Eric Espada/NBAE via Getty ImagesCoaches: Stephen A. Smith (ESPN analyst), Lil Wayne (rapper) and A'ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces forward)
Adam Blackstone, music producer and songwriter
Natasha Cloud, Phoenix Mercury guard
Jennifer Hudson, singer and actress
Tristan Jass, YouTuber and content creator
AJ McLean, singer and dancer
Metta World Peace, former NBA player
Kwame Onwuachi, chef
Jack Ryan, basketball entertainer/streetballer
C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans quarterback
Gianmarco Tamberi, high jumper
Like Team Shannon, Team Stephen A. also has only one player with previous NBA All-Star Celebrity Game experience. Gianmarco Tamberi, an Italian Olympic champion, played in the 2022 edition of the event in Cleveland.
The only participant with NBA experience is Metta World Peace (formerly known as Ron Artest). The 44-year-old played 17 seasons in the league from 1999-2017, earning one All-Star selection and winning the NBA title with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2010.
He spent five seasons in Indiana, experiencing his best season in the 2003-04 campaign, when he notched his lone All-Star nod and won NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
It should be fun to watch C.J. Stroud, fresh off an impressive first season in the NFL. The 22-year-old quarterback was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and earned a selection to the Pro Bowl.
Natasha Cloud, a 31-year-old former WNBA champion, is coming off her best season in the league. She averaged a career-high 12.7 points per game for the Washington Mystics during the 2023 campaign.
Tristan Jass and Jack Ryan could be players to watch for Team Stephen A. They both have showcased their basketball skills online and could make some highlight-reel plays on the All-Star stage.
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