The NBA is gearing up for a star-studded 2025 All-Star game, and not just with their top athletes taking the court. Comedian Kevin Hart has been announced as the first-ever emcee for the annual event, adding an additional new element to the updated game format set to debut next Sunday (Feb. 16) at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
According to a press statement, the 45-year-old will bring his signature humor and energy to the court, leveraging his longtime relationship with the league as a participant in its All-Star Celebrity Game as 4x MVP. His role as emcee finds the movie star in charge of hyping up fans in the arena and watching around the world alongside Ernie Johnson and team general managers Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Candace Parker, and Kenny Smith.
Four-time NBA All-Star Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors officially invited Hart to watch the game, which turned into Hart calling the hosts of Inside The NBA to embellish the welcome.
In addition to Kevin Hart, the NBA has enlisted a variety of talent in various roles for the 2025 All-Star event, with the full lineup recognizing the Bay Area’s contribution to music and culture.
As a special highlight, DJ Cassidy will lead a special Bay Area edition of his “Pass The Mic Live!” live concert format starring local legend E-40, rappers Too $hort and Saweetie, and R&B singing group En Vogue during the All-Star Game. Additionally, singer, songwriter, and record producer Raphael Saadiq will deliver a special performance to welcome fans to the Bay Area, as well as introduce the 2025 NBA All-Stars.
Ahead of the headlining event, H.E.R. will welcome fans to State Farm All-Star Saturday Night alongside National Basketball Players Association Executive Director Andre Iguodala. Additionally, Def Jam artist LiAngelo “GELO” Ball will make his live TV performance debut with his viral song “Tweaker” ahead of the STARRY 3-Point Contest. Kicking off the festivities, Bay Area rapper LaRussell will take the stage to perform an original song to introduce the 2025 Castrol® Rising Stars on Friday (Feb. 14), with the event broadcast at 9 p.m. ET on TNT, truTV, and MAX.
The 2025 NBA All-Star Game will feature four teams and three games in its first year playing this format. Each game will be won by the first team to score 40 points. Each team will have eight players and be named for a TNT NBA analyst. Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith chose their rosters from the All-Star player pool in the NBA All-Star Draft. Candace Parker’s team will be the Castrol Rising Stars champion.
The four teams participating in the NBA All-Star Game will compete for a prize pool of $1.8 million, with each player on the championship-winning team receiving $125,000, each player on the second-place team receiving $50,000 and each player on the third- and fourth-place teams receiving $25,000.
Watch the 2025 NBA All-Star game on Feb. 16th, at 8 p.m. ET on TNT, TBS, truTV, and MAX, and take a look at the team breakdowns below.
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