Getty Former Panthers star Steve Smith will suit up in the 2019 NBA All Star Celebrity Game in Charlotte.
A collection of actors, musicians, comedians and actual professional basketball players will kick off the 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend with the sometimes-entertaining and sometimes-hard-to-watch Celebrity Game on Friday night.
The game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. ET and will be televised on ESPN. But if you don’t have cable, you can still watch a live stream of the game on your computer, phone, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku or other streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
No cable subscription or log-in required
In addition to a Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu also offers a bundle of 50-plus live TV channels, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN News.
You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Echo Show, or other streaming device via the Hulu app.
If you can’t watch live, “Hulu with Live TV” also comes with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
No cable subscription or log-in required
ESPN and ESPN2 are both included in the “Sling Orange” channel bundle.
You can start a free seven-day trial right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, or other streaming device via the Sling TV app.
If you can’t watch live, you can get 50 hours of cloud DVR storage as an additional add-on.
ESPN Platforms
Cable subscription or log-in required
Additionally, you can watch a live stream of the game on your computer via ESPN.com, or on your phone, tablet, or streaming device via the ESPN app.
You’ll need to log in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can still sign up for one of the above options and then use your Hulu or Sling TV credentials to sign in and watch on the ESPN digital platforms.
2019 NBA All Star Celebrity Game Preview
In years past, the two celebrity teams have been split into squads with names like “West vs. East”, “Team New Orleans vs. Team Hornets”, “East Sunrisers vs West Sunsetters”, “Team USA vs Team Canada” or “Team Lakers vs Team Clippers”, but the game’s organizers must have lost their creative juices for this one. It’s simply “Away Team vs. Home Team.”
But while the names are generic, they at least make sense. “Home Team” features a collection of celebrities and players with Carolina ties: actor Mike Colter (Luke Cage), recording artist Chris Daughtry, on-air host and actor Terrence J, comedian and social media influencer Famous Los, television personality Dr. Oz, rapper and recording artist Rapsody, NEEDTOBREATH vocalist and musician Bo Rinehart, actor and comedian JB Smoove, NFL legend Steve Smith Sr., Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson, ESPN college basketball analyst and 2002 No. 2 overall pick Jay Williams and hometown hero Jason Weinmann.
Suiting up for “Away Team”: Director of Influencer Marketing at 2K Sports Ronnie 2K, Hall of Famer Ray Allen, actor AJ Buckley (SEAL Team), recording artist Bad Bunny, Chicago Sky star Stefanie Dolson, Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry, actor and comedian Hasan Minhaj, rapper and recording artist Quavo, comedian Adam Ray, actor, comedian and recording artist Amanda Seales, comedian Brad Williams and hometown hero James Shaw Jr.
The professional basketball players don’t usually put in enough effort to influence the game in a major way, so while Allen, Dolson, Williams and Wilson are the real “stars” here, don’t expect them to really be involved much. Last year, Tracy McGrady had three points, Paul Pierce had four in five minutes, and Candace Parker and Dolson combined for zero field-goal attempts in 27 minutes.
If we’re looking for potential MVP candidates, Quavo is the obvious choice for “Away Team” after piling up 19 points, five rebounds and three assists to win the award last year. For “Home Team”, Steve Smith has the elite athleticism to dominate a game like this, and the Carolina Panther legend will probably want to put on a show in front of the home crowd.
A new addition to this year’s game is the “hometown hero” on each roster. Weinmann is a Marine vet who made headlines in September when he used his own military transport vehicle to rescue individuals from Hurricane Florence in North Carolina, and Shaw Jr. disarmed a gunman who had opened fire inside a Waffle House in Tennessee.