Filed under: sports nba celebrity game celebrity all-star game 2004 bill bellamy richard jefferson al star weekend
The Very First Celebrity All-Star Game
In the days before Kevin Hart and Arnie Duncan ruled the hardwood, the Celebrity Game was full of stars like Roger Lodge, Bill Bellamy (former captain of the Violators) and… active player Richard Jefferson? Yes, active player Richard Jefferson. 2004 was a very different time.
(via nbaoffseason)
In all the excitement about tonight’s Celebrity All-Star Game, it’s important to remember our history. The first-ever Celebrity Game took place in 2004 - also in Los Angeles - and featured a coaching matchup between P. Diddy/Paris Hilton and Ashton Kutcher/Lisa Leslie. It was quite a contest.
- For some reason, actual NBA players also participated in the game. Richard Jefferson played for Team Kutcher, while Cuttino Mobley was on Diddy’s squad. Jefferson didn’t take it easy, either. He scored 16 points, got 11 rebounds, and blocked three shots. I would pay a significant sum of money to see footage of RJ elevating to block Donald Faison’s jumper.
- Also playing way too hard? Mark Jackson. Bill Bellamy said, “Mark Jackson was fouling … a lot.” Mama, there goes that man who’s taking things way too seriously.
- Bellamy also complained about Cuttino Mobley suiting up for the second half, despite his teammate Jefferson playing a ridiculous 31 minutes. I think Bellamy was really more upset about the lack of a 25-point basket.
- No one believed in Frankie Muniz, and he only took two shots in the game.
- Well, no one believe in him but his teammate, Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath, who said, “Muniz can stick the three like no tomorrow.” Sadly, Paris Hilton chose to keep Jefferson in ahead of him, or Malcolm On The Perimeter might be a smash hit today.
- Blind Date’s Roger Lodge summed the game up best: “We didn’t come to lose tonight.”
