Tag: 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend

Micah Parsons and some sweat sent Stephen A. Smith to the hospital before the coaching the NBA All-Star Celebrity game

Stephen A. Smith will still coach the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game on Friday night.

If you’re wondering why Stephen A. Smith is injured as he coaches a team full of celebrities against a squad helmed by Shannon Sharpe, you can blame it on Micah Parsons and some sweat.

It all happened when — per Smith’s First Take colleague Molly Qerim — Smith was playing around with Dallas Cowboys star defender Micah Parsons and when the ESPN personality got crossed up, Smith landed in the hospital for x-rays.

Smith later came on and joked that Qerim was a liar — he said that he slipped on some sweat on the floor and landed “BAM!” on the floor.

Ouch! He will still coach on Friday, but if you’re wondering what happened, here you go:

Why the 2024 NBA All-Star Game moved away from a draft and the Elam ending

Whether you missed it or not, the traditional NBA All-Star Game is back. 

Instead of a draft and the Elam ending, the 2024 NBA All-Star Game will be Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference with four 12-minute quarters.

After a few years of experimenting with a different format, including a draft for players between 2018 and 2023, the league will now return to the original format of the game that was used for decades. The draft ocassionally had its interesting moments but it had run its course.

The Elam Ending, explained here, was initially considered a huge hit when it was first introduced to the NBA All-Star Game in 2020. But for a variety of reasons, some that had little to do with the format and more to do with a fear of players getting hurt, the games have not seen much competition of late.

Fans have noticed this and last season, viewership of the game was down to its lowest figure in more than 20 years. Someone needed to step in and save this game as its quality got worse and worse!

During an interview with JJ Redick on The Old Man and the Three podcast, NBA comissioner Adam Silver addressed these problems:

“No one was happy about the experience last year, no one at all … It’s not me necessarily saying we expect you to be playing like it’s the Finals but we need a game.”

It was obviously time for a change and so Silver decided to shake things up.

But another reason why the league has moved back to the format, according to Silver, is a tribute to the city that is hosting the 2024 NBA All-Star Game (via Indy Star):

“It’s fitting with the entire theme of our season which essentially, ‘Back to basketball,'” Silver said. “… Since we’re coming back to such a traditional market, we’re going back to the classic format.”

Rick Carlisle, head coach of the Pacers, supported the idea. He said that Indiana is among the “purer basketball” places.

Whether you missed it or not, the traditional NBA All-Star Game is back.

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Victor Wembanyama’s phenomenal quote about being patient with the Spurs’ rebuild will give you goosebumps

Hang it in the Louvre.

The San Antonio Spurs are a long way from their glory days of winning multiple NBA championships, and there is no Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker or Tim Duncan walking through the door to save them. The Spurs must be patient to get back to that winning. That’s patience that rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama admits he doesn’t have.

When the Spurs drafted Victor Wembanyama, they knew they were getting a generational talent. San Antonio likely viewed Wemby as someone who could help the franchise regain its dominance. The Spurs haven’t won a title in ten years or seen the playoffs since 2018.

Still, rebuilding takes time, and the Spurs aren’t exactly in a rush to get to the next step (they have only won 11 games this season), but Wemby seemingly has other plans. (See the 1:01:18 mark of the clip below.)

Here’s what he said:

“I’m not skipping steps. I’ve been told never to skip steps my whole life, but it didn’t stop me from running up the stairs. Of course, it’s something I want to be part of in the future. For now, I’m just a student of this league. I don’t really know how everything works, but of course, it’s something I want to be highly envolved [with] in the future.”

NBA Rising Stars rosters 2024: The full list, along with format, rules and big-name coaches

A look at the NBA Rising Stars rosters and format.

Before the NBA All-Stars come out to play in Indianapolis, we’ll get to see the young studs tearing it up.

That’s right, it’s the annual Rising Stars event, which has gone from being a game to a whole tournament.

Here’s how it works: four teams will play after drafting their teams, and they’ll have a target score to hit (the Elam Ending!), and the winners of the first two games will play each other for the title.

Got it? Good. Here’s a look at the four rosters coached by some NBA and WNBA legends, with one team made up of G Leaguers:

NBA All-Star Celebrity Game 2024 rosters: Here’s who’s playing in Indianapolis this year

Here are the full rosters for the 2024 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game.

Two days before the biggest NBA names will take the court in Indianapolis for the 2024 All-Star Game, we’ve got stars of a different kind playing each other.

That’s right, it’s the annual All-Star Celebrity Game. And this year, we’ve got a fantastic mix of singers, actors, fellow athletes and former hoops stars playing — and they’ve got some notable coaches.

On one side is Team Shannon, coached by Shannon Sharpe and 50 Cent. On the other is Team Stephen A — as you guessed, that’s Stephen A. Smith at the helm and he’ll be joined by Lil Wayne and A’ja Wilson.

Here are the rosters:

NBA stars are torn on whether Sabrina Ionescu or Steph Curry will win their 3-point contest

This 3-point challenge is going to be so fun, man.

Steph Curry is unequivocally the greatest shooter that we’ve ever seen. There’s no doubt about that. Nobody does it quite like he does it — that’s how you break the records that he’s broken.

But listen, man. If you watch Sabrina Ionescu’s 3-point contest performance during last year’s WNBA All-Star weekend? You know that she can shoot with the best of them. She had one of the greatest rounds you’ll ever see.

And, again, Curry is literally the best of them.

So when these two face off against one another, we’re going to see how this thing goes. I have no idea what the end result will be. I’m not confident either way.

And, apparently, neither are some of the NBA’s stars. There seem to be some different opinions on who might win — including from a couple of Curry’s teammates.

Kyrie Irving thinks Sabrina Ionescu will defend her 3-point title in NBA vs. WNBA challenge with Steph Curry

Kyrie Irving is picking Sa-THREE-na Ionescu.

It’s NBA All-Star week, and that means the first-ever NBA vs. WNBA 3-point challenge with Stephen Curry and Sabrina Ionescu is nearly here. The excitement is building, and so is the speculation about who will win. If that decision is left up to Kyrie Irving, he’s rolling with Sabrina.

In January, Steph Curry challenged Sabrina Ionescu to a 3-point shooting contest. Curry is known for his incredible range and near-automatic shot and he also has the record for most 3-point shots made in NBA history. Still, Ionescu is no slouch. In 2023, Ionescu led the WNBA in 3-point shots made and earned the single-round record for any three-point contest in the NBA or WNBA during the WNBA All-Star 3-point contest.

On Saturday, February 17, Steph and Sabrina will trade buckets to see who becomes the inaugural champion of the NBA vs. WNBA 3-point challenge. Kyrie Irving was recently asked who he is rooting for, and he’s siding with the current 3-point champ.

Here are the 3 WNBA players bringing the buckets to the 2024 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game

The WNBA is full of hoopers. Even in a celebrity game, buckets will be had.

Hoopers want to be around other hoopers, and that includes teaming up at the NBA All-Star game. The event, scheduled for later this month, will host several of the NBA’s best, but the WNBA is also making an appearance. A’ja Wilson, Natasha Cloud, and Jewell Loyd will be part of the 2024 All-Star Celebrity Game.

Buzz is building around the NBA All-Star game and its accompanying events, and it seems the league understands that if you want to make things intriguing, invite the WNBA.

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Just days ago, Steph Curry challenged Sabrina Ionescu to a 3-point contest, and she eagerly accepted. Now, her fellow hoopers are getting in on the action by agreeing to play in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game. A’ja Wilson will coach new Phoenix Mercury guard Natasha Cloud on Stephen A. Smith’s team, and Jewell Loyd will play for Shannon Sharpe.

Here is the full breakdown for each team. If nobody is saying it out loud, these rosters will be full of buckets. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Team roster image courtesy of the WNBA.

The NBA unveiled a jaw-dropping LED court for All-Star Weekend and the future is here

This is a VERY cool court.

The NBA has unveiled an LED court that they will use during All-Star Weekend at events hosted by Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Although the NBA All-Star Game will be held at Gainbridge Fieldhouse (the home of the Pacers and the Fever) and will not feature the LED court, the rest of the weekend festivities will be at the NFL stadium where the Colts play.

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That means the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, the Skills Challenge, the 3-Point Contest, and the Slam Dunk Contest will all take place on an amazing LED court. (The one-on-one shooting contest, Stephen vs. Sabrina, will also happen on the special court.)

We saw FIBA install similar glass courts during the U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup last year and it was an exciting glimpse into the future.

The court that the NBA will use, which was developed by the German company ASB GlassFloor, will add an enhanced experience for fans in-arena and those watching the TNT broadcast.

It will allow for design and color changes, live replays, game stats, location-based player tracking animations, and other animations.

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