OAKLAND — Is the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game a real basketball game?
Yes and no. The two teams play basketball, but the competition waxes and wanes. What it is, more than anything, is a celebration of the game’s ability to bring fans together from all walks of life.
It was with that backdrop that teams coached by Barry Bonds and Jerry Rice competed against each other at Oakland Arena on Friday night, marking the highest-profile basketball event held in the storied basketball cathedral since the 2019 NBA Finals.
Bonds and Rice had a brief faceoff before the game, with Rice asking Bonds, “How many rings you got?”
Bonds responded: “I got two divorce rings.”
Head coach Jerry Rice, left, shares a moment while meeting with head coach Barry Bonds during the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game at Oakland Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
It was that kind of night. In a zany game that featured promotions like a penalty box for fouling players, doubled point values during specific stretches of the game and a 4-point line, Team Bonds won 66-55.
Players in the game with local ties included WWE superstar Bayley, a native of San Jose, Kayla Thornton of the Golden State Valkyries, East Bay rapper P-Lo, former 49er Terrell Owens and former Golden State Warrior Baron Davis.
Bonds kept Davis on the floor for most of the contest, and it made a difference. The former All-Star directed traffic at the top of the key and provided Team Bonds some organization in a game that was exceedingly free-flowing.
“Keep Baron on the floor, because once he comes off, he ain’t going back,” Bonds said. “Got to keep him on the court. He’s an NBA superstar.”
Coach Barry Bonds gestures while being assisted by coach 2 Chainz during the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game at Oakland Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Bonds said winning the game was not personally important to him – “No importance on winning. You win by playing,” he said. But he certainly coached like it meant something.
“He actually had a real game plan,” said actor Rome Flynn, the game’s MVP with 22 points, eight rebounds and five assists. “He said, ‘Get Rome Flynn the ball.’ ”
It was a good idea. Flynn played high school basketball at Springfield High in Illinois, the alma mater of Andre Iguodala. He was by far the best – or at least the most motivated – player on the court Friday night.
The local connections extended off the court as well. Former Warriors player Richard Jefferson did color commentary on ESPN, and Oakland native Gary Payton, a legendary NBA player for nearly two decades, made an appearance.
For Payton, the event was a worthy celebration of Oakland in a town that has lost all three of its major sporting franchises within the past six years.
“The simple fact is that we have lost a lot of things here,” Payton said. “People got to understand what Oakland is really about. They just think about negativity. We got to understand our city is a great city that’s thriving. It’s starting to try to come back.
Coach Barry Bonds congratulates Team Bonds’ Baron Davis (85) during the final minute of their NBA All-Star Celebrity Game at Oakland Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. Team Bonds defeats Team Rice 66-55 (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
“We done lost a lot of sports, but we got to show these people why we should have stuff here. World Cup is coming back to the Bay Area. The Super Bowl is coming to the Bay Area. Keep having stuff here. We keep showing you what’s going on.”
Bonds was surprised at the size of the crowd, which filled most of the arena bowl and extended into the upper deck.
“It’s wonderful,” Bonds said. “It was like a sellout here, almost, so it’s unbelievable. I didn’t expect this many people. It’s nice. For all the celebrities that were playing, they should feel honored with that. It’s a ton of people.”
It was Thornton’s first time in the Bay Area, and she found herself impressed.
“Kind of reminds me of Seattle a little bit,” said Thornton, who joined the Valkyries via December’s expansion draft. “But the fans have been amazing. The people, the staff, have just been incredible.”
Jefferson played with the Warriors during the 2012-13 season and won a championship against them with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. His return to Oakland brought back fond memories of what he accomplished both as a Warrior and a visitor.
Team Rice’s Shelby McEwen (5) goes up for a shot past Team Bond’s Tucker Halpern (33) during the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game at Oakland Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
“I was here as a home player,” Jefferson said. “I got to watch those guys blow up to what they became. So even winning the championship against them, while it was great for a personal experience, I know those guys, and I was happy that they had success after. But yes, fond memories. Last time my son was in this building, he was on the stage with me, holding the trophy.”
The night had a different meaning to every participant, but as a whole, it was a game that showed how many different lives the NBA touches. It also proved that the league still has a robust audience in Oakland.
“Let everybody see this,” Payton said. “Look at how it is. I mean, it’s a good turnout here. That’s what we got to understand. There’s nothing wrong with this city. Ain’t nothing wrong with the city. We safe out here, we good out here, we building and we striving to be something really great in a city.”
Team Bonds’ Masai Russell (10) dances as she is introduced during the player introductions before the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game at Oakland Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Team Rice’s Bayley (15) gestures during player introductions before the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game at Oakland Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Originally Published: February 14, 2025 at 7:05 PM PST
