ESPN, NBA Announce Star-Studded Rosters for 2023 Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game
- Coaches: Two-Time NBA MVP and NBA All-Star Game Captain Giannis Antetokounmpo, His Brothers Thanasis and Alex Antetokounmpo and Olympic Gold Medalist Lindsey Vonn take on Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer and Two-Time WNBA Champion Lisa Leslie, Rapper and Actor Fat Joe and Houston Astros Third Baseman Alex Bregman
- Team Captains: Utah Jazz Governor Ryan Smith and Three-Time NBA Champion and Jazz Minority Owner Dwyane Wade
- Celebrity Participants: Comedian Hasan Minhaj, Recording Artists 21 Savage, Cordae, Janelle Monáe, Kane Brown, Nicky Jam, Ozuna and Actors Simu Liu, Everett Osborne, Ranveer Singh and Sinqua Walls
- Exclusively on ESPN: Cassidy Hubbarth Returns as Host with Mark Jones, Richard Jefferson and Monica McNutt on Game Commentary
ESPN and the NBA today announced the rosters and coaches for the 2023 Ruffles® NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, featuring actors, comedians, Grammy® Award-winning musicians, athletes and more. Taking place at Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, Utah on Friday, February 17, at 7 p.m. ET, the game will air exclusively on ESPN and be available to stream on the ESPN App.
Utah Jazz team governor Ryan Smith and three-time NBA Champion and Jazz minority owner Dwyane Wade will serve as honorary captains. Two-time NBA MVP and 2023 NBA All-Star Game Captain Giannis Antetokounmpo, his brothers Thanasis and Alex Antetokounmpo and three-time Olympic Medalist Lindsey Vonn will coach for Team Dwyane and will take on Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer and Two-time WNBA Champion Lisa Leslie, rapper and actor Fat Joe and Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman, who will coach for Team Ryan.
Peloton coach and Puma athlete Alex Toussaint will return as the reigning MVP, while comedian Hasan Minhaj and five-time American Music Award winner Kane Brown will appear in their third Celebrity Game and actor and NBA brand ambassador for India Ranveer Singh in his second. Each team will also feature a WNBA star, with two-time WNBA All-Star and Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale and WNBA Champion and Phoenix Mercury All-Star Diamond DeShields on opposing rosters.
2023 Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game Rosters
| Team Ryan | Team Dwyane |
| Ryan Smith (Utah Jazz governor and honorary captain) | Dwyane Wade (NBA champion, Utah Jazz minority owner and honorary captain) |
| Kane Brown (5-time American Music Award winner) | Nicky Jam (Latin global music icon and actor) |
| Cordae (rapper, recording artist) | Jesser (content creator) |
| Diamond DeShields (WNBA All-Star; Phoenix Mercury) | Simu Liu (actor) |
| Calvin Johnson (former NFL player) | Hasan Minhaj (comedian) |
| Marcos Mion (TV host) | DK Metcalf (NFL player) |
| The Miz (WWE Superstar) | Janelle Monáe (actress, singer, songwriter) |
| Albert Pujols (MLB Player) | Arike Ogunbowale (WNBA All-Star; Dallas Wings) |
| Everett Osborne (actor) | 21 Savage (rapper, recording artist) |
| Ozuna (rapper, recording artist) | Ranveer Singh (actor and NBA Brand Ambassador for India) |
| Guillermo Rodriguez (ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live correspondent) | Frances Tiafoe (tennis player) |
| Sinqua Walls (actor) | Alex Toussaint (Peloton coach and Puma athlete) |
New this year, each team captain will have the ability to activate “Ruffles Crunch Time”, which starts a two-minute period where point values are doubled. Additionally, Celebrity Game’s “Unlock a Legend” feature will return in 2023, giving a team the ability to add a legendary NBA player to their roster mid-game. For more on the event, visit the NBA’s Celebrity Game site.
Throughout the game, captains Ryan Smith and Dwyane Wade and team members will also compete in gameplay activations, including shooting from the fan-favorite Ruffles 4-Point Ridge Line, to raise up to $100,000 to benefit 5 For The Fight Cancer Research Internship in partnership with Howard University.
ESPN Broadcast Team
ESPN’s Cassidy Hubbarth returns to serve as host for the broadcast, including for the MVP trophy presentation. Hubbarth will also make player introductions and conduct special interviews with players, coaches, celebrities and other event attendees. Mark Jones will provide play-by-play commentary for the game, alongside analysts Richard Jefferson and Monica McNutt.