No dunk contest or All-Star game Friday night, but that is no problem with the Rising Stars game on deck.
Even the most casual NBA fan has been hearing about some of the rookie ballers this season. Ben Simmons, Dennis Smith Jr., Donovan Mitchell, Lauri Markkanen, Kyle Kuzma, and Jayson Tatum anyone?
NBA Friday Night showcases this rookies in the 2018 Mtn Dew Kickstarter Rising Stars game. That is a mouthful. Yes Lonzo Ball will be there too, though he will be unable to play due to injury. There are plenty of noteworthy second-year players also, highlighted by NBA All-Star starter, Joel Embiid.
Once again, the game will be set up in a U.S.A. versus the World matchup, with foreign players taking on the "home team". The full lineups are as follows per NBA.com:
WORLD TEAM
No. | Player (Team) | Pos.
8 | Bogdan Bogdanovic (Kings) | G
24 | Dillon Brooks (Grizzlies) | F-G
21 | Joel Embiid (76ers) | C
24 | Buddy Hield (Kings) | G
24 | Lauri Markkanen (Bulls) | F
27 | Jamal Murray (Nuggets) | G
11 | Frank Ntilikina (Knicks) | G
11 | Domantas Sabonis (Pacers) | C-F
9 | Dario Saric (76ers) | F
25 | Ben Simmons (76ers) | G-F
U.S. TEAM
No. | Player (Team) | Pos.
2 | *Lonzo Ball (Lakers) | G
13 | *Malcolm Brogdon (Bucks) | G
7 | Jaylen Brown (Celtics) | G-F
20 | John Collins (Hawks) | F-C
32 | Kris Dunn (Bulls) | G
14 | Brandon Ingram (Lakers) | F
0 | Kyle Kuzma (Lakers) | F
45 | Donovan Mitchell (Jazz) | G
1 | Dennis Smith, Jr. (Mavericks) | G
0 | Jayson Tatum (Celtics) | F
12 | Taurean Prince (Hawks) | F
5 | De'Aaron Fox (Kings) | G
* = injured and will not participate
The game will kick off at 8:00 PM CST at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Celebrity All-Star game
Since the festivities are in LA, we cannot forget about the celebrity game that starts before the Rising Stars. A few former pros highlight the field such as Paul Peirce, Jason Williams, Nate Robinson, and Tracey McGrady.
Justin Beiber will be participating as well as Nick Cannon, Bubba Watson, and more. Here is to hoping Jason Williams and little Nate Robinson steal the show and give us some nice highlights. Not that we don't want to see one of the HGTV Property Brothers ball out.
Tune into the games tonight and remember to check back on The Basketball Movement tomorrow as we discuss more of the All-Star Weekend festivities.