CLEVELAND - ESPN and the NBA announced the rosters for the 2022 Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, featuring actors, comedians, singers, rappers, athletes and more. ESPN will exclusively televise the game on Friday, February 18, at 7 p.m. ET as part of its overall NBA All-Star coverage. The game will be played at Wolstein Center in Cleveland.
ESPN NBA reporter and host Cassidy Hubbarth will return as the host of the broadcast to drive the conversation around the game. ESPN NBA analysts Kendrick Perkins and Richard Jefferson, who work closely together on ESPN’s NBA Today, will serve as first-time Celebrity Game analysts, while Monica McNutt makes her first Celebrity Game appearance as the sideline reporter. The broadcast team will be mobile and conduct interviews with coaches and players during the game.
Cleveland native and recording artist Machine Gun Kelly, rapper Jack Harlow, comedian Tiffany Haddish, Actor and NBA India Ambassador Ranveer Singh, Cleveland Mayor Justin M. Bibb, Peloton instructor Alex Toussaint and host, actress, athlete and model Brittney Elena will make their Celebrity Game debuts, joining hip-hop sensation Quavo, who will return for his fifth Celebrity Game appearance. Additional players include Puerto Rican rapper Anuel AA, ABC’s The Bachelor Matt James, country music stars Kane Brown and Jimmie Allen, along with renowned athletes from the past and present including Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, Las Vegas Aces forward Dearica Hamby, Cleveland Cavaliers legends Booby Gibson and Anderson Varejao, and Olympian and professional skateboarder Nyjah Huston.
NBA 75th Anniversary Team members and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers Dominique Wilkins and Bill Walton will serve as head coaches for the game.