Shaq, Candace Parker, Reggie Miller and Brian Anderson — was all about jokes and topics other than the game during the early going. The broadcast also gave time during the game to Ernie Johnson and Kevin Hart, who were sitting with coaches Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith. Hart screamed a lot about whatever as action on the court took place. I have wondered for a very long time who the Kevin Hart fans are? Where they are? Why does Adam think he's an ambassador lol. — Josh Eberley 🇨🇦 (@JoshEberley) February 17, 2025 When the broadcast went back to the actual broadcast booth, it was Anderson trying to give updates on the action, while his broadcast mates wanted to talk about anything except the action on the court. The issue: If the action isn't interesting enough for the folks calling the game, why should anyone else care? Then after the first game, Draymond Green ripped the new format, trashing everything about it. The NBA continues to lead American sports in giving monster platforms to voices who continue to tear apart, ridicule and denigrate its game. Some would say that isn't an optimal strategy when so much money and time are involved in "promoting" the game. The NBA needs to take a hard look at this game presentation. Led by Victor Wembanayama, the NBA's young stars are injecting some energy into the All-Star Game for the first time in years. In a back-and-forth battle, Wembanyama has wreaked havoc on both ends, inspiring everyone to compete. WEMBY'S FIRST #NBAAllStar POINTS 👽Hops into the lane and stuffs it with the left!Chuck's Global Stars 14 PTS away from 40 on TNT 👀 — NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2025 VICTOR WEMBANYAMA NíO QUER SABER DE RELAXAR NO ALL-STARJÁ TEM 2 TOCOS NO JOGO — Matchup Brasil 🇧🇷🏀 (@MatchupBR) February 17, 2025 The All-Stars are actually trying Victor Wembanyama is here to play some All-Star game defense: WEMBY BLOCKS CADE CUNNINGHAMHE ISN'T MESSING AROUND — WembyMuse (@Wemby_Muse) February 17, 2025 Tyler Herro and Karl-Anthony Towns trading ridiculous 3s: HERRO DRAINS THE 3. 👀KAT FOLLOWS UP FROM THE LOGO. 🎯First to 40 advances... #NBAAllStar on TNT — NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2025 In the first NBA All-Star tournament game, featuring Team Chuck vs. Team Kenny, it was Evan Mobley of Team Kenny who scored the first points of the new format. In transition, the Cavs big man was on the receiving end of an alley-oop from Oklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams. Mobley added another bucket as Team Chuck led 17-12 at the first timeout of the contest, which will be decided by the first to 40. And we're underway. There's no game clock in these games. First team to 40 points in the semifinals wins. Here are the rosters for the opening game: Team Kenny Anthony Edwards, Minnesota TimberwolvesJalen Brunson, New York KnicksJaren Jackson Jr., Memphis GrizzliesJalen Williams, Oklahoma City ThunderDarius Garland, Cleveland CavaliersEvan Mobley, Cleveland CavaliersCade Cunningham, Detroit PistonsTyler Herro, Miami Heat vs. Team Chuck Nikola Jokić, Denver NuggetsTrae Young, Atlanta Hawks (replacing Giannis Antetokounmpo)Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City ThunderVictor Wembanyama, San Antonio SpursPascal Siakam, Indiana PacersAlperen Şengün, Houston RocketsKarl-Anthony Towns, New York KnicksDonovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star intros full of pomp and circumstance are over. Team Kenny vs. Team Chuck is up next. Introducing Chuck's Global Stars!🌟 #NBAAllStar is LIVE on TNT — NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2025 Introducing Kenny's Young Stars!🌟 #NBAAllStar is LIVE on TNT — NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2025 Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, speaking before the All-Star Game, pledged to participate in a 1-on-1 battle next season, if the NBA decides to add the event to its festivities. "If I had the chance to play 1-on-1 with anybody, I would love to do it," he said. "Anything that can make the weekend more exciting, more fun for the viewers, for the fans and for the players, I would love to participate. ... If it's a 1-on-1 competition, I would love to participate." He gives himself a pretty good shot, too. "I think sometimes you forget, to be a good 1-on-1 player, you've got to be able to play both ways," he said. "You've got to get a stop to get the ball. You don't get a stop, you're not getting the ball. It's kind of hard, say, if Kyrie Irving is going against [Victor Wembanyama]. He's got to get a stop. But it would be fun. It would be fun. I would love to participate if next year there's a 1-on-1 tournament. I would love to participate." Is he sure? "I can't make no promises," he said, "but if I'm healthy, I'd probably do it. Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James will be sidelined for the All-Star Game on Sunday night, as he manages the ankle soreness that has plagued him for the past few seasons, ending his record-setting streak of 20 consecutive All-Star Game starts. "I was hoping that it would feel a lot better this morning, but it's just not where I wanted it to be," said James. "With 30 games left and us trying to make a playoff push in the wild, wild West, I feel like it's very important for me to take care of myself and understand what was coming on. "It is maintenance, but at the same time I have to look out for myself when it comes to this injury I've been dealing with for years." James flew from Los Angeles to San Francisco on Sunday and will return later in the night. "There will be no vacation for me," he said. "I head back to L.A. tonight and back to the rehab tomorrow and getting ready for practice on Tuesday." His availability for Wednesday's home game against the Charlotte Hornets is questionable. More on James' absence. SAN FRANCISCO — NBA commissioner Adam Silver sees all and hears all: the praise of where his game is or, most importantly, the constant critique the NBA is subject to, almost on a daily basis. The never-ending 3-point discussion, one that even he has chimed in on at times. The money element, the financial decisions that have played a big part in trades involving Luka Dončić, Anthony Davis and Karl-Anthony Towns, and the standoff with Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat. The officiating, the challenges with a million camera angles and a million more opinions on social media and in NBA locker rooms. And he's even contributed to it in ways, jokingly throwing gasoline onto the discourse by suggesting 10-minute quarters instead of the usual 12 — a suggestion that earned a decent amount of criticism. 'I try to read it all, frankly, and we try to absorb it at the league office,' Silver said during his annual news conference at All-Star Weekend inside Chase Center. 'I think the state of the game is excellent. I think it's the media's role, the fans' role, it's perfectly appropriate to be critical of the game, and I find it very helpful. I'm not one of those people who said I don't read criticism.' How Silver is trying to shape the league. Nobody was beating Mac McClung in his three-peat bid. The Magic G Leaguer was once again the runaway slam dunk contest winner for his third-straight title Saturday night in a performance for the ages. He started things with a dunk worthy of a closer and continued to wow with each successive dunk. Each of McClung's dunks earned a perfect 50 score. Catch up on all of NBA All-Star Saturday night.
Fox News
13-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Where and when to watch the NBA All-Star game and where to get official merch
The NBA All-Star game is coming up this weekend! Friday, Saturday and Sunday feature must-watch games. This year, the All-Start game looks a little different. There are three nights of on-court events in the San Francisco Bay Area. Here is when you can catch the action. Friday at 7 pm EST features the Rising Start game for first- and second-year players. The three-point and dunk competitions are happening on Saturday at 8 pm EST and the All-Star games are on Sunday, starting at 8 pm. There will be four 40-point games on Sunday. The four teams playing will be divided among three basketball greats who will step in as team leaders: Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith. The fourth team will be the winner of the Rising Stars game on Friday. The team will be called Team Candace, in honor of Candace Parker, a former WNBA star. You can watch the NBA All-Star game on a variety of platforms since the game will be shown on ESPN, TNT and TruTV. Watch with an NBA League Pass subscription, a Hulu with Live TV subscription, a Sling TV subscription or certain HBO Max packages. One of the team's jersey colors will be Navy, so you can get a navy unisex 2025 NBA all-star jersey if you're supporting Jaylen Brunson, Anthony Edward, Cade Cunningham and Evan Mobley. You can select which of the team's eight players you want the name and number of on the back of the jersey. The red 2025 NBA All-Star jerseys will be worn by the following eight players: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić, Donovan Mitchell, Alperen Sengun, Pascal Siakam, Karl-Anthony Towns, Victor Wembanyama and Trae Young, who is an injury replacement for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Like the navy jerseys, you can customize the jersey with one of these player's names and numbers. Jordan brand's light blue NBA All-Stars jerseys are inspired by Oakland's theater district and the iconic oak trees Oakland is known for. Featuring players from the East, including Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, Jayson Tatum and Damian Lillard, this jersey is also customizable with a unisex fit. The officially licensed 2025 NBA All-Star pullover hoodie gives a 70s vibe, with a unique hoop and roses designed printed on the back and "All-Star" on the front. The Nike-branded hoodie is comfortable to wear and fleece-lined for added warmth. Get a sleek all-black NBA All-Star pullover hoodie for the games this weekend. It features a simple black logo with the Golden Gate Bridge behind a basketball player. The sweatshirt offers a unisex fit and comes in solid black. The New Era NBA All-Star adjustable hat comes in a bright blue mesh style featuring the Golden Gate bridge and "All-Star 2025" printed on the front. It also has the signature 2025 NBA All-Star logo embroidered on the side. For more Deals, visit Go with a vintage look with this unisex "Sorry I'm An All-Star" t-shirt. It features the saying "Sorry I'm An All-Star" in bold, chunky letters on the back and the official NBA All-Star logo in a corner on the front. The oversized fit makes the shirt extra comfortable and perfect for playing a game of basketball with your friends.
