Other Celebrity Participants: Comedian Hasan Minhaj, Recording Artists 21 Savage, Cordae, Janelle Monáe, Kane Brown, Nicky Jam, Ozuna and Actors Simu Liu, Everett Osborne and Sinqua Walls
Coaches: Two-Time NBA MVP and NBA All-Star Game Captain Giannis Antetokounmpo, His Brothers Thanasis and Alex Antetokounmpo and Olympic Gold Medalist Lindsey Vonn take on Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer and Two-Time WNBA Champion Lisa Leslie, Rapper and Actor Fat Joe and Houston Astros Third Baseman Alex BregmanTeam Captains: Utah Jazz Governor Ryan Smith and Three-Time NBA Champion and Jazz Minority Owner Dwyane Wade Exclusively on ESPN: Cassidy Hubbarth Returns as Host with Mark Jones, Richard Jefferson and Monica McNutt on Game Commentary
ESPN and the NBA today announced the rosters and coaches for the 2023 Ruffles® NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, featuring actors, comedians, Grammy® Award-winning musicians, athletes and more. The game will take place at Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, Utah on Friday, February 17, at 7 p.m. ET.
Utah Jazz team governor Ryan Smith and three-time NBA Champion and Jazz minority owner Dwyane Wade will serve as honorary captains. Two-time NBA MVP and 2023 NBA All-Star Game Captain Giannis Antetokounmpo, his brothers Thanasis and Alex Antetokounmpo and three-time Olympic Medalist Lindsey Vonn will coach for Team Dwyane and will take on Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer and Two-time WNBA Champion Lisa Leslie, rapper and actor Fat Joe and Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman, who will coach for Team Ryan.
Grammy Award-winning recording artist 21 Savage, Grammy Award-winning recording artist and actress Janelle Monáe, Grammy Award-nominated recording artist Cordae, actors Simu Liu, Sinqua Walls, Everett Osborne, Latin global music icon and actor Nicky Jam and reggaeton artist Ozuna, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf, Pro Football Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson, 11-time MLB All-Star Albert Pujols, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live correspondent Guillermo Rodriguez, tennis star Frances Tiafoe, WWE Superstar The Miz, Brazilian TV host Marcos Mion and content creator Jesser will make their first Celebrity Game appearances.
Peloton coach and Puma athlete Alex Toussaint will return as the reigning MVP, while comedian Hasan Minhaj and five-time American Music Award winner Kane Brown will appear in their third Celebrity Game and actor and NBA Brand Ambassador for India Ranveer Singh in his second. Each team will also feature a WNBA star, with two-time WNBA All-Star and Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale and WNBA Champion and Phoenix Mercury All-Star Diamond DeShields on opposing rosters.
New this year, each team captain will have the ability to activate “Ruffles Crunch Time”, which starts a two-minute period where point values are doubled. Additionally, Celebrity Game’s “Unlock a Legend” feature will return in 2023, giving a team the ability to add a legendary NBA player to their roster mid-game. For more on the event, visit the NBA’s Celebrity Game site.
Throughout the game, captains Ryan Smith and Dwyane Wade and team members will also compete in gameplay activations, including shooting from the fan-favorite Ruffles 4-Point Ridge Line, to raise up to $100,000 to benefit 5 For The Fight Cancer Research Internship in partnership with Howard University.
