Alkass Digital
Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons attacked Team Stephen A like an opposing quarterback Friday in leading Team Shannon to a 100-91 win in the 2024 Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game.
Playing atop 25 million LEDs lighting an innovative court, Parsons torched Team Stephen A for 37 points and 16 rebounds on the way to winning MVP.
The three-time Pro Bowl linebacker predicted at intermission he’d score 40.
With the game tied 78-78 with 4:53 left, Team Shannon scored back-to-back 4-point possessions from Los Angeles Rams receiver Puka Nacua (16 points) and actor Dylan Wang to take a 12-point lead.
From there, NFL stars Parsons and Nacua closed it out for Team Shannon.
Parsons seized MVP with monstrous dunks, aggressive downhill drives, and an array of moves, not to mention brute strength and aggression.
Nacua sprinkled in highlight dunks against an overmatched Team Stephen A, whose squad was led by Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, content creator Tristan Jass and Olympic high jump gold medalist Gianmarco Tamberi, who was playing in the game for the second time in two years.
Instead of battling on the debate stage of ESPN’s “First Take,” the network’s personalities Stephen A. Smith and NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe took it to the hardwood as coaches for their teams. Rapper 50 Cent served as an assistant for Sharpe, while Smith’s staff featured rapper Lil Wayne and Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson.
Played at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, this game featured a cross-section of celebrities from the worlds of entertainment and sports.
Kansas City receiver Mecole Hardman Jr. also represented the NFL in this contest.
Jennifer Hudson – the youngest female EGOT winner – headed up the entertainers, which included Grammy-nominated artists AJ McLean, Walker Hayes, SiR, and actor Quincy Isaiah, who portrayed Magic Johnson in the HBO series “Winning Time.”
WNBA stars Jewell Loyd and Natasha Cloud also participated.