New Format. Tougher Competition. The NBA is pulling out all the stops to make the upcoming All-Star Game a massive success. Of course, the league has faced a ton of criticism in recent years for the game’s lack of competitiveness. Many even deemed it a “glorified layup line” based on all the uncontested dunks and long-range threes. Well, it looks like Adam Silver does not want to risk the league’s reputation once again, as he has added another layer of excitement by making comedian Kevin Hart the on-court emcee for the star-studded event.
Sure, having an emcee for a live event is an age-old concept. But this is the first time ever the NBA has adopted this idea, and to do it with someone as popular as Hart will surely attract a lot of eyeballs to the event. Well, many of you might be wondering what Kevin’s newly introduced job will be. By definition, Emcee stands for Master of Ceremonies. And it refers to a host who adds more life to an event by keeping the crowd entertained with his live commentary.
Sure enough, Hart will be doing exactly that this Sunday. As per the NBA’s official release, Hart “will bring his signature humor and energy to the reimagined All-Star Game format, providing commentary from the court as play unfolds. He will be leveraging his longstanding friendships with the league’s prominent players and his legendary status as an entertainer to add a layer of comedic disruption into the live game.”
Of course, Kevin is perfect for this role because apart from being a global celebrity, he also has deep ties with the NBA and its players. Before hanging his boots to make room for other aspiring hoopers, Hart bagged four Celebrity Game MVP trophies and etched his name in All-Star Weekend history. Moreover, he shares undeniable chemistry with Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Candace Parker, who are captains of the four teams in this new format. And he is also longtime pal with superstars like LeBron James, who is also Kevin’s business collaborator in DraftKings. So, you can expect the comedian to be brutally honest and outright hilarious in his live commentary as the event goes on. Even the announcement of Hart being the emcee was very entertaining.
Kevin Hart collaborated with Draymond Green and Inside The NBA crew for Emcee Announcement
For a moment this historic, the announcement also had to be top notch. So, NBA dropped a promotional video on all its social media handles, that started with Hart getting on a video call with Draymond Green. Of course, the All-Star Weekend is in San Francisco this time, so the Warriors superstar sent a personal invitation to the comedian in the skit. When Hart thought he was being invited to play, he got really excited, “Of course I’ll be there. And I’m ready to do anything you need me to do. My knees feel good. I’ve been working on my shots. So, I’m ready to play man.”
May 6, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Film actor Kevin Hart in attendance as the Los Angeles Lakers play against the Golden State Warriors during the second half in game three of the 2023 NBA playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
But Draymond quickly shattered his hopes in hilarious fashion, “Nah Kev Kev Kev. We don’t need you to play. We got 24 of the best players in the world.” Then, the video proceeds to Hart calling Shaq, who is on the set of Inside the NBA. And he asked the Big Fella permission for a “Kevin Hart Takeover.” As Barkley tricked Shaq into saying “Yes” Hart got pumped once again for his new role as the Emcee.
Apart from Kevin, several other celebrities are lined up to keep the crowd entertained. Grammy award winning artist and Bay Area’s own Raphael Saddiq will take care of player introductions, while DJ Cassidy will conduct “Pass the Mic Live!” featuring many renowned artists, including Too $hort, E-40, Saweetie, and vocal group En Vogue. But eventually, the onus will fall on the 24 selected All-Stars to make the night memorable, because if the game fails to be competitive despite the new tournament format, fans will not care much about the other surrounding festivities. Hopefully, Kevin Hart’s role as the emcee will be the icing on the cake and not the complete cake itself. What are you looking forward to the most this All-Star Weekend?
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