You know how it goes. Every year, we tune into the All-Star weekend festivities, usually for the dunks or the three-point shootout, but then the celebrity basketball game roster drops and suddenly everyone has an opinion. It’s that one night a year where you see a Grammy-winning singer trying to box out a retired NFL legend while a Twitch streamer desperately calls for a screen. It’s chaotic. It’s usually a bit messy. Honestly, it’s some of the most entertaining TV because the stakes are low but the egos are incredibly high.
The 2025 game in the Bay Area really set a new bar for this kind of spectacle. We had two legends from completely different sports—Barry Bonds and Jerry Rice—trading clipboards instead of home runs or touchdowns. It felt like a fever dream. If you missed the specific breakdown of who actually suited up and who actually played well, let's get into the weeds of it.
The Names That Actually Showed Up
When the 2025 celebrity basketball game roster was first announced, people were mostly buzzing about the streamers and the music stars. You had Kai Cenat returning for his second year, looking to prove he wasn't just a "content" player. Then you had Shaboozey, who basically owned the airwaves that year, swapping his boots for sneakers.
But the real story was the athletes and actors who clearly spent their childhoods in a gym. Rome Flynn... man, that guy can actually hoop. He didn't just play; he dominated. He ended up with 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists. He was hitting one-footed fadeaways that looked suspiciously like Dirk Nowitzki. It wasn't just "celebrity good," it was legitimately impressive.
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Team Bonds: The Winning Side
Barry Bonds had a squad that looked better on paper and played better on the hardwood. Led by the aforementioned Rome Flynn, they took the win 66-55.
- Rome Flynn: The MVP. He was the engine.
- Rickea Jackson: The WNBA star presence was huge here. She dropped 16 points and made the game look easy.
- Kai Cenat: He got his bucket, but let’s be real—he was mostly there for the vibes and the trash talk.
- Noah Kahan: Seeing the "Stick Season" singer run the floor was a highlight for the indie-folk crowd.
- Baron Davis: A Bay Area legend. Even retired, his handles are still decades ahead of anyone else on that court.
- Allisha Gray: Another WNBA powerhouse who kept the defense tight.
- Masai Russell: The Olympic gold medalist brought speed that most of these guys couldn't track.
Team Rice: The High-Flyers
Jerry Rice’s team lost, but they definitely won the highlight reel. If you saw the clips of the guy doing windmill dunks in transition, that was Shelby McEwen. He’s an Olympic high jumper, so it makes sense he’d have a 40-plus inch vertical, but seeing it in a basketball context is still jarring.
- Terrell Owens: T.O. is 50-plus and still looks like he could play in the NFL tomorrow. He put up 18 points. The man does not age.
- Shelby McEwen: 14 points and the best dunks of the night. Period.
- Shaboozey: He kept things interesting on the perimeter.
- Druski: Mostly provided comic relief, but hey, he hit a three-pointer that had the bench going wild.
- Matt Barnes: Another former Warrior back in the building. He and Baron Davis going at it felt like a 2007 "We Believe" reunion.
- Kayla Thornton: Representing the WNBA’s Golden State Valkyries, she was a defensive wall.
Why These Rosters Matter More Than You Think
The celebrity basketball game roster isn't just a list of famous people. It’s a marketing masterclass. The NBA knows that if they put a guy like Dylan Wang on the court, they are reaching a massive international audience in China. If they bring in AP Dhillon, they’ve got the attention of millions in India and the Punjabi diaspora.
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It’s about intersectional culture. You’re mixing the "I only watch the NFL" crowd with the "I spend 10 hours a day on Twitch" crowd.
There’s also the "Ruffles Ridge Line" and the "Crunch Time" rules. Basically, they add a four-point line and a period where points count for double. It’s gimmicky, sure. But in 2025, it actually decided the game. Team Bonds used a "Crunch Time" window to turn a tight game into a blowout.
The Controversy of the "Pro" Ringer
Every year, people complain about the "ringers." In the 2025 celebrity basketball game roster, people pointed at guys like Chris Brickley. For those who don't know, Brickley is the trainer for some of the biggest stars in the NBA. He’s not a "celebrity" in the Hollywood sense, but he’s a basketball god.
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Is it fair? Probably not. But without one or two guys who can actually organize a fast break, these games would just be twenty people tripping over their own feet. You need a Rome Flynn or a Baron Davis to make the game watchable.
What to Look for in the Next Roster
If you’re tracking the celebrity basketball game roster for 2026 and beyond, keep an eye on the "New Media" stars. The era of just having sitcom actors is over. We’re seeing more YouTubers, more Olympic athletes from niche sports, and way more WNBA integration.
The WNBA players aren't just tokens anymore either. They are often the best players on the floor, and the celebrities are starting to realize they can't just blow past them. Watching a streamer get their shot swatted by a WNBA forward is a staple of the modern game.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're planning to follow the next roster reveal or even attend a game:
- Check the Trainer: Look for names like Chris Brickley or other skills trainers. They are the ones who usually "quietly" run the game while the big celebs take the shots.
- Watch the Betting Lines: Believe it or not, people bet on this. If a roster has a former NFL player under 40 (like Micah Parsons in previous years), that team usually wins the rebounding battle by a mile.
- Monitor Social Media the Week Of: Half the fun of the roster is seeing the "practice" footage. You can usually tell within ten seconds of a clip who actually knows how to dribble and who is going to be a liability.
- Value the "Second-Year" Player: Guys like Kai Cenat or Dylan Wang often perform way better in their second appearance because they've moved past the "deer in headlights" phase of playing in an NBA arena.
The 2026 All-Star weekend in Los Angeles is already rumored to have some massive names on the preliminary celebrity basketball game roster. Given it’s L.A., expect the Hollywood representation to be through the roof. Just don't be surprised if a high jumper or a country singer ends up stealing the show again. That’s just the nature of the game.