Here Are Some Of The Highlights From The First Night Of The 2023 NBA All-Star Weekend

Here Are Some Of The Highlights From The First Night Of The 2023 NBA All-Star Weekend,The first night of the 2023 NBA All-Star Weekend included the celebrity game, Rising Stars game and tons of laughter and fun.

Here Are Some Of The Highlights From The First Night Of The 2023 NBA All-Star Weekend

The first night of the 2023 NBA All-Star Weekend had excitement around every corner.

The night included two event – the Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and the Jordan Rising Stars Game, and both events included tons of highlights and even some shocking moments.

The 2023 Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game Was Star Filled And Action Packed

Ben Affleck and his son Sam had the honor of kicking the game off by announcing the teams. Sam was bringing the energy while his famous father announced each player on both teams. Affleck new movie, “Air” will be released on April 5, which could explain why he was chosen to do the intros. The movie tells the story of Nike’s Air Jordan’s birth.

During an interview before the game, Affleck said his son is a big NBA fan. “I’m very excited about my son with me, and he’s very excited, he’s a big NBA fan, and there’s a lot of exciting celebrities that are gonna be there,” he said.

He also talked about the movie. “For the movie, it’s a good opportunity because this is a movie where I think more than sports fans or basketball fans will like and be interested in,” he said.

Team Dwyane Wade, with coaches Giannis, Thanasis and Alex Antetokounmpo, along with Lindsey Vonn, led their team to victory scoring 81 points. Team Ryan Smith, along with coaches WNBA Champion Lisa Leslie, rapper Fat Joe and Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman, scored 78 points.

The entire game was close, and just as everyone thought it was over, there was a crazy end of game moment that had Team Ryan thinking they were the game winning team. WWE star, The Miz hit a half-court shot at the buzzer that would be counted as 4 points. Sadly, for Team Ryan, the ball left his hands just after the buzzer sounded, so it didn’t count, and their team lost. But while the shot didn’t count, it made for an amazing ending for the fun game.

IF THIS WOULD’VE COUNTED FROM @mikethemiz ? pic.twitter.com/a0WyVfqblN
— ESPN (@espn) February 18, 2023

Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf was named the MVP of the game. He had 20 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks and a few impressive slam dunks.

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Richard Jefferson Stole The Show

Former NBA player and current sports analyst Richard Jefferson did the job of many during the game. He started out at the desk as a broadcaster, but then during the second quarter when the game changed to a six v six game, he became a referee, which sort of became a bit of a comedy show. Jefferson’s humor shined through as he tried to ref the game, but the jokes just kept on taking center stage.

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When it was time for the “Unlock A Legend” feature during the second half, Carlos Boozer, who played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, LA Lakers, Utah Jazz and Chicago Bulls, was brought in for Team Dwyane. And for Team Ryan, it was Jefferson’s time to shine, which he did. He even managed to get two dunks in the game.

Friday Night Was Also The Rising Stars Games

The three-game mini tournament, NBA Rising Stars, also had its share of excitement. The event featured the league’s best young players and G-League players, but it was an undrafted player who came out on top. Jose Alvarado, Pelicans guard, hit the game winning shot for Team Pau in the final round against Team Joakim. He also took home the MVP trophy.

Just before he made the winning shot, he made a bet with NBA star Donovan Mitchell that he would in fact make the shot that wins the game.

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During an interview, Alvarado, nicknamed “Grand Theft Alvarado” talked about his big night. “I really can’t put into words, you know. I think this is just something like, I’d be lying if I say I had this in my mind,” he said during a postgame interview. “I believe in myself 100 percent, I think I believe in myself out of this world, but this is something I didn’t think of or dream of.”