Stephen A Smith is easily one of the most passionate men in all of sports journalism. Overall, he has some pretty big hot takes, and he is not afraid to say when he feels like there is something bad going on in the sports world. Although some don’t appreciate his takes, there is no doubt that he has a lot of fans. Besides, he makes over $10 million over at ESPN, so he is clearly winning. Even despite the hate, Smith continues to do his thing, and it has been pretty fun to watch.
Over the weekend, we got to watch the NBA All-Star Weekend. Unfortunately, this year was one of the worst weekends ever. Although the three-point contest was cool, the dunk contest was awful. Furthermore, the game itself was a layup line as 397 points were scored. No defense was played, and guys were just chucking up threes the whole time. As you can imagine, Smith was outraged at what he saw, and called it out on First Take. He went so far as to say that the game was a complete “travesty.”
Overall, Smith is convinced that the game itself needs a massive overhaul. For instance, he wants the dunk contest to be filled with people from across the country who are all about exciting dunks. Moreover, he wants the players to actually try in the game. He feels like they play harder at the YMCA than they do in the All-Star Game, which is pretty accurate. Smith has a similar rant every year, but now, it is very clear that he is at his wits end with this one. It just so happens that every other NBA fan is too.
Let us know what you thought of the All-Star Game, in the comments section below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the sports world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite athletes and their coming moves.
Kevin Durant has detailed what he provided for Drake to land an A&R credit on the rapper’s latest album, For All The Dogs. Speaking with reporters during the NBA All-Star break, the Phoenix Suns star revealed that he is always there for Drake to speak about life.
“Whenever Drake just wants to talk about life I’m there for him and he just gave me that title,” Durant explained. He also confirmed that he doesn’t plan on dropping an album of his own. “I doubt I have an album dropping, I just do it for fun,” he said.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – FEBRUARY 17: Kevin Durant #35 of the Phoenix Suns speaks with the media at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on February 17, 2024, in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Drake and Durant have had a relationship for years at this point. The Toronto rapper has shouted him out on multiple songs, including “Weston Road Flows.” He raps: “A lot of people just hit me up when my name is mentioned / Shout out to KD, we relate, we get the same attention / It’s rainin’ money, Oklahoma City Thunder.” The questions about releasing an album come after Durant teamed up with Stalley for a feature on his latest single, “Scared Money.” Check out Durant’s comments on working with Drake as well as his own music below.
Kevin Durant On His Hip-Hop Career
Basketball player Kevin Durant explains how he became an A&R on Drake’s For All the Dogs album. pic.twitter.com/7FKwjnOrOe
While Durant is in Indianapolis for the All-Star game, Drake has been traveling the country on his and J. Cole’s It’s All a Blur — Big as the What? Tour. He most recently made headlines for giving out $50,000 to a fan in Pittsburgh on Friday who had beaten cancer. He’ll be performing on the tour through April. Be on the lookout for further updates on Kevin Durant as well as Drake on HotNewHipHop.
50 Cent and Lil Wayne linked up to celebrate the NBA All-Star Game a day after facing off as opposing coaches in the Celebrity Game. “Allstar weekend in full effect BOOM,” Fif wrote on Instagram. Fif was able to claim victory in the Celebrity Game as he helped coach Team Shannon to a nine-point victory. Shannon Sharpe’s squad rode Micah Parsons to victory, with the NFL putting up 37 and 16 in an MVP performance.
However, Team Stephen put up a valiant effort. C.J. Stroud, fresh off dating rumors with Amber Rose, put up 31 and 9. Meanwhile, YouTuber Tristan Jass put up 27 and 10 in the nine-point loss. Despite this, Stephen A. fell to his ESPN colleague despite declaring hours earlier that there was no way he was going to lose the game.
Meanwhile, Chris Brown has claimed that he was uninvited from the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game. “I was asked by the NBA to play in the All-Star Game this year! Only for them to call later and say I couldn’t do it because of their sponsors like Ruffles. At this point, I’m sick of bothering me and I’m tired of living in the f-cking past,” Brown wrote on Instagram. Furthermore, Brown claimed that after uninviting him, the NBA still asked him to sit courtside at the game. While Brown posted an initial invitation from the league to appear at the game, he did not provide evidence of the league uninviting him. The email he did share appeared to indicate he would playing for Wayne on Team Stephen.
It’s the second major event in a week that Brown has seemingly been excluded from. Usher confirmed in a recent interview that he did not consider Chris Brown for a cameo at his Super Bowl halftime show. “No, I did not reach out to Chris Brown. I’m not gon’ tell you everybody I reached out to. I reached out to some hitters. I was curating what would be one of the greatest Super Bowls of all time and it actually turned into that because of who I reached out to,” Usher said.
50 Cent has already begun trash-talking Lil Wayne ahead of the pair facing off as assistant coaches at the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game. “All star game I’m coaching, you know my team is gonna win. @LilTunechi is probably gonna get high and not show up ! LOL,” Fif wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Wayne is yet to respond to the G-Unit boss.
Stephen A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe will face off next week during the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game. The two ESPN personalities will serve as the team coaches while also boasting stacked benches of assistants. Smith will be joined by A’ja Wilson and Wayne while Sharpe has added Fif and Peyton Manning. However, their respective rosters are also equally loaded. Smith boasts the likes of Texans QB CJ Stroud, WNBA star Natasha Cloud, and R&B legend Jennifer Hudson. Meanwhile, Sharpe’s team includes Cowboys powerhouse Micah Parsons, WNBA star Jewell Lloyd, and streamer Kai Cenat.
Meanwhile, the All-Star Game isn’t the only basketball thing that Fif has found himself involved in. After taking in an NBA game between the Celtics and Rockets last month, Fif is all in on basketball. However, specifically, he wants to bring Ice Cube‘s Big3 league to Shreveport. “I had so much fun at the Boston/Rockets game man,” he wrote in the caption. “I told @icecube I want to bring the big 3 to Shreveport, all roads lead to Shreveport it’s a go!” Fif wrote on social media. The G-Unit mogul recently made the Louisana city his base of operations after operating a major film and television studio there.
Unlike traditional sports leagues, the Big3 doesn’t have home cities. Instead, the league travels from city to city for each game day. However, Shreveport is not an especially a basketball city. It’s primary basketball arena is the home arena of LSU-Shreveport, an NAIA college program. However, it’s possible that Fif would be willing to construct a temporary facility to host the league for a gameday.
Stephen A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe will face off next week during the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game. The two ESPN personalities will serve as the team coaches while also boasting stacked benches of assistants. Smith will be joined by A’ja Wilson and Lil Wayne while Sharpe has added 50 Cent and Peyton Manning. However, their respective rosters are also equally loaded. Smith boasts the likes of Texans QB CJ Stroud, WNBA star Natasha Cloud, and R&B legend Jennifer Hudson. Meanwhile, Sharpe’s team includes Cowboys powerhouse Micah Parsons, WNBA star Jewell Lloyd, and streamer Kai Cenat.
The game will take place on a unique glass-covered LED court that is being installed especially for All-Star weekend. As well as the staples such as the Dunk Contest, there will also be a special three-point shooting challenge between Steph Curry and the WNBA’s Sabrina Ionescu. Who are you backing – Team Shannon or Team Stephen? Let us know in the comments.
However, one person who will not be attending the All-Star Game is the Hawks’ Trae Young. Trae Young is perhaps the most notable absence from this year’s NB All-Star Game. Despite finishing third in Eastern backcourt voting, Young was not named as one of the conference’s reserves. Young is averaging 27.3 points (8th) and 10.9 assists (2nd) this season. Perhaps it is because the Hawks are 22-28 in one of the league’s weaker divisions, but the snub has rung out across the league.
Fans in particular are irate over Young’s absence. “Also, definitely put me on team “Trae Young should be an all-star.” Not sure what happened there, but think his case is pretty clear in the East. Bizarre that we just take 27 points and 11 assists for granted,” wrote Sam Vecenie, senior NBA writer at The Athletic. Furthermore, many people pointed out that Young’s numbers are better than last year when he missed out on the All-Star Game. Most fans are taking Young over All-Star reserve Paolo Banchero (23/7/5). Do you think Young got robbed? Let us know in the comments.
NBA All-Star Weekend is almost here, taking place on Sunday, February 18 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The entire weekend will consist of its usual events, including competitions like the Celebrity Game, as well as the 3-Point and Slam Dunk Contests, among others. As the event draws closer and anticipation rises, the starting lineups for the 2023-2024 NBA All-Star Game have been revealed.
The 73rd edition of the All-Star Game sees the NBA returning to the traditional Eastern vs. Western conference format, with two guards and three front-court players as starters. They previously implemented a draft in 2017 where captains chose players regardless of conference. According to NBA Communications, three voting groups determined the All-Star starters: 50% fan votes, 25% players, and 25% media panel. Additionally, head coaches chose the reserves for each team. Both conferences are stacked with big names and many of the best players in the league. As we recently covered the Eastern Conference starters, we will be spotlighting this year’s NBA All-Stars in the Western Conference. Take a look at the players below.
DALLAS, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 06: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks celebrates after the Dallas Mavericks scored against the Orlando Magic in the second half at American Airlines Center on November 06, 2019 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
This year’s starters for the NBA All-Star Western Conference are a multinational group, with three of the five starters being non-American. Including Greek-Nigerian Giannis Antetokounmpo and Cameroonian Joel Embiid in the Eastern Conference, the All-Star teams contain international stars on the lineups. Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Dončić hails from Slovenia. Currently leading his team’s franchise leader for career triple-doubles, this is Dončić’s fifth NBA All-Star selection and fourth as a starter. When he made the Western Conference in 2020, he became the youngest European player to start in an All-Star game.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
WASHINGTON, DC – NOVEMBER 16: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder celebrates after hitting the game winning shot against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on November 16, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
This year is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s second selection for the NBA All-Star Game. The Canadian guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder made his All-Star debut last year. He ranked number one in player and media voting, becoming the fourth player in Thunder history to become an All-Star, joining the likes of Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and Paul George. The Thunder currently stand at number 3 in the Western Conference under the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Denver Nuggets.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 07: LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after scoring to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, surpassing Abdul-Jabbar’s career total of 38,387 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena on February 07, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
To no surprise, LeBron James is an NBA All-Star starter. This year marks his record-breaking 20th All-Star selection, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in doing so. Last year, James also broke Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time league scoring record. Since he was first selected in the 2004-2005 season, the arguable GOAT has been a 7x captain and won 3 Game MVP Awards. Starting in 2018, he and Team LeBron won the All-Star Game for five consecutive years until 2023. While James’ team may have lost to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s team last All-Star Weekend, he is more than capable of securing another win.
Kevin Durant
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JANUARY 06: Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets drives with the ball against the New Orleans Pelicans during a game at the Smoothie King Center on January 06, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
Besides LeBron James, Kevin Durant has been selected as an NBA All-Star more than any other player. This year is his 14th All-Star selection and 12th as a starter. Since his first selection in 2010, he has received the NBA All-Star Game MVP Award twice. In 2023, Durant was traded to the Phoenix Suns after spending three seasons with the Brooklyn Nets. That same year, he rose on the NBA’s All-Time Scoring List, currently ranking at the tenth spot. In the Western Conference, the Suns stand at number six with 27 wins and 20 losses this season.
Nikola Jokić
DENVER, CO – APRIL 07: Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets dribbles against the Memphis Grizzlies at Ball Arena on April 7, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Ethan Mito/Clarkson Creative/Getty Images)
After winning the NBA championship last year with the Denver Nuggets, Nikola Jokić secured his sixth All-Star selection. The Serbian center first became an All-Star in 2019 and has been representing the Nuggets ever since. He is the only Denver player besides Alex English to start in four All-Star games. With Jokić’s help, the Nuggets have become a force to be reckoned with in the Western Conference. Currently standing in second place, we will see if Denver has what it takes to reclaim the title they won last season.
NBA All-Star Weekend is almost upon us, taking place on Sunday, February 18 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The event consists of the usual festivities and competitions, including the Celebrity Game, as well as the 3-Point and Slam Dunk Contests, among others. As the celebrated weekend draws closer, anticipation rises while revealing the starting lineups for the 2023-24 NBA All-Star Game.
The 73rd edition of the All-Star Game sees the NBA returning to the traditional Eastern vs. Western conference format, with two guards and three front-court players in their starting lineups. They previously implemented a draft in 2017 where captains chose players regardless of conference. According to NBA Communications, three voting groups determined the starters: 50% fan votes, 25% NBA players, and 25% media panel. Head coaches chose the reserves for each team. Both conferences are stacked with big names and many of the best players in the league. Today, we are looking at the NBA All-Star starters in the Eastern Conference. Take a look at the players below.
Indiana Pacers player Tyrese Haliburton was unanimously ranked No. 1 in the NBA All-Star voting among fans, players, and media. Last year, the 23-year-old point guard played his first All-Star game as a reserve for the East, also as a top selection. Recently, Haliburton joined John Stockton and Magic Johnson as one of the only NBA players ever to achieve consecutive 20-point and 20-assist games. He also tied former Pacers player Jamaal Tinsley’s record for most assists in a single game. As a starter in this year’s NBA All-Star Game, he will be playing on his home court.
Damian Lillard
This year is Damian Lillard’s eighth selection for the NBA All-Star Game but his first as a starter. The Milwaukee Bucks point guard’s first appearance as an All-Star was back in 2014. That year, he became the first player to participate in all five events in All-Star Weekend. Lillard most recently scored the game-winning shot in last year’s game alongside fellow Bucks player Giannis Antetokounmpo. When he is not dropping buckets, he is spitting bars as Dame D.O.L.L.A. As a rapper, Damian Lillard has released four studio albums, with his most recent being 2021’s Different On Levels The Lord Allowed.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Like Tyrese Haliburton, Giannis Antetokounmpo was also ranked No. 1 in voting across the board by fans, players, and media for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game. This year marks the fourth year for the “Greek Freak” as an All-Star team captain and the eighth consecutive selection overall. The Bucks’ forward will once again lead the Eastern Conference as captain against LeBron James and the Western Conference for the fourth time. He was also awarded Game MVP back in 2021. While each player in the NBA All-Star Western Conference plays for a different team, the Eastern Conference sees Antetokounmpo and Lillard representing the Bucks.
Jayson Tatum
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum was named the MVP in last year’s All-Star Game. This year marks his fifth selection as an All-Star, and second as a starter. He currently holds the most points scored in an All-Star game, dropping 55 points in 2023. Additionally, he won the Skills Challenge competition in 2019. Jayson Tatum has led the Celtics to be 35-11 this season so far, currently standing at the top of the Eastern Conference.
Joel Embiid
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid will be playing his seventh NBA All-Star Game. Back in 2018, he became the first 76ers player to be selected to start since Allen Iverson. Since then, he has consistently been playing in All-Star games alongside Lillard and Antetokounmpo. The three of them have appeared the most as All-Stars out of this year’s Eastern Conference starters. An integral player to the Philadelphia team’s roster, Embiid and his teammates currently stand at No. 3 in the Eastern Conference, under the Celtics and the Bucks with 29 wins and 15 losses.
The three-plus-minute montage began with a wider focus on the league’s many all-time greats, such as Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and the late Kobe Bryant, before zeroing in on LeBron James, with this year’s other all-stars going unmentioned by name.
Sunday’s All-Star Game in Salt Lake City, Utah marked James’ 19th career All-Star selection, tying Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most such honors in NBA history. That, nearly two weeks after James broke Kareem’s record and became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. The TNT tribute featured footage from James’ historic night on February 7, including his on-court embrace of Jay-Z.
Here’s a transcript of Jay-Z’s tribute:
“Being able to perform at a high level for a long period of time, that’s excellence. Long after you’re gone, people, they looking at your name like, ‘That’s what greatness is.’ There’s not many you can compare LeBron to. 19-time All-Star, a remarkable feat. The all-time leading scorer. All-time! I mean, what could you say?
I’ve known LeBron since he was in high school. There was a lot of talk around how amazing he was. We were convinced, like, this guy is super special. He’s been through plenty iterations of the game, and each era, he’s been the best. The Chosen One, and that’s it.
All-Star energy: it’s fun. The players, they’re super excited to play with one another. The league is in a great place right now. Every team has major stars. Amazing, amazing performers. People call it ‘being in the zone,’ where you could tell someone’s just like not there. You know, this thing is happening within seconds. How did he see this person? How did he jump and adjust mid-air? You can’t help but react watching that.
This is the All-Star Game! The attitude, the swagger. The players get a chance to do things they wouldn’t normally do in a game. All-Star, it’s like a childhood, boyish energy where everyone’s just happy to play the game that they love.”
To Hov’s point, Team Giannis beat Team LeBron 184-172 (!) in the 2023 All-Star Game with Boston’s Jayson Tatum claiming the Kobe Bryant All-Star MVP on a record 55-point performance.
BOOM
,” Fif wrote on Instagram. Fif was able to claim victory in the Celebrity Game as he helped coach Team Shannon to a nine-point victory. Shannon Sharpe’s squad rode Micah Parsons to victory, with the NFL putting up 37 and 16 in an MVP performance. 
